Do you love the tangy, delicious flavor of pickled eggs? Learn how to make them at home with this easy step-by-step guide. Impress your friends and family with your homemade pickled eggs! It is so easy, just heat the liquid mixture, pour over hard-boiled eggs, cover, and refrigerate for the most flavorful pickled eggs you have ever had.
Enjoy them for a quick high-protein snack, in your favorite egg salad recipe, or on top of a fresh garden salad. They are so easy, and no knowledge of canning skills is required. We love everything pickled around here. Have you tried pickled jalapenos or pickled red onions?
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs: I like to use the large ones, but you can pickle any size
- Vinegar: I like to use a combination of white and apple cider vinegar
- Pickling spices: McCormick makes a pretty good pickling spice
- Other spices: dried dill seed, coarse salt, black peppercorns, and sprigs of fresh dill
- Onion: preferably sweet yellow or Vidalia. Both add sweetness and texture
- Garlic: fresh, of course
How to Make Pickled Eggs
Hard boil a dozen eggs, peel them, and place them in a mason jar or taller bowl that does not require too much liquid to soak them. Meanwhile, make the brine by adding both kinds of vinegar, water, pickling spices, dill seed, salt, black peppercorns, and onions to a saucepan and bringing it to a boil.
Then, simmer for about five minutes. Pour over the hard-boiled eggs and add the fresh dill sprigs, onion slices, and garlic cloves. Finally, cover it with the lid, place it in the refrigerator, and let it sit for 3-4 days before enjoying.
Preparation Tips
- For whiter eggs, remove most of the cloves from the pickling spice.
- Pickled eggs are best after several days in the pickling solution; however, I have enjoyed them after twenty-four hours. The longer the eggs stay in the brine, the stronger the pickle taste.
- Store the pickled eggs in an airtight container in the fridge. They should be refrigerated and below the brine solution at all times. They will last up to 3 months when properly stored.
- Enjoy the pickled onions in the jar as well. They are delicious.
Steam the Eggs for Easy Peeling
I have never had trouble peeling steamed eggs. Fill a large saucepan with enough water to reach the bottom of a steamer basket. Bring it to a boil and carefully add the eggs to the steamer basket using a long-handled spoon or tongs.
Cover the pot and steam for 12-15 minutes. A single layer of medium eggs will require less time, while a double layer of large eggs will require the most time. Remove eggs to icy cold water to stop the cooking process, or let the cold water run directly into the pan for several minutes to cool them down quickly.
More Egg Recipes
Grandma’s Pickled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs hard boiled and peeled
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons pickling spices
- 1 teaspoon dill seed
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Place the peeled eggs in mason jars or a tall coverable container.
- Add both kinds of vinegar, water, pickling spices, dill seed, salt, black peppercorns, and onions in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the eggs.
- Put the garlic and dill sprigs in the jar with the eggs. Close the jars, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for 3-4 days before enjoying!
Notes
- Follow my tips for hard-boiling eggs, with the most important tip being purchasing eggs that are close to expiration.
- For whiter eggs, remove most of the cloves from the pickling spice.
- Pickled eggs are best after several days. However, I have enjoyed them after twenty-four hours.
- Keep pickled eggs refrigerated at all times.
- Enjoy the pickled onions in the jar as well. They are delicious.
Nutrition
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Toni
I really love how easy this is to make! Thanks so much for the tips!
Rachael Yerkes
I could eat these all day long! So dang good!
A Patterson
These scream out for a cold beer and some coarse sea salt!!
Beth Pierce
Yes indeed great idea!!
Kelly Anthony
I love all things pickled. Do you have a suggestion on what to serve these with?
Fred wilt
Pickled eggs are good served with most any meal but we have them at Easter time with the ham, baked beans, sweet potato etc. Always good but we do ours with pickled beets, vinegar and a few onions.
Anita
The pickled eggs are amazing and they are great for snacking too.
Krissy Allori
Yes, please! I love all things pickled. So sign me up for a big ol batch of these for sure.
Patty at Spoonabilities
These pickled eggs are the best! Such a great way to use up all those hard-boiled Easter eggs!
Irina
To tell the truth, I have seen some recipes on how to make pickled eggs, but I have not given it a try, I love the idea; so, I will definitely make it. I love your recipe!
Jay
Never knew you could pickle eggs. I should try this
Thanks Beth
Melinda
How long will these last in refrigerator
Beth Pierce
You know the internet says 3-4 months if stored in the pickling juice. That sounds rather crazy to me. I would say a few weeks.
Doug
Greetings Beth,
A query. I am wondering about you using near end of date eggs?
Beth Pierce
They are so much easier to peel!
Carol Snow
If you are worried they are “bad” just place each egg in a glass of water. If it floats, you may want save it for something you crack open to check the smell, otherwise no problem. I lived on a boat for 10 years without refrigeration and I kept eggs for 3 and 4 months after I bought them from the store. I never had a bad one. The date on the carton is so the STORE can keep it’s inventory rotated. Food is still good after the ‘Best Buy’ date. To many people waste money throwing out food because of that date. Use your eyes, nose and common sense!
Doug King
right on….when in doubt throw it out! Your nose knows!
Mertie
I have been making pickled eggs and beets for over 50 years! When I got with my husband, I had to get rid of the beets as he said beets taste like how dirt smells. Yes, you can keep eggs for what seems like forever. I knew that older eggs. when boiled, peel much easier but when my dad told me that they could last much longer than the expiration date, I was surprised. As my dad spent all his summers working on his uncle’s chicken farm, I knew he was correct. I got so much information on food preservation from my grandma who was born in 1881 and my dad who was born in1919. When I was younger, we used to have a huge garden and I used to make everything from scratch and canned or froze all our produce including jams, pickles, spaghetti sauce and pie fillings too. Even made our own sauerkraut! Much older now and in a wheelchair so I had to retire myself from all that but still cook from scratch all the time!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for all the tips Mertie!
Jen
These totally remind me of my childhood! Can’t wait to make these for my kids.
Pam Greer
These are a blast from the past! I do all kinds of pickling and I can’t believe I’ve never pickled eggs! Thanks for all the tops and the easy instructions!
Lisa
Wow, I’ve never heard of pickling eggs! I eat hard-boiled eggs a lot but even I can get a little tired of the same flavor. I love the idea of pickling them to give them a slightly different flavor. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Andrea Metlika
I love picked things and this sounds wonderful. I really like that you add the onion in this to give it more flavor.
Rosa
HUGE pickle lover here so I am excited to give this one a try!