Old-Fashioned Pickled Eggs
12 servings
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Ingredients
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- 12 eggs
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml) malt or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt & 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp pickling spice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- Pink version: 250 g cooked beets, sliced
Method
- Boil & shock. Lower the eggs into gently boiling water, cook 10–11 minutes, then straight into iced water — clean peeling, golden yolks.
- Peel & sterilize. Peel the cold eggs under running water. Sterilize a big jar (wash, dry in a 275°F (140°C) oven 15 minutes).
- Brine. Simmer the vinegar, salt, sugar, spice and bay 3–4 minutes, then cool 10 minutes (boiling brine toughens whites).
- Pack. Layer eggs with the onion (and beets for pink). Pour the warm brine over — eggs fully submerged — and seal.
- Wait. Cool, then refrigerate at least 1 week (2 is better). Keeps chilled and submerged up to 4 months.
Granny's tip
Use eggs that are a week or two old, not just-laid — older eggs peel far more cleanly after boiling.