Pickling eggs are a great snack, and pickling is a great way to preserve the eggs for eating later.
I admit that I had never made pickled eggs before. I have seen lots of recipes using beet juice, but honestly the neon pink eggs that emerge from the pickling juice really just didn't appeal to me.
So I have been avoiding blogging about pickling eggs, despite numerous requests for a recipe. That is, until today.
I was flipping through an old cookbook of mine and spied a recipe for pickled eggs. And they weren't bright pink - no beets involved !
Checking to see what I had on hand, I realized I was going to have to improvise a bit, but I was game to try my first pickled eggs.
So with apologies to the author for tweaking her recipe (which I am sure is perfect exactly the way it's written, but my being too lazy to go out and get the ingredients called a few minor substitutions and omissions), here's my recipe.
Scroll to the bottom for a printable recipe card.
Cinnamon Pepper Pickled Eggs
2 glass mason or other covered jars
6 hard-boiled eggs (why not try steaming them instead?)
2 cups Champagne Wine Vinegar
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns (you can also substitute pink peppercorns)
2 bay leaves
How to Prepare the Jars
Submerge the jars and lids in a pot of water and boil vigorously for 20 minutes to sterilize.
Remove jars and lids from water with tongs and let air dry on a metal rack.
How to Pickle the Eggs
Meanwhile hardboil your eggs and let them cool in a bowl of ice water.
Pour the vinegar and water into a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and then let cool.
Peel the eggs and place three eggs in each jar, along with a bay leaf and cinnamon stick, making sure to leave at least an inch at the top of each jar.
Pour enough liquid in each jar to completely cover the eggs, making sure to get some peppercorns in each jar also.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Eggs will continue to develop in flavor as they sit and should be consumed within 3-4 months.
Note:
The eggs are supposed to be refrigerated for two weeks, but I wanted to try one before I posted this blog. The egg was already a pretty tea color after just a a few hours in the liquid.
It had a nice tangy flavor from the vinegar, and I assume that after the two weeks, the flavors of the cinnamon and bay leaf will come through a bit more.
Update: Day Ten
I couldn't wait any longer and just had to try these eggs ! They were delicious....and beautiful!
