Easter Eggs - Pickle them up!

Happy Easter! It's been a great holiday just relaxing at home, no stress and I'm not making a big family dinner with all the fixins. I have had a great day of gardening and planting my broccoli, cantalope, and artichoke plants in our new plots. I was inspired to put something in jars, but I didn't want to do to much so I wasn't in the kitchen all afternoon. I saw posts from a couple of websites talking about great ways to use your Easter Eggs. Deviled Eggs seemed to be the first recipe, many spoke about egg salad, but a few out there took the long term approach, Pickled Eggs. 

Now truth be told I have never eaten a pickled egg. I continue to see them in delis and often get tempted, but it never seemed to happen. I asked my husband what he thought about them and he said he had eaten them before but it was a very long time ago. I took the plunge and decided to cook up a batch and get them started in the brine. 

Added Garlic Chive Flower

Note: Pickled Eggs should not be water bathed and after brining the eggs they should be stored in the frig until they are eaten.

The recipes I used were great because I used ingredients that I had in the house and even used two ingredients that were in my canning closet, canned beets and pickled jalapenos. Here are the recipes:

Jalapeno Pickled Eggs

1 1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar
6 cloves
1/2 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
1/4 onion, sliced then diced
10-12 hard cooked egg, peeled

Peel the cooled eggs. Sterilize a quart size jar.

In a  saucepan, add the vinegar, water, the onion and jalapeno, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the sugar has dissolved and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

Pour the vinegar onion mixture over the eggs in the jar, covering the eggs completely. Using a plastic jar cover or a lid and ring make sure the jar is covered properly. Refrigerate up to a month.

The pickled eggs will be ready to eat after a few days. The longer the eggs sit in the pickling juice, the more the pickling juice will penetrate the eggs.

Note: This recipe will work without the jalapeno peppers and will be tasty. 

Beetroot Pickled Eggs

Ingredients

4-6 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup of cider vinegar
1 cup of beetroot juice (used from my golden canned beets)
1/3 of a cup of brown sugar
¼ of a cup of chopped red onion
3 whole cloves

Once the boiled eggs have been peeled and cooled, place them in a pint jar that has been washed in very hot water. Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the liquid to cool. Pour the pickling solution over the eggs in the jar, so that the eggs are covered and seal tightly with the lid. Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of two days before using. 

From NCFHP & USDA

RECIPES

Each of these recipes uses 12 peeled, hard-cooked eggs.  The directions for each recipe are to bring all the ingredients except the eggs to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pack no more than one dozen peeled, hard-cooked eggs loosely into a warm, pre-sterilized quart jar (or other similar size container which can be closed tightly).  There needs to be plenty of pickling solution, and enough to completely cover the eggs.  Pour the hot pickling solution over the eggs in the jar, cover, and refrigerate immediately.

RED BEET EGGS
1 cup red beet juice (from canned beets)
1½ cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
a few canned whole tiny red beets (or several slices of beets can be used)




SWEET AND SOUR EGGS
1½ cups pasteurized apple cider
½ cup cider vinegar
1 package (about 12 oz.) red cinnamon candy
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spice
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DARK AND SPICY EGGS   
1½ cups cider vinegar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke or hickory smoke salt
2 teaspoons salt




CIDERED EGGS
1½ cups pasteurized sweet apple cider or apple juice
½ cup white vinegar
6 thin slices of onion
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon whole pickling spice
1 peeled garlic clove

DILLED EGGS
1½ cups white vinegar
1 cup water
¾ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon onion juice or minced onion
½ teaspoon minced garlic or 1 peeled garlic clove



PINEAPPLE PICKLED EGGS
1 can (12 oz.) unsweetened pineapple juice*
1½ cups white vinegar
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole pickling spice
*If sweetened pineapple juice is used, omit sugar