by ☀ Aunt Shanny
Member since:
July 26, 2006

It's a German Thing- Pickled Eggs (AKA How to Peel the Perfect Boiled Egg)

April 08, 2007 09:42 AM EDT (Updated: January 01, 2008 06:24 PM EST)
views: 403 | rating: 9.5/10 (29 votes) | comments: 57

 

One of our family traditions every Easter is pickled eggs. Picked what? you might be asking.

Ever since I can remember my grandparents, and now my parents, make a huge batch of boiled and peeled eggs covered in beets and vinegar. We look forward to these every year.

In the past, we used the leftover colored eggs from the Easter baskets, but since Matt and I don't have kids I just whipped up a fresh batch of boiled eggs. The following is the recipe we always use.

Gramma Hull's not-so-secret method for making a perfect boiled egg:

12 eggs

In a large pot, cover the eggs with cold water.
fileId:3096224744080904;size:inter;

Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand about 15 minutes.

 

Pour off cooking water and cover with cold water.


fileId:3096224744080906;size:inter;

 

 

 

 

Tap eggs on the counter a couple times, then roll in your palms. The shell should come off in almost one whole piece.

fileId:3096224744080907;size:inter;

 

 

 

 

 

Pickling
1 can sliced beets
1 1/2 beet cans of white vinegar
1/2 beet can of cold water
pickling spice (I used about a palmful)

Add eggs to a large glass jar and cover with beets, vinegar, water and spices. Seal jar and place in the fridge for at least two days.
fileId:3096224744080909;size:inter;

 

 

 

We serve these with lots of salt and pepper and a couple of the sliced beets.

fileId:3096224744080910;size:inter;


Matt doesn't really care for pickled eggs, but then, he's not German.
link to this page
Bookmark this post:
Facebook
Twitter
Delicious
Buzz
More

Comments: 57

Christine " DogsRCool " K. Apr 8, 2007, 9:59am EDT
HA HA HA! Not German? Kiddin,I have never heard of that way to pickle eggs but i like hard boiled eggs and i like beets so i guess i would like that.Happy Easter and tell Matt happy B-Day!
Donald H. Apr 8, 2007, 9:59am EDT
Memories of my German grandma....!
Katrina Hall Apr 8, 2007, 10:01am EDT
Oh, I have to try making these!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:03am EDT
Happy Easter, to you, CK! And Matt says thanks.

Great memories, Don!

Katrina, I LOVE these things.
Nic P. Apr 8, 2007, 10:04am EDT
Happy Easter!!!! Happy Easter !!!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:06am EDT
You too, Nic!
Sonia M. Apr 8, 2007, 10:08am EDT
Shannon, my mother made these for years....! Thanks for the reminder. I wish I had remembered and would have made at batch for today! She sometimes used the brine from already pickled beets when she didn't have too much time. The results are also very good.

Sonia
In VERY COLD North Carolina where temps went down below 30 last night....Brrrrrrrrrrr!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:09am EDT
Awesome, Sonia.

Bet it's a shock going from warm Hawaii to cold NC!!!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:11am EDT
Keeping the gas-x handy, Vicky :0
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:30am EDT
I never knew that, Mazhar.
Deborah McEnery Apr 8, 2007, 10:33am EDT
My husband is a pickled egg freak! He will like this..Oh he does something we call Hot Pickeled Eggs. Malt vinegar, Pepper, Jalepenos with the carrots in, garlic and onions. EEEE, Ha...
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:34am EDT
I LOVE the sound of adding some heat to them. Maybe next year!
Larry H. Apr 8, 2007, 10:43am EDT
I have been wondering how the pickled eggs.. thanks
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:44am EDT
So, are you whipping up a batch today, Lar????
Carmen Y. Apr 8, 2007, 10:46am EDT
I love pickled eggs! I used to buy them at a Jewish deli many years ago.
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 10:50am EDT
As I wrote this, I wondered if any delis/stores still keep a jar of them on their counters.
Dorine H. Apr 8, 2007, 10:57am EDT
It's PA Dutch, too, and an important part of traditions in southeastern PA, year round and not just at Easter. Many people add thick rings of white onions to the mix. I'm one of them! I make them with fresh beets more often than with canned, and use either whole tiny beets or cut them in large chunks rather than slices.
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 11:48am EDT
That ALL sounds good, Dorine.

It's worth it though, Durham. And the more everyone talks about jalapenos, the more I want to dump a bunch in the jar!

Gram and Gramp made pickled pigs feet, too. I thought it tasted okay, but just didn't have enough meat! Happy Easter to you, Audrey!
Leah Christensen Apr 8, 2007, 12:14pm EDT
I'm not German, but I'm Danish, and Denmark borders Germany, so I think these sound pretty darn good!! I want some!!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 12:50pm EDT
Close enough, Leah!
They are beautiful but I dislike beets immensely!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 12:59pm EDT
You can always omit the beets :)
Rob Appell Apr 8, 2007, 1:03pm EDT
Not for me, nor the pickled eggs and such in jars on bars. My paternal grandparents were German and they made "Green Eggs". They snatch eggs from under the chickens and bury them a foot into the ground behind the hen house. They'd leave them for a month, then dig them up. The heat from the sun warming the earth "baked" them. When you cracked them open, they were green with a hard green/olive colored yolk...then you'd eat them. I could never get past the smell on the way in to even try them...and the odor from them "escaping" later would kill you. Of course, the beer that went down at the same time didn't help matters much.
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 2:00pm EDT
Rob, I suspected these would not be to your liking. But then, I would never eat rotten eggs, which is what they are if they are buried in the ground for a week. And Matt said that one of the reasons he doesn't really like pickled eggs is because of the smell.
Lisa H. Apr 8, 2007, 2:04pm EDT
The pickled eggs I see in a jar in the grocery store look gross, but these have a very pretty hue from the beests, and since I like beets (and am German), I am not opposed to trying these! They sound rather good, in fact!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 2:06pm EDT
Awesome, Lisa!!!! Definitely an acquired taste I think.
Lisa M. Apr 8, 2007, 2:25pm EDT
what an interesting thing to make with eggs... although I don't think i would like them.... hmmm, maybe I should try them once and see...
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 2:32pm EDT
Next time you have some leftover canned beets, try one, Lisa.
Jody Says Apr 8, 2007, 3:34pm EDT
Cool Shanny, I have one also, I'm a cheater. I buy a jar of hot sausages, or hot weiners, and after all are eaten I put boiled eggs in to soak, very good!
Michelle O. Apr 8, 2007, 4:08pm EDT
Happy Easter!!!! Happy Easter !!!The Gather Easter Egg Hunt Sounds good to me. Happy Easter
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 5:28pm EDT
Jody, that sounds awesome!!!! My dad always does stuff like that. Cutting up veggies and putting them in a hot giardeniara (sp?) juice. Or taking bologna and recycling the red hot juice, etc etc. He's a frugal kind of guy.

