Single hen

[superjules]

I'm currently making some preserves for our school Christmas fair and I was thinking about doing some pickled bantams eggs (well some people like them!). However, I haven't got the foggiest idea how to go about this and have some questions:

 

• Can they be kept at ambient temperature until opened?
  Does the vinegar go in the jar hot or cold?
  What do you flavour the vinegar with?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Snowy]

I'm currently making some preserves for our school Christmas fair and I was thinking about doing some pickled bantams eggs (well some people like them!). However, I haven't got the foggiest idea how to go about this and have some questions:

 

• Can they be kept at ambient temperature until opened?
  Does the vinegar go in the jar hot or cold?
  What do you flavour the vinegar with?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

They are fine to be kept at room temp once pickled, in the fridge once the jar is opened.

 

Vinegar goes in cold.

 

You can buy bags of pickling spice, but I think you can make your own spice mix if you want something a bit different

[superjules]

Thanks Snowy!

 

Shame only 1 of my 4 bantams is laying at the moment , otherwise I'd give it a go today!

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

INGREDIENTS

Eggs

Vinegar - white wine, cider or malt

Peppercorns

Chili flakes

 

EQUIPMENT

Jars with screw lids (jam jars are ideal)

A pan for boiling eggs

A pan for boiling vinegar

A roasting tray with quite deep sides

A big funnel

 

PROCURING GOOD JARS

If you don't have jars, I bought 'Value/Smart Price' jars - Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all do nasty foodstuffs in jars for about 9-30p each. Things like mint sauce and beetroot. I've been using beetroot jars for my pickled eggs and 9p mint sauce jars for jams and chutneys. The 9p jars may be fine for half a dozen bantam eggs if they are small. I get 5-6 six eggs full-sized hen eggs in the larger beetroot jars. I've soaked the beetroot in water and made a lot of borscht with it. It's a much cheaper way of getting jars (if you don't use jarred foods to reccycle your jars) than buying them anywhere proper.

 

COOKING THE EGGS

To sort the eggs, boil them for at least ten minutes. Empty the pan of hot water and add cold. Wait til the eggs are fully cool and peel them once they are properly cold. I speed this up by topping up the pan with cold water once it gets lukewarm. I normally peel them while I cook my vinegar.

 

STERILISING THE JARS

While you're cooking the eggs, stick the jars and lids in a roasting pan and pop them in the oven at 120-150 degrees centigrade for about 20 minutes to sterilise them. The roasting pan is easier to handle and they can't fall off and you don't risk touching them and contaminating them. Plus, when it comes to adding the vinegar, it contains spillages.

 

COOKING THE VINEGAR

I use about half a litre per beetroot-sized jar (essentially a normal sized jam jar). I use half and half white wine and cider vinegars, but malt is the good basic. Pour the vinegar into a pan, add a tablespoon of peppercorns and a tablespoon of chili flakes. Boil for 10 minutes.

 

EGGS IN THE JARS

If you peeled the eggs while the vinegar was cooking, pop them into the jars. I leave the jars in the roasting tray to save on mess. You want to fill the jars with eggs as close to the top as you can, but not so as the eggs pop over the top of the rim.

 

Pop your funnel into the jar with the eggs in it and slowly pour the vinegar into the jars up to the brim. I leave the peppercorns and chili in the vinegar because it adds detail to the jars. They look pretty with the bits in. Pop the lid on to the jar and screw tight.

 

If you've used shop-bought beetroot jars and the like, they have one of those 'pop' buttons in the middle of the lid. With the heat of the vinegar and the jars, a vacuum will be created and you can 'pop' this button down after a bit of time. It's reassuring to know that they are completely sealed, especially if you are selling them - it's a nice assurance for the customer too. They will keep like this in cupboards for six months.

 

I tried making them in kilner jars instead of screw top jars and they went green. Yuk! Screw tops with 'pop' buttons are the way forward!

 

BEETROOT VARIANT

You can also use beetroot juice in the vinegar - the eggs will go purple on the outside. I think someone posted a link to a recipe for those here which was from the Guardian website when I was trying to make my pickled eggs a couple of weeks back. It may be worth having a goole search for 'beetroot pickled eggs'.

 

Hope that helps!

Anna x

[superjules]

Thanks Anna,

 

So you put the vinegar in hot? I do that with jam and chutney and I was wondering how it would form a proper seal if you put the vinegar in cold. I agree, you can't beat the reassurance of a pop up button and Tesco mint sauce jars are simply fab aren't they?!!

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Yes I put the vinegar in hot. Not boiling, but hot. It's still hot once I've peeled the eggs. B ut hey! Snowy seems to be more experienced at crafty stuff so I'm sure her method works too.

 

Anna x