Chilli Pickled Eggs Recipe
Now although I list this as a recipe, it is more of a “methodology” than a recipe as there really are not many ingredients. When I mention pickled eggs, I get a mixed reaction from the people I speak to, they are definitely a “marmite” product, love or hate.
Eggs have been pickled for centuries, as a way of preserving them, these days you can get one with your Friday night fish & chip supper, but to me they are a Christmas tradition, something I have loved for as long as I can remember. My mother would make a jar each year but only for the festive season.
This is something I now do each year for my own family.
So being a Chillihead, it is only natural that I would experiment with the addition of Chillis to add that extra bite.
The following recipe/method is my way of doing things, there are plenty of recipes out there but I thought I would share this with the Chilefoundry readers, especially as Christmas is just around the corner.
You will need:
- 18 eggs (if using the vinegar jar listed below)
- 1.14 Litre bottle of Sarsons clear pickling vinegar
- Small amount of greaseproof paper
- And as many Chillis as you dare, the hotter the better! Sliced lengthways
Step 1- The Eggs:
The eggs do not need to be super fresh, normal shop bought eggs should be fine, if like me you happen to keep Chickens at home, then use eggs which are at least a week old as it aids the shell removal.
Put the eggs in a large saucepan, and cover with boiling water. Some people say to add some vinegar to stop the shells cracking but I have never had an issue.
Wait until the water is at a “rolling boil” and then time for 10 minutes, ensuring the eggs stay covered. It doesn’t matter if the eggs crack while boiling.
Once the time is up, drain and immerse in cold water and give the pan a good shake to crack the egg shells, this enables the water to get under the shells and also helps with shell removal. When cold enough to the touch, remove shells being careful to leave the eggs intact.
Step 2- Pickling the eggs
If you are using the jar that the vinegar is in then decant half into a jug and carefully drop the eggs in the jar whilst adding pieces of chilli as you go until the eggs reach the neck of the jar, now you add more vinegar to top up the level to just below the lid (you may need to press the eggs in gently so they wedge themselves in and stay under the vinegar).
An important point to note, if you are using old jars, make sure they are nice and clean, I use a Milton sterilising tablet which I have for my wine making, rinsing thoroughly after.
Make sure the jar doesn’t have any air bubbles trapped by tapping the jar and top up the vinegar if necessary.
If you are using jars with metal lids, it is a good idea to cover the jar opening with a square of greaseproof paper, this stops the vinegar making contact with the lid and rusting the metal.
Carefully screw the lid on tightly and put the jar in a dark cool place for at least a month. There is some debate about how long these will last in the jar, I have eaten home pickled eggs which were made the previous year, however 3-6 months is the maximum I would advise.
There you have it, do them now and they will be ready in time for Christmas, sliced up with cold turkey in a sandwich.
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