Picked eggs bring a fun treat to any table.
Pickled eggs have become a staple of British pub food. This salty snack made its way across the Atlantic to rise to fame across the U.S. offered in country markets, restaurants and bars. When pickling eggs, make food safety your top priority. Bacteria remains a danger for all food preparation, but the long term use of preserved dishes makes them especially vulnerable to this fate. Many varieties of bar style pickled eggs abound, so select a flavor combination that suits your unique palette.
Instructions
1. Determine the size of jars that you wish to use. Large jars hold more eggs, but may prove a little more difficult when removing eggs from the bottom. Select the number of jars that will fit 12 eggs in the size of jar that you wish to use.
2. Place 12 eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan. Cover the eggs with cold water. Add a splash of cider vinegar to help keep egg shells soft and to keep egg whites from leaking out of any broken eggs.
3. Wash your hands.
4. Place the saucepan on medium high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering the eggs for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
5. Bring a second pot of water to a boil while eggs cook. Lower the jars and lids into boiling water one at a time using tongs. Place jars and lids to the side to dry, making sure that all water dries from the interior. This sterilizes the jars and lids.
6. Slice the hot pepper into thin strips.
7. Remove the saucepan from the burner when cooking time is complete for eggs. Drain the hot water from the saucepan and run cool water over the eggs. This stops them from cooking and makes the shells cool enough to handle.
8. Remove shells from the eggs. Some cooks use a spoon to peel away shells, while others prefer to use their fingers.
9. Place the eggs in the clean jars.
10. Bring malt vinegar to a boil in a large saucepan, and boil for one minute.
11. Remove the saucepan from heat. Add pickling spices, peppercorns and hot pepper slices. Stir.
12. Pour hot vinegar mixture over eggs in jars.
13. Place lids on jars. Protect your hands with oven mitts, and move the hot jars immediately to the refrigerator. Pickled eggs must be refrigerated as soon as the vinegar mixture is added in order to avoid food-borne illnesses.
Tags: jars lids, jars that, large saucepan, over eggs, Pickled eggs
