Pickled Eggs?
The most common response I get when I mention pickled eggs. It may sound crazy, but despite how they may sound they may be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. They have a unique flavor that is hard to resist.
When you have as many eggs available as I do you want to find good uses for them. We have been raising chickens for a year and a half now and are always looking for new things to do with eggs. Dutch Baby Pancakes are another of our favorites, more on those in a later post.
If you haven’t tried pickled eggs it is time. From what I can tell they are probably a love hate situation. Either you love them or you hate them. I haven’t met anyone that has said they don’t like them but they are a very unique and distinct flavor. One I happen to love them! I followed some recipes for pickled eggs the hot brine/pickling method and they were OK. Then my wife got me the Easy Fermentation Kit for our anniversary and I just started fermenting all kinds of things. I decided to try doing eggs but wasn’t really sure about fermenting animal protein but I’ve known people that ferment fish so I wasn’t too worried. I made the recipe up while we were watching Cobra Kai. This recipe was my first attempt at Lacto Fermented Eggs and I can’t think of a reason to make them any other way since they turned out fantastic. I just took what I knew of making pickles and threw this recipe together on the spot and they quickly became my favorite snack.
Lacto Fermentation
I’ve been in to Lacto Fermentation for some time now and even made my own pickle crock back in college when I took a ceramics class. That was for gherkins and sauerkraut. My wife wanted to get me something that I would get myself but she knew I would use and that is what led her to the Easy Fermenter. I highly recommend this kit as it take much of the guess work out of the whole process. I recently got in to making Hard Apple Cider with it but that is ready to taste quite yet. Still needs to age a mellow a bit.
I won’t drone on here to try to fill space so lets get to what you need and the recipe.
Needed Supplies for Pickled Eggs
While the Easy Fermenter is not required for this pickled eggs recipe I highly recommend if for all of your Lacto Fermentation needs. The reason for that is how easy it makes the whole process. That and the added protection you get from the pressure release that allows the carbon dioxide generated to push the oxygen in the jar out. Oxygen is not a friend of safe Lacto Fermentation. You can also use a normal mason jar ring and lid just make sure you don’t tighten it. This is a very short ferment, only two days, but too much pressure could spell disaster for your kitchen.
Recipe
Pickled Eggs
Equipment
- Mason Jars
- Easy Fermentation Kit
- Fermentation Weights
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 8 Whole Eggs Hard Boiled and Deshelled
- 1/2 Onion Sliced
- 1 tsp Peppercorns Whole
- 1 tbsp Pickling Spice
Brine
- 1 cup Water Chlorine Free
- 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Live Brine From Previous Ferment
Instructions
Prep
- Start by Hard Boiling Your Eggs
- Slice Half Onion
- Clean All The Equipment
- Combine Brine Ingredients (Water, Kosher Salt and Live Brine)
Jar
- Fill Jar with Eggs and onions. Alternate so they are mixed together throughout the jar.
- Add pickling spices and peppercorns to the top of the jar. Often there is a bay leaf and dried chilies in the pickling spice. Make sure to get a bay leaf and as many of the dried chilies in there as you like.
- Pour the Brine over the top until eggs are covered and make sure to leave about an inch of air space at the top of the jar.
- Cap with your Easy Fermenter lid. (You can do this without the Easy Fermenter by very lightly placing a mason jar lid on top and securing canning ring but leaving loose so it can release pressure)
- Turn gently to get the air throughout jar to come to the top.
Ferment
- Place on counter out of direct sunlight. Best if it can be between 60-70 degrees F.
- Wait two days. You will see bubbles starting to form and rise to the top like soda pop. This means it is working.
Enjoy
- Open Jar and enjoy. These probably would make for really good deviled eggs but I haven't been able to try that yet. They don't last me very long.