Friday, April 22, 2011

Pickled Happiness

When I wished fellow knitter Silvana a happy birthday on Wednesday via email as I was unable to knit with the group, she mentioned that she was laying in some things that made her happy. (All birthday peeps should do this of course!!!) One of the things she mentioned that she was unable to find was Beet Pickled Eggs. Really I thought, beet picked eggs. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that a. I must make her some and b. these damn things must be pretty good! To be included on a must have to properly celebrate my birthday list---- well that is beyond high praise.

So I made some. Easy enough with ingredients on hand. *Yes, I do keep a jar of beets on hand*. The color of the eggs is GORGEOUS, even if you didn't eat them they'd be a happy inclusion to any table. But the taste? Well, they are pretty outrageously good if I do say so and I'm happy to have "found" them. They're so good and so pretty, I will be putting some out beside the traditional deviled eggs this Easter Sunday!!! I've given the recipe below should you be so inclined (and you should be!)

Beet pickled eggs

• 8 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets with liquid-- not the kind that say "pickled"
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) (I used a bare pinch)

Hard Boil the eggs using your preferred method. The argument about how to cook a hard boiled egg rages on. I don't mean to get involved but I place eggs in a pan with enough water to cover. Bring 'em to a boil and reduce to simmer, cover the pan. After 12 minutes, pour off the boiling water and run cold water over for a fair bit. Then peel the eggs and put them in a glass or plastic container.
Then, in a smallish saucepan, combine  the beets and all of the liquid in the jar (or can), the  vinegar, superfine sugar (which dissolves faster. If you have regular, so be it) the water and cinnamon if you're using it.Boil it up and give it a go until the sugar dissolves, which really doesn't take very long. Pour over the eggs and roll 'em around a little bit so the color is more even. When not crazy hot, place in the fridge. They need at least four hours but I think overnight is fabulous.  Slice and serve---

This whole beet pickled egg thing caused me to wonder if they might be a nice addition to my version of "the best salad I've ever had in my entire life", which I make often. The short answer is yes. HEAVEN.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good, and PRETTY too! Lettuce, dried cranberries, golden raisins, a little bit of cheese, blue cheese dressing, croutons (home made is best but I resorted to bagged today), and sliced beet pickled eggs. Top that with a nice handful of some brown sugared (with a pinch of cayenne) pecans and it is about as good as it gets. I love to add chopped dates too but upon inspection mine had become mummified blobs and I had to soldier on without them!

So---- it wasn't even my birthday and I got the present of discovery. Beet Pickled Eggs---- you're mine forever!

4 comments:

Mereknits said...

Tina, you are a lovely, lovely friend.
Meredith

yoel said...

Yummy yummy! Happy bday again Silvana, and happy beet-day Tina! I wonder if one could get the same results cheaper/healthier with beet greens? Or--wrap eggs in beet greens and get a batik effect?

Caffeine Girl said...

Hmm... you've actually piqued my interest. Never thought I'd consider making beet pickled eggs! But I just might.

jen duncan said...

Pink eggs! Who wouldn't love those? :-)