Pink pickled eggs

Adding beetroot to the pickling mix gives you pink pickled eggs
Pink pickled eggs

What to do when the trickle of eggs you waited and waited for finally turns into a steady flow and the full cartons begin to collect? Mum is of course always a good source of knowhow, and mine sent me a recipe for pickling eggs.

They are not something I think I’d even tried before, although I’m sure I’ve seen them in jars in Yorkshire pubs. So I at least had to give them a go. And then I saw the tweak of adding beetroot to the pickling mix. Pink pickled eggs were too good not to try, and I swear that Nigella was on TV pushing them after I had made mine.

They’re actually not bad. There are plenty of recipes online, this is an outline of mine.

Method

There are plenty to look up, but they are all variations on:

  • Hard boil a dozen eggs*, cool and peel them.
  • Boil some vinegar with thin slices of raw beetroot and whatever spices you fancy (mustard seed, coriander, dill, sweet spices).
  • Pack the eggs into sterilised jars, pour on the hot vinegar to cover them, and leave to cool and infuse.

They’re not something I’d seek out to eat, but they are fun and tasty, and not at all overpowering like pickled onions can be. They look great on a plate of mixed lunch makings too.

* my 250 mL jars hold 5 of my hens’ very large eggs snugly, so 10 eggs is better for 2 jars.

Warning. There is a risk of botulism if you’re not careful. Never prick the eggs as this can introduce bacteria into the yolk, away from the protective vinegar, and unless you’re sure of your method, refrigerate the jars after they cool down.