Pickled Eggs

[jo552006]

I am trying to figure out what a "basic" pickled egg recipe consists of.  Everywhere I look online I see this recipe or that recipe, but I am having trouble figuring out what the "minimal" recipe would be.  I want to try a minimalist recipe, and add flavors as I make more batches.  (We buy our eggs in 5 dozen boxes, so I can make plenty)  I know water, and vinegar are essential to making safe pickled eggs that will last, but is that it?  Do I NEED the sugar that most recipes seem to have?  What about pickling spices? (I believe sugar + pickling spices are why I haven't loved my wife's recent pickled eggs, though everybody else has been raving about them).  Can I literally just simmer water and vinegar for 5 minutes and pour over eggs?  (Again, I might hate the simple recipe, but I'd like to start there and tweak to my liking.

[netskyblue]

I don't know about lasting (probably wouldn't) but I love to put shelled hard boiled eggs in the juice that's left in a dill pickle jar once the pickles are eaten.  After 2-3 days, the eggs are faaaabulous.

[surfhb]

Its not rocket science or needs exact measurements.    I do about 4:1 Vinegar and water, throw in a mish mash of spices from the cupboard and bring the heat up slightly.    Using a large pickle jar, put he eggs in a wait a week or so....enjoy

[LouisPritchard]

Na, the spices and sugar and stuff are for flavor the vinegar is what keeps em safe, personally I still keep them in the fridge even after a water bath. Also I remember reading that the egg white needs to remain intact, protecting the yolk. The ph of the yolk is different and can grow botulism if it's exposed, ie don't go poking them with toothpicks to get more pickle juice to the center. You might double check that fact for yourself though.

I've heard some people put them in the vinegar shell on and let the shell dissolve, I peel mine. If you want to peel them add baking soda to the water during boil and it makes it easier.

Also when I do mine I add peppers for heat, garlic and onions to the jar. Pickled garlic and onions go pretty good with the eggs, but you'll stink afterwards, as if the eggs weren't bad enough on their own.

[jo552006]

Its not rocket science or needs exact measurements.

I hope you don't take offense but while I agree with you that it is not Rocket Science, it IS science, and you only don't need exact measurements if you're erring (usually SIGNIFICANTLY erring) on the side of caution.  Once I know what is minimally safe I'll feel comfortable throwing a batch together like anybody else, but without the knowledge of what makes something safe I'm hesitant to deviate from recipes too much.  I had similar issues finding a safe "formula" for beef jerky.  Due to NEVER being able to definitively get an answer for a safe formula (i.e. amount of sodium/cure vs dehydrating temp vs shelf life vs % moisture content left after drying) I decided to just stick with commercial jerky cure and use their directions and then add whatever spices/flavors I want.  "We've never been sick" isn't something I'm willing to hang my hat on.  (In fact, some recipes I saw people saying this about, I am fairly confident would make people sick if they didn't eat them within a short time...so if we made that recipe and gave it away as gifts...)  Actually I found the Nesco brand Hot & Spicy, Original, & Teriyaki (variety pack) to be so good, I'll probably just keep using that in the future.

I've heard some people put them in the vinegar shell on and let the shell dissolve, I peel mine. If you want to peel them add baking soda to the water during boil and it makes it easier.

I haven't heard baking soda before, but can believe it would help.  What I can tell you from my own experiments is the older an egg is, the easier it will peel with traditional cooking methods.  HOWEVER, if you have a pressure cooker, pressure cooked (steamed) hard boiled eggs peel super easy every time, regardless of age!  (My wife can fill in the details if anybody is interested...it takes a few tries to tweak to your exact liking, but once you get it it's set)  We prefer this method when we're making food for people because it doesn't require adding anything to the water, OR letting the eggs get old.  Also, it is extremely quick :-)

I'm thinking Vinegar is the only requirement for a "safe" egg as mentioned by LouisPritchard.  Is this the general consensus?  I have found that the water added isn't supposed to change the flavor, or safety but helps reduce the "hardness" of the finished egg, so I'll stick with that.  I DO plan to heat up the brine, in addition to maybe helping with safety, it is supposed to help the eggs from getting too hard.  My plan is to make a batch starting out with 50-50 water-vinegar ratio, slow boiled for 5 minutes poured over the eggs, and tweak from there to my taste.

[James]

If you aren't using sugar and spices, you don't need to boil the water/vinegar mixture. The boiling is just to dissolve the solids and get the spice flavor out into the liquid.

[jo552006]

Oh, and keeping in the fridge after the first night is kind of a given.  I plan to do that.  My wife found that the shelf stable eggs that you see at grocery stores have been irradiated (radiated?).  I DEFINITELY plan to keep my eggs refrigerated and in general eat with 2-3 months.  I am looking for a cheap and healthy grab & go breakfast.  I do still plan to boil the water/vinegar mixture though, as it MAY help a little with safety of the final product, but I read that it helps reduce how hard the egg gets.