Pickled eggs are hard-boiled eggs left in a spiced vinegar brine until the whites turn tangy and firm. They are an old pub and bar snack, a relish tray regular, and very easy to make, as long as you follow two rules: keep them in the fridge, and never prick the eggs. Here is a simple recipe that follows the food-safety guidance, a pink beet version, and what to serve them with, starting with the other pub-plate pickle: pickled mushrooms.
What are pickled eggs?
Peeled hard-boiled eggs covered in hot vinegar brine with salt and spices, then refrigerated for a week or more while the brine works its way in. The white turns firm and tangy, and the yolk takes on a little of the flavor. Dill and garlic make a savory egg; cider vinegar and beet juice make the famous pink ones.
Which eggs to use
Small or medium eggs are best: the brine reaches the center faster. Eggs that are a week or so old peel more cleanly than very fresh ones, which matters when the egg goes into the jar whole.
The pub plate
Pickled eggs used to sit on bar counters with pickled onions and a hunk of cheese. That plate is still one of the best snacks there is: an egg halved and sprinkled with salt and hot sauce, sharp cheddar, crusty bread, and a few pickles. Add a bowl of pickled crimini or thick coins of pickled king oyster and it goes from bar snack to a proper ploughman's board.
"The king oyster mushrooms are so good. I put them on toast with eggs and they were gone in two days."
— Daniel M., Golden Grove customer
Pickled eggs recipe
Makes 12 eggs in a quart jar. 40 minutes, then 1 to 4 weeks in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 12 small or medium eggs
- 1½ cups white distilled vinegar, labeled 5% acidity
- 1 cup water
- 2 to 3 tsp pickling or canning salt
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp dill seed, or a few sprigs of fresh dill
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 garlic clove, halved (optional)
Method
- Hard-cook the eggs: cover them with water, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Cool them in cold water and peel. Do not prick or poke holes in the cooked eggs.
- Sterilize a quart jar and its lid by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.
- Bring the vinegar, water, salt, sugar and spices to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pack the eggs loosely into the jar with the garlic, and pour in the hot brine until the eggs are completely covered.
- Put on the lid and refrigerate straight away. Keep them in the fridge the whole time.
- Small eggs are ready in 1 to 2 weeks; medium and large eggs need 2 to 4 weeks for the flavor to reach the center.
Pickled egg safety
Eggs are a low-acid food, so pickled eggs need more care than cucumber pickles.
- Always refrigerate them. Home pickled eggs stored at room temperature have caused botulism. Out of the fridge, limit them to two hours at serving time.
- Never prick the cooked eggs. In a 1997 case reported by the CDC, home-pickled eggs that had been punctured with toothpicks and kept at room temperature made a man seriously ill. Pricking can carry bacteria into the yolk, where the vinegar reaches last.
- Don't can them. There are no tested directions for canning pickled eggs at home. They are a fridge food only.
- Use 5% vinegar and keep the eggs covered. Any egg poking above the brine isn't being pickled.
- Use small or medium eggs. The brine gets through them faster.
How long pickled eggs last
Food-safety guides vary more than you might expect. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says within 3 to 4 months for best quality; several university extension services say within a month, and the University of Wisconsin says within 2 weeks. Make a few at a time and eat them within a few weeks.
Pickled egg variations
Pink beet eggs
Swap the water for juice from a can of beets and the white vinegar for cider vinegar, and add a few of the beets to the jar. The whites turn bright pink. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a tested red beet egg recipe on the same page as its other pickled egg recipes.
Spicy eggs
Add a sliced jalapeño, a few dried chilies or a teaspoon of chili flakes to the jar.
Curry eggs
Add a teaspoon of curry powder to the brine for golden eggs with a gentle warmth.
How to serve pickled eggs
- Halved, with salt and hot sauce, the classic bar way.
- On a relish tray with pickles, olives, celery and pickled mushrooms. See how to make a relish tray.
- As deviled eggs: pickled whites make tangy deviled eggs that need no extra vinegar.
- Sliced into salads, potato salad or a grain bowl.
- On a ploughman's board with cheddar, bread, pickled onions and pickled crimini.
Pickled egg questions
How long does it take for eggs to become pickled?
1 to 2 weeks for small eggs, and 2 to 4 weeks for medium or large ones.
Do pickled eggs need to be refrigerated?
Yes, always. Home pickled eggs kept at room temperature have caused botulism. Take them out only to serve, for no more than two hours.
What vinegar is best for pickled eggs?
Any store-bought white distilled or cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity. White vinegar keeps the eggs pale; cider vinegar is the usual choice for beet eggs. Don't use homemade vinegar.
How long do pickled eggs last?
Guidance ranges from two weeks to four months in the fridge. Making a few at a time, and eating them within a few weeks, keeps you on the safe side.
Can I reuse the brine?
Don't pickle a new batch in it. Make fresh brine every time.
The short version
Hard-boiled eggs, unpricked, in a hot 5% vinegar brine with salt and spices, kept in the fridge for one to four weeks before eating, and eaten within a few weeks after that. Serve them halved with hot sauce, next to cheddar and a bowl of pickled crimini. For mixed jars for a board, try a Build Your Variety Pack, and see all the types of pickles.