Pickled eggs can be made several ways, but the ones I love and the ones my family always made were the Pennsylvania Deutsch version, which are sometimes referred to as pickled-beet eggs or red-beat eggs. My mom and grandmother served them but once a year as a side-dish on our Easter feast table, but, in local Pennsylvania Deutsch communities, pickled eggs were and still are a very popular tavern food -- they can be found marinating in large jars on bar tops next to beer taps all over Pennsylvania. It takes about five days for hard-cooked eggs to pickle, so, if you want to make some pickled eggs or deviled-pickled eggs, be sure to plan ahead.
Pickling isn't just for cucumbers, onions and peppers. Pickling dates back to medieval times and was used to preserve foods of many types, including meat. Without refrigeration, food spoiled quickly. Pickling was the way of preserving it for out-of-season eating, or, transport on a long journey. The word "pickle" comes from the Deutsch (German) word "pekel", meaning "brine" -- a simple mixture of vinegar, water, salt, sometimes sugar and/or spices. Depending on the brining solution, pickled foods can take on all sorts of colors and flavors. Pickled food can be sweet, sour and/or hot-and-spicy, as well as subtly-flavored with fresh herbs such as dill or thyme.
Pennsylvania Deutsch Pickled Eggs -- aka red-beet eggs:
2 dozen extra-large eggs
3-4 16-ounce jars store-bought, sliced, pickled beets, or, home-canned pickled beets (Note: This quantity will depend on the size of the jar(s) you're using to pickle the hard-cooked eggs.)
~Step 1. In a 3-4-quart wide-bottomed stockpot, hard-cook the eggs via your favorite method. I cook the eggs one dozen at a time to avoid crowding the pot.
~ Step 2. Rinse the cooked eggs under cold water, to cool to the touch, then carefully peel them -- experience has taught the eggs are much easier to peel when they are warm. Repeat process with the second dozen of eggs. Layer the eggs into one or two tall, wide-mouthed jars, alternating eggs with slices of beets. Pour the pickled beet juice into the jars, filling them to the top. Seal and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
~ Step 3. Open the jars. Remove the eggs. Using a sharp paring knife, slice each egg in half, then, using a small spoon, carefully remove the yellow yolk. Arrange the hollowed-out pickled-egg white portions on egg plates or on a large platter. Repeat process until all the eggs are sliced. Tip from Mel: For clean cuts and a pretty presentation, wipe the knife in a wet paper towel after slicing each egg in half.
For my Pennsylvania Deutsch deviled-pickled egg filling:
all egg yolks, from above eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Bookbinder's creamy horseradish sauce (Note: This is not prepared horseradish, which is too harsh-tasting and coarse-textured. This horseradish sauce, which is creamy and refined.)
1/4 cup minced, fresh dill weed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
~ Step 1. Place all ingredients in the work bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade -- the egg yolks, the mayonnaise, the horseradish sauce, the minced dill and the sea salt. Using a series of 30-45 rapid on-off pulses, followed by the motor running for 30-45 second, process the ingredients to a creamy texture. If a creamier mixture is desired, add 1-2 tablespoons additional mayonnaise and process again, about 15-20 seconds. If a creamier and spicier mixture is desired, add 1-2 tablespoons additional horseradish sauce.
~ Step 2. If you have a pastry bag with a star tip, now is the perfect time to use it. Piping the creamy filling into the cavities of the eggs couldn't be quicker, easier or cleaner -- and, the end result, the beautiful presentation, is well-worth the small investment if you don't have one. Simply spoon the filling into the bag (no more than 1/2-2/3 full per batch), twist the top end to close it, and squeeze the bag.
Creamy dill-laced centers w/perfectly-pickled tender whites:
Pretty-in-Link Pickled-&-Piped Deviled-Pickled Eggs: Recipe yields 48 pickled-deviled eggs.
Special Equipment List: 3-4-quart wide-bottomed stockpot; 2 large wide-mouth jars (large enough to hold 1 dozen hard-cooked eggs each); cutting board; sharp paring knife; paper towels; small spoon; food processor; pastry bag fitted w/medium star tip
Cook's Note: As far back as the 18th century, "deviled" was used to describe spicy food, specifically: cooked eggs whose yolks were prepared with mustard, pepper and other flavorful additions, then returned to the cavities, which were used as portion-sized serving vessels. Culinarily, "devil" means: to combine any food with hot/spicy seasonings (pepper, mustard, Worcestershire or cayenne pepper sauces etc.), resulting in a "devilish" dish. Try ~ My Devilishly Hot-Russian-Mustard Deviled Eggs ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2022)
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