Thanks MO!
Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Apr 8, 2007, 7:14pm EDT
This is a tradition in my family, Shannon, and this sounds like a great recipe. My husband loves these all year!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 8, 2007, 7:17pm EDT
That is nice to hear that others have this same tradition. My dad eats them a few times a year too. We always know when he makes them because he calls to brag about it.
Janet H. Apr 8, 2007, 10:09pm EDT
Those sound really good. I have heard of and seen pickled eggs but have never made them. They don't sound hard to make. I'm sure I would like them.
Michele Scercy Apr 9, 2007, 8:33am EDT
I love pickled eggs (I'm German) but I hate beets!
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 9, 2007, 8:46am EDT
Give em a try, Janet!

Shel, leave em out. They won't even be missed.
Karolyn Q. Apr 9, 2007, 3:33pm EDT
I used to seem them in delis in NY often.
barb w. Apr 9, 2007, 5:33pm EDT
I have to try this. Looks easy enough. I'm going to use the beets, though. Love the color. Thanks, Shannon.
☀ Aunt Shanny Apr 10, 2007, 9:17am EDT
Glad to hear they are still available, Karolyn.

Awesome, Barb.
Ralph J. May 31, 2007, 9:41am EDT
These are so delicious! I often make these, and they are always a hit at family picnics.
Ralph J. May 31, 2007, 9:48am EDT
Amish farm women are remarkably good cooks. Just the memory of a laden table in one of those homes is enough to make us "auslanders" salivate and start planning another trip to Holmes County, Ohio. One feature of those wonderful meals is the traditional "seven sweets and seven sours" - pickles, sauces, jams, condiments of many kinds to dress up a dinner that needs no dressing up. One of the best of these Amish recipes is for these red beet eggs. Thank you so much for sharing.
☀ Aunt Shanny May 31, 2007, 10:43am EDT
Very interesting, Ralph. I wish you would write about the 7 sweets and 7 sours. I have never heard of that.
Jude Cowell Oct 4, 2007, 4:17pm EDT
This does sound easy and good, Shannon, and who could quibble with delicious pink eggs at any season?

Not i, yet i've never combined my love of pickled beets with my love of boiled eggs for it would be difficult to 'give up' my favorite way of having eggs--mashed up with butter and salt. In fact I like this method for egg salad sandwiches. Oh crum I guess I like most things that involve buttery goodness...
☀ Aunt Shanny Oct 4, 2007, 4:50pm EDT
I put salt and pepper on the egg and beets and eat together. Delish!
Holly J. Oct 4, 2007, 7:24pm EDT
Do you have to have the pickleing powder? My gramma always made these, and I've thought about trying it. I thought that was all she ever put in, but I could have missed the pickleing powder.
☀ Aunt Shanny Oct 4, 2007, 8:12pm EDT
My parents rarely made them with pickling spices, Holly. Feel free to omit!
(clapping wildly) im going to let the kids try this. key would ADORE purple eggs!
Marie L. Jan 5, 2008, 11:41pm EST
I've never even tried pickled eggs -- something new to give a try :-)
i just found a can of beets. w00t!
where do you get pickling spice? ive nevah noticed it in the market.
☀ Aunt Shanny Jan 19, 2008, 2:23pm EST
In the spice/herbs section. They are not required though. I have made them both ways.
i think i need to make them as simple as possible, for the kids, the first time.
☀ Aunt Shanny Jan 23, 2008, 12:01pm EST
Yup.
Elizabeth S. Mar 8, 2009, 3:06pm EDT
first time I've heard of red beet eggs. Bet my mother would like them.
R B Mar 12, 2009, 7:21am EDT
We munch jars of the Tobasco Dill Pickles at the beach. Wonder if that juice would work?
☀ Aunt Shanny Mar 12, 2009, 8:05am EDT
OMG, Tabasco dilled eggs? Hell yeah!
Tammy N. Mar 12, 2009, 8:23am EDT
This is a staple at my Mom's house!

Join the Conversation
Chime in! Become a Gather member to comment.
Already a member? Sign in
top
 
Gather | Friends | Groups | Share
About Gather | Engagement Marketing | Make New Friends | Gather Points | Advertise on Gather | Gather Press | Privacy | Terms of Service | Community Guidelines
Books | Celebs | Entertainment | Family | Food | Health | Moms | Money | News | Politics | Spirituality | Sports | Travel | Writing
Version 16865, "Oz"; Copyright © 2009 Gather Inc. All rights reserved.