PICKLED EGGS!

Pickled WHAT!!! What's a recipe doing here?

A five gallon jar of pickled eggs was a counter fixture in many small town taverns where I grew up. Pickled eggs are a nutritious, satisfying snack, and a novel addition to picnics and appetizer trays. Finding pickled egg recipes turned out to be a bit harder than I had anticipated, but a few folks from the rec.foods newgroup came through with some interesting versions, both old and new.

If you have an interesting recipe for pickled eggs, please let me know!


I'll start off with one from Meal-Master, via Walt Gray:

PICKLED EGGS AND BEETS

Yield: X servings
1 x Beets
1 x Egg, hard boiled
1/4 c Brown sugar
1/2 c Vinegar
1/2 c Water, cold
1 ea Cinnamon, stick
3 ea Cloves, whole

Boil young beets until tender. Skin and cover with liquid made by combining the brown sugar, vinegar, water, a small piece of cinnamon, and 3 or 4 whole cloves. Let beets stand in this mixture for several days. Remove and add whole hard boiled shelled eggs to the liquid and let pickle for 2 days before using. Source: Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book - Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press, 1936.


And another from Walt, this time without the beets:

PICKLED EGGS

Yield: 6 servings

24 ea Fresh eggs
6 c Cider vinegar
2 tb Peppercorns
1 tb Whole allspice
1/2 tb Mace
1/2 tb Coriander seeds
1/2 tb Cardamon seeds
1/2 tb Cloves
10 ea Small hot red peppers
3 tb Sugar

Cook eggs in simmering water for 15 minutes. Place eggs in cold water, remove shells and pack into sterilized jars; in a kettle combine vinegar, spices and sugar. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour hot liquid over hardboiled eggs. Place lid on jar and store in refrigerator when cooled. Use within a month.


And yet a third recipe from Walt Gray:

PICKLED EGGS IN PICKLED BEET JUICE

Yield: X servings

1 X Beets, small young
2 c Sugar
2 c Water
2 c Vinegar
1 ts Cloves
1 ts Allspice
1 tb Cinnamon

Select and wash small, young beets. Leave 3 inches of tops on and roots. Cook until skins slip easily (about 15 minutes). Pack beets into jars within 1/2 inch of top. Pour boiling liquid syrup over beets to within 1/2 inch of top of jar. Process for 30 minutes in boiling water bath. After the beets have had time to "cure" (about 2 months), we then eat about 1/2 of the beets out of a quart jar, drop hard-boiled eggs into the pickled beet juice, and put into the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. By then the beet color will have penetrated into the whites of the eggs nearly to the yolk area. Of course, a much simpler way would be simply to buy a large jar of pickled beets, eat about 1/2, and drop in hard-boiled eggs; then, refrigerate and leave for a couple of weeks until the beet juice has penetrated.


This recipe was originally posted to Meal-Master by Kiwi Jim.

GRANDMA STERLING'S PICKLED EGGS

6 ea Beets
Eggs, as many as desired

BEET PICKLING LIQUOR
1 c Vinegar, Cider
1 c Sugar
1 tb Pickling Spices

Wash and boil 6 fresh beets. After cooking the skins will slip off easily. Cut beets into 1/4 or 1/8's. Reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid the beets were cooked in. Hard boil as many eggs as desired...warning they go fast, so a dozen won't last long, two dozen is better...depends on the size of the jar you must put them in.

Peel using the `shake the pan' method, and while still warm place in a jar with the beets and the 1/2 cup of the reserved beet juice and cover with the warm liquor.

(Beet liquor directions) Heat the vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add pickling spices. Pour over eggs and beets in a glass jar. Let sit until room temperature, then refrigerate.


SALOON PICKLED EGGS & BEETS

Yield: 24 servings

4 lb Young red beets (8 c) 1 c Brown sugar 2 c Vinegar (probably cider vinegar at the time of recipe) 2 c Cold water 2 ts Salt 4 Pieces small stick cinnamon 14 Whole clove 24 Hard boiled eggs

Wash beets, cut off leaves, stems and all but an inch of root, and cut into bite size pieces. Cook till tender then drain and peel. Boil remaining ingredients except eggs together for 10 minutes, cool and dump in beets. let stand a week or so. Add the eggs and let stand in cool place or fridge for at least 3 days. Place on bar and let em at em!


PICKLED EGGS

From Charlene Frank, North Dakota, where cooking is an art.

Yield: 12 servings
12 Hard boiled eggs
1 c Apple juice
1 1/2 c Cider vinegar
4 Peeled garlic cloves
3 tb Soy sauce
1 ts Dry mustard
1 ts Ground cloves

Put eggs in bowl or jar. Pour mixture over eggs and cover tightly. Chill for 24 hours. Eggs will keep for several weeks.


Here's another brine-type recipe from Ernie Harrison.

PICKLED EGGS

Yield: 4 servings
3 c Vinegar
1 c Water
1 Toe of garlic
1/2 ts Pickling spice in bag
1 Sprig of dill

Bring ingredients to boil and pour over boiled eggs.


This one's from Southern Living Magazine, sometime in 1977, sent via Nancy Coleman.

PICKLED EGGS WITH GINGER AND ONIONS

Yield: 12 eggs
2 ts Ginger, ground
2 ts Pickling spice
12 Peppercorns
2 c Vinegar, malt
12 Eggs; hard-cooked; peeled
2 med Onions; sliced
3 Garlic cloves
1/2 ts Dillweed

Combine ginger, pickling spice, peppercorns, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Place eggs in a crock or glass jay. Pour hot liquid over eggs to cover; add water if necessarty to cover. Add onion, garlic, and dillweed. Cover, and refrigerated at least 4 days. Eggs may be kept in pickling liquid several months. Serve in wedges with salt and pepper to taste.


RUBY'S PICKLED EGGS

Yield: 24 servings
24 ea Eggs hardboiled
2 qt Beet juice from canned beets
1 ea Sm. onion sliced thin
1 qt Sweet pickle juice from sweet pickles
1 tb Pickling spices
1 C Cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients except eggs in a large-mouth 1 gallon jar. Add hard boiled eegs with the shells on, cover and allow to sit for 1 week or more, refrigerated. Origin: Ruby Fallon's kitchen, Circa - 1977


This is a recipe from Barb Burgess (via Sam Waring) who wrote: "This is a recipe that was a staple when I was young, broke, and away from home for the first time. For the life of me I can't remember where this recipe came from ... I'm just glad I still have it."

LANCASTER BEETS & EGGS

16 oz Beets, sliced canned 3/4 c Cider vinegar 6 T Sugar, granulated 1 T pickling spice 1 sm onion; cut in rings 1/2 C Water, hot 4 Egg; hard-cooked, shelled 3 T Mayonnaise 1 ts Mustard, prepared 1/8 ts salt

Drain liquid from beets into a medium saucepan. Stir in vinegar, sugar and pickling spices. Heat to boiling, simmer five minutes. Strain into a two-cup measure.

Combine beets and onion in medium bowl; add one cup of the pickling liquid; stir to mix; chill.

Stir hot water into remaining pickling liquid; pour over eggs in medium bowl. Let stand, turning several times, about an hour or until eggs are a rich pink; drain of liquid. Chill eggs until ready to stuff.

Halve eggs lengthwise; scoop out yolks into small bowl; mash well. Beat in salad dressing, mustard and salt until mixture is light and fluffy. Pile back into whites.

Drain off liquid from beets and onions. Arrange beets and onions in the center of a serving dish. Place devilled eggs in a ring around edge.

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James Lux, April 9, 1996