Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the danger of pickled eggs? ›

Caution: Home pickled eggs stored at room temperature have caused botulism. For the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), see http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4934a2.htm The Editorial Note in this report cautions against room temperature pickling and storage, also.

Add the eggs, make sure they are submerged (you can top them off with an additional 1-2 tablespoons water if you need to). Cover and chill overnight. The eggs will intensify in flavor and color the longer they are pickled. We suggest waiting at least 2-3 days before eating them.

Season Up Your Eggs

It takes at least 24 hours for the pickling liquid to work its magic on the eggs, and letting them rest there for a few days is even better. If you're not going to eat them in the first few days, it makes sense to add a bit of water to thin out the brine.

Glass canning jars work well. A quart-size canning jar will hold about one dozen medium-sized eggs. Pickled eggs need to be hard-boiled and peeled prior to making the brine solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and other seasonings.

While you may see home-canned pickled eggs for purchase, it is actually not safe to can pickled eggs at home. In fact, home-pickled eggs stored at room temperature were linked to a case of botulism — so just imagine long term shelf storage of canned pickled eggs!

Pickled eggs were widely made and eaten by Germans as early as the mid-1700s. They were a popular food with German immigrants, especially the Hessian mercenaries fighting against Colonists during the Revolutionary War. Many early recipes come from the Pennsylvania Dutch.

In general, all pickled eggs can last up to four months in the refrigerator before experiencing decreased quality. Keep in mind that eggs may be safe to eat after that time, but they're not likely to be as tasty as when you first bought them.

Pickled eggs contain only around 70 calories, but they're filling and contain what Healthline refers to as “good fats”. Eggs pack in the protein. Did you know that your average egg offers 6 grams of protein? I have found that protein fills me up even more than my beloved carbs.

Pickled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months, but they are best when consumed within the first month for optimal flavor.

For pickled eggs, swapping white vinegar for apple cider vinegar is a no-brainer. While white vinegar has a pretty even taste and doesn't affect the eggs much in terms of color, apple cider vinegar brings a complexity of flavors and provides the eggs with a unique hue.

Can I reuse my pickled egg brine? ›

Pickled eggs want a strong vinegar brine. If you're reusing brine, it's been diluted from the original recipe by the first round of fresh vegetables or fruits that were placed in it: Most fresh produce has a high water content, and the pickling process moves some of that water into the brine.

And If the eggs sit in that liquid too long, you get rubbery eggs. There's a simple enough way to avoid this problem. You want the pickling liquid to do its job in the beginning, and then after the eggs have reached the proper degree of pickling, you can dilute the solution with some water.

While recipes can vary from brand to brand, store-bought pickled eggs are often submerged in pickling solutions consisting of ingredients like beet juice, vinegar, water, and sugar. Commercial pickled eggs can also contain sodium benzoate, which is a common preservative that keeps food stable on store shelves.

Pickled eggs are typically hard-boiled eggs that are cured in vinegar or brine. As with many foods, this was originally a way to preserve the food so that it could be eaten months later.

Pickled eggs left at room temperature developed botulism in the yolk, which had been pricked with a toothpick, before the acid pickling solution was able to equilibrate throughout the egg. To prevent botulism toxin from forming in non-canned foods, low-acid foods need to be refrigerated after they are cooked.

And like all great immigrant fare, there's also bonus food science: Eggs contain the amino acid cysteine, which is key to liver function (and why eggs are an important part of your hangover breakfast) while the pickling process can generate probiotic bacteria that aids digestion.

Pickled eggs have all the nutrients and vitamins and healthy fats and cholesterol and protein of boiled eggs but they also have probiotics which is an additional plus.

As a result, eating too many pickles may be risky for anyone with liver disease or kidney conditions. Diets high in sodium may increase your risk of gastric cancer. High salt intake may damage your stomach directly, leading to cancer, or it may lead to infections and ulcers that eventually become cancerous.