Pickled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs
Boiling the vinegar
Pack into jars
The finished product
Ingredients
- 12 Eggs
- 1 litre white wine or cider vinegar
- Black peppercorns
- Flaked chillies (optional)
- Whole chillies (optional)
Although we sell our extra eggs to friends and colleagues, there always comes a time, usually during the summer holiday season, when we have more eggs than we can eat or sell. That's when the pickling starts.
Pickled eggs are easy to produce and taste fabulous - a great accompaniment to salads, cold meat, and fish and chips, or slice for a roll or sandwich.
Equipment
Storage jars with good seals
Instructions
-
Hard boil the eggs in plenty of water - boil for at least 10 minutes to ensure they are completely set. While the eggs are boiling prepare your jars by washing them in very hot water and rinsing well. Check the rubber seals on the jars for signs of wear - if they aren't in good order get some new ones.
-
Meanwhile prepare the vinegar - you can use any vinegar but the flavour of your finished eggs will reflect the type of vinegar you use. Standard malt vinegar will be harsher than clear vinegar, while white wine or cider vinegar will give a more rounded flavour. Experiment to find what suits your taste and by all means mix vinegars.
You'll need about 1 litre of vinegar for each dozen eggs. Put it in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for a minute or two.
Tip: Add a sprinkling of peppercorns and/or dried chilli flakes for a bit of a kick.
-
Once the eggs are cooked cover them in cold water and leave to cool. Once cool shell and pack into your jars.
Tip: For even more kick add some whole chillies at this stage- they will infuse the eggs during pickling.
-
Sieve the vinegar and pour into the jars covering the eggs completely. Seal the jars well, and store for at least a month before eating. In a cool, dark place they will store well for over 6 months.
Further Reading
 Preserves: River Cottage Handbook No.2 Pam Corbin |  Bread: River Cottage Handbook No. 3 Daniel Stevens |  Pig: Cooking with a Passion for Pork Johnnie Mountain |  The Forager's Kitchen Fiona Bird |  Dough Richard Bertinet |
Comments
Dan
Thanks Claire, hope they turn out delicious!
Marilyn
Thanks for a proper pickled egg recipe - so that they keep. If you just want to pickle a few and eat them pretty soon afterwards you can cheat. When you finish any jar of pickles (beetroot makes pretty coloured eggs for slicing on a salad. Just add boiled eggs to the left over vinegar. Keep in the fridge for a few days, longer if you like. This way you only have a few at a time and you end up with all kinds of flavours and colours - depending which pickle they've followed.... onions, dill, beetroot etc. I do this now there is only two of us and we don't always want to eat up a mountain of proper pickled eggs.
Marilyn
I'm just signing up for emails. Thanks.
Dan
That's a great idea, will definitely do that in future. Thanks for sharing. :-)
nancy
Do u have to put them in a pressure cooker to preserve them. just curious.
Dan
No Nancy, just prepare them as explained in the instructions. The vinegar is the preserving agent.
Devin
could you make beats like this to?
nancy
I have fresh yard eggs. Lots of them. I love to pickle them but i have a hard time getting them to peel. Any tips?
Rosemary
I usually keep mine for a couple of weeks before boiling for pickling. I find fresh eggs are always hard to peel.
alf
I live on a smallholding in rural Bulgaria, and like you we sell surplus eggs to neighbours. However we always have a glut on summer before they go off laying, hens and ducks, so thanks. Eggs in winter. Fabulous;. Just off to make mushroom omelette.
Daria
The secret to peeling fresh eggs is as simple as adding immense amounts of salt to the water. I use about a half cup of salt per 2 dozen eggs. They do not make the eggs salty, but it does something to the shells that make them release with minimal scares to the eggs.
David emery
Here is a great way to get fresh eggs to peel. I live in north eastern Florida and our chickens and ducks lay eggs all year long. Simply prick the fat end of each egg with a thumbtack pin and place them in a pan of water. Heat the water to a simmer. Do not bring to a rolling boil but adjust the water temperature until you see bubbles rising from the bottom of the pan. Once you see the bubbles simmer the eggs for about 15 minutes. The timing is not at all critical. What happens is that the egg releases gasses which separate the membrane from the egg. Remove the simmered eggs and put them in a sink full of cold water for about 20 minutes. You will now find your eggs easy to peel.
paul evans
Very handy tips ,Thank You.
Kenny
I live in the same area as Accidental Smallholder & i too have an abundance of Eggs at this time of year and i pickle a few now and again.
I find that if you boil the eggs when they are approx 3-5 days old for 10 minutes then cool quickly in cold water, roll to break up the shell then replace back into the cold water, the water gets under the membrane & the eggs peel really easily.
penninehillbilly
I also sometimes crack the shell slightly so it can draw the cold water in, making sure eggs and water are clean.
or If the eggs are difficult to peel, slide a wet teaspoon round the edges, holding under running cold water if necessary.
lewis
I'm curious ... I've pickled cucumber quite a few times and other similar things, but want to give eggs a try.
