Pickled Eggs

I have never tried pickling eggs before.  Heck, I don't remember even having tried eating them.  Even with spending so much time on my grandparent's farms as a child, I don't remember even seeing them on the pantry shelves.  So every time I think about pickled eggs, unfortunately, I think about the filthy wagon driver, who assisted Lieutenant Dunbar (Kevin Costner) to his new post (Fort Sedgewick) out on the wild American frontier, who ate them in an even filthier manner.  But I like eggs and I like most everything pickled.  So I thought it was about time I tried them.

I found and followed a recipe from the excellent book The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar by Jennifer Megyesi.

Because it was the first time, I made only one jar to keep in the refrigerator.  In three weeks time, I will know if I like pickled eggs and would want to fill my pantry with them.
Check back in three weeks.

Here is Jennifer's complete recipe:

  Place in each wide mouthed quart glass canning jar:

• Hard-boiled eggs (8-12, depending upon size, leaving 1/2 inch headspace)
• 2 whole, peeled cloves garlic
• 2 whole red peppers
• 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, like basil, dill, rosemary, or oregano
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Pour into sterilized jars to 1/2 inch headspace the following mixture that has been heated to near boiling:

• 4 cups white vinegar
• 3 cups water (nonchlorinated)
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder (I left this out)
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

 Seal the hot jars with metal lids and rings and place them in a boiling waer bath.  Process the jars for 15 minutes; remove and let them cool.  Check the seals to see that they're closed; unsealed jars can safely be kept in the refrigerator.

Let the eggs steep in the brine for at least 3 weeks before eating.
Makes 4 quarts.
They'll keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator, and you can easily seal the jars for keeping in the pantry for up to a year.