I hope after reading the blog title and seeing the lead photo not everyone has clicked away in horror! These eggs may look…unconventional, but I promise you they are super tasty, and your bravery will be rewarded if you give them a whirl.

I’ve been seeing pickled eggs on more and more menus around town, most recently at Olympic Provisions, and Joe was a good sport and agreed to order one as an appetizer. He was very slightly less of a sport the other day when he opened the refrigerator and saw a mason jar filled to the brim with my crimson creation; I assume he was concerned that I might be dabbling in organ harvesting in my spare time. I am not.

The beets add an obvious punch of color, but their earthy-sweetness also lends another layer of flavor. One of the great things about pickling is that you can change the flavor profile very easily by switching up the aromatics you include in your pickling liquid. I used some pretty traditional ingredients that I had floating around in my pantry, but feel free to mix and match depending on your mood. Next time I might ditch the beets and go more of a curried route using ample turmeric to give them a golden hue. If anyone here dabbles in pickling, I would love to know what types of vinegar and flavors you use. I’m becoming a pickling fool!

These photos were taken after chilling in the fridge for 2 days. I ate another egg on the third day for a little afternoon snackle, and the pickling liquid had colored the egg all the way to the yolk! I’m a little nervous about what I will find today (Day 4!) but I will just have to put on my Big Girl Pants and have a crack at it. Crack…eggs…anyone? Moving on. I was poking around a pickled egg message board the other day (yes, these do exist!) and one Rogue Pickler claims he has had pickled eggs in his fridge for 16+ months, and other than being a little rubbery they tasted great. Right. I want no part of his hardboiled tomfoolery, so I would maybe recommend two weeks tops in the fridge to ensure peak flavor and consistency.

I’m enjoying these little guys with a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper, but some day soon if I’m feeling fancy, I might try turning them into deviled pickled eggs for a fun twist. The possibilities are eggless! Er…endless. Enjoy!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Pickled Eggs and Beets
Inspired by Olympic Provisions
I left the beets in with the eggs to ensure intense color saturation, but feel free to use the cooked beets for another purpose, and the beet juice should do the trick on its own. Also, canned beets in water can be substituted in place of cooking your own.

6 large eggs
1 large, or 2-3 small red beets
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
1 whole star anise
4 green cardamom pods
Fresh dill

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover by an inch with cold water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover the pan and remove from the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes, then remove the eggs and run them under cold water or place them in an ice bath to cool. Once cooled, peel the eggs and set aside.

If using fresh beets, cut into 2-inch chunks and place in a sauce pan with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until beets are just tender, about 15-20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Combine the reserved beet liquid and the remaining ingredients except for the dill in a sauce pan, and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Place the peeled eggs in a quart sized mason jar and pour the pickling liquid and contents (beet chunks optional) over them. Add a few springs of dill. Seal and refrigerate at least 12 hours or up to 2 weeks. Makes 6 pickled eggs.