With cucumbers, I dilute the vinegar quite a lot (around 1:1 vinegar:water, probably), which gives a mellower result.
Is there any reason why this shouldn't work with eggs? I'm wondering if the long time frame means they need a more substantial pickle ..?
Nigel Chapman
I tried to pickle a tray of 30 eggs today. half of them had to be discarded because the yolk was showing out of the side of the white. Why was that?
Marilyn
Were they stored pointy end down? It helps keep the yolks centered.
Dan
How old were they Nigel? As they get older the albumen's ability to suspend the yolk reduces, and as Marilyn says storing them pointy end down helps to keep the yolk centered. Also, be sure to boil them at a gentle simmer not a raging boil, and turn half-way through cooking or stir gently a few times during cooking.
Fingerlakes
A tip for the eggs to peel easily. I make a LOT of pickled eggs. Before boiling eggs, leave them on the counter out of the fridge for 2-3 days. Then boil, cool and they peel like a dream! (Don't worry about the eggs sitting out of the fridge for 3 days, they will be fine!)
Christine Sylvester
THANK YOU Daria, i have just boiled, peeled and pickled a dozen eggs that I collected this morning.....Your Salt method worked wonderfully and all the fresh eggs peeled without any problem.....perfect
Theresa walls
i have finally found the way to peel a boiled egg perfect every time no matter the age of the egg , fresh or a week old. Simple place your egg in a glass and pour in just enough water to cover the egg. Now put your hand over the glass and shake vigorously for 15 to 30 seconds. Pour out your egg and the peeling just pops off and you have a perfect egg 😊
Neil
Hello,
I wonder if you can advise me. I am looking at making some pickle eggs but I am confused by the amount of vinegar used id different recipes. The amount of eggs is about the same(12) but the vinegar varies from 1 cup+water to 1 litre!
Thanks
Neil
penninehillbilly
I've never heard of putting water in
Amanda
A trick I've learned to gettin yard eggs to peel easily is adding about of baking soda to the pot as they boil for a few minutes then cover them with a lid and let them steam for 10-15 minutes and the shells come right off
Robert H
I have used a steel nail file to remove the cracked egg shells aswell as a spoon, Nail file goes under and then slide it up under and peel it off.
juliadot1947
Thank you for this website. I wanted to know how to pickle eggs. I became confused by all the information around the internet but now after accidently finding your site I have realised that it's just different methods that people prefer. There is no right or wrong way just different tastes and ideas! (Obviously as long as the hygiene safety rules are adhered to.) Thank you to everyone who contributed on this page about egg pickling!
Mike Baker
What does it mean to “sieve the vinegar”?
Dan
Pour the vinegar through a sieve, Mike, to remove the peppercorns / flaked chillies etc. It's optional really.
jimp
to make fresh eggs peel easier; crack the shell a bit and add a splash of vinegar to the water you are boiling them in.
jimp
Good looking livestock.
Gary
Lewis asked about mixing water with the vinegar like when they made pickled cucumbers. You can do this but they will not keep as long as they do when you use all vinegar (1 or 2 months compared to 6 + for all vinegar). Also someone asked about doing beets like this and yes you can, my mum and my grandmother used to do beets this way all the time.
Happy pickling.
Amy
In the US non-refrigerated eggs like this are frowned upon as unsafe. I am guessing due to how our commercial eggs are processed. I know there, eggs are able to set out without refrigeration if farm fresh due to the natural covering that remains until washed. Would assuming this could work as long as fresh eggs were used rather than commercially processed? The scare factor of Botulism is high here.
Miriam
I see the eggs have to be cold when you put them in the jar: is the vinegar poured over them hot, or does that have to cool down too? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm challenged even with boiling the eggs !
Diana
Like someone said here in the US the search results are saying no way I refrigerated pickled eggs are safe ... while convenience stores continue to keep them out on their counters unrefrigerated .... we all feel like there’s something fishy about our google information . Are temps like 70F ok ? I’m in FL...
Colin D
I have sealed never opened can of pickled eggs in my cold storage since
Feb 6th until now. So like 4 and a half months almost 5. Im wondering if they are safe to eat. The cold storage being dark and very cold in winter and early spring and now it feels just reg cool dark the last month or so. Do you think they are still ok? It follows the above recipe.
Robert Collins
I just peeled 2 dozen fresh eggs every one of them flawlessly! Steam ! Place them in steamer for 12 minutes for hard boil egg. I have tried everything ! Salt baking soda , tapping round end with spoon to break membrane all of the tricks ! Steam is my new way to peel ! You can also use a rice cooker I hear to Steam eggs too
Leave a comment
Please use the form below to leave a comment. All fields are required unless otherwise indicated, and your email address will not be displayed or shared.
claire stubbings
Monday 19 September, 2011 at 7:06pm
I have just done my first pickled eggs following your method. I will let you know how they are after christmas. also i have done my first pickled onions. getting into it know xx