Easy Classic Pickled Eggs Recipe is a true pub favourite.
Popular bar styled food made at home with this easy no canning method. All you need is a nice big jar, hard-boiled eggs, and a brine to make the best-pickled eggs ever.
Who would have thought a hard-boiled egg cured in vinegar or pickling brine would create such a great snack and appetizer? Egg pickles!
Since I was a kid, my mom made these all the time. In fact, she was a true “canner”. All kinds of pickles, fruits, jams, canned tomatoes, sauces and of course sauerkraut, lined the walls of the cold cellar.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this old fashioned pickled egg recipe is at the bottom of this post.
I am more of a quick pickle person. This recipe is a no canning method, just like my zucchini pickles and pickled onions recipe! According to my husband, she made the best pickled eggs, until he tried them done my way.
If you love pickles without all the work, check out this roundup 30 Easy Refrigerator Pickles.
I still remember that room in the basement of my parent’s house. It was dark and only had a small light bulb that did not provide much light at all. The door was hard to open, and the cement floor was uneven. Inside the wooden shelves were lined with various sizes of glass jars.
She also made homemade sauerkraut, which we called kapusta. It is so delicious in the traditional Ukrainian Kobasa Kapusta recipe. Often seen on the holiday dinner tables.
Those days of traditional canning does not happen in my house.
Simple Pickling Ingredients
Like with ALL quick pickles, ingredients are easy to find.
- hard-boiled eggs
- white vinegar
- water
- salt
- *(affiliate) pickling spice
Mom would make these for every stag or bachelor party that was hosted by the family. Seems the guys loved eating these, especially when they drank beer.
I guess that is why they are a pub favourite, especially in the UK. They are found in fish and chip shops too.
I thought they were Ukrainian pickled eggs. Who knew they would be SO DELICIOUS!
Of course, my husband happens to be one of those people who loved my mom’s recipe. He would always be so happy when mom made them. In fact, she would make a jar just for him.
Now my grandkids can say grandma’s pickled eggs are the BEST! Just like the kind you can find in the bar.
How To Make Easy Pickled Eggs
This is a super easy no canning method.
- Sterilize a clean large glass jar. I add boiling water to it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Pour the water out and you are good to go.
- Have your hard-boiled eggs cooked and peeled (the hardest part is peeling those eggs).
- Place them in the jar.
- Boil the brine ingredients in a small pot.
- Pour over the eggs.
- Put on the lid.
- Let cool slightly, then place in the fridge.
- Let sit until seasoned (at least 3 days). Ok…this is the second hardest part.
After looking at my mom’s recipe, I just could not see how this would be tasty. Vinegar, salt, and mustard powder? Really? What happened to balance? Isn’t there supposed to be water, sugar, and seasoning?
The typical British recipe uses vinegar, salt and sugar. Mine is a no sugar recipe.
I knew I needed something different. I wanted my recipe to be infused with more flavour.
Egg Pickle Variations
- Brines can be all vinegar (usually white vinegar or malt vinegar)
- You can use beet juice or pickle juice in the brine
- Some recipes include salt and vinegar
- Some use only one or the other
- Additional seasonings such as dill, onion, jalapeno (for a kick of heat) can be added
- You can also use a pickling spice blend
Ok now for the test. I let hubby do the honours. Well to my surprise, he LOVED them. In fact even better than moms!!
This DIY easy pickling recipe is a must-try. You can make them YOUR way. Spicy, flavoured, coloured. Skip the eggs in a jar from Costco. These are better than store-bought hands down.
Recipe Tips
- If you want the pickling brine to be clear (like the ones you see in the store) do not use the pickling spice (cloves turn the brine brown).
- Be sure to let the eggs sit for AT LEAST 3 days in the fridge before eating.
- You can experiment with the brine ingredients, creating the brine you prefer.
- Be sure to serve at room temperature.
- Ways to serve pickled eggs include: snacks, party appetizers (especially game night) and sandwich fillings.
- The longer the eggs stay in the brine, the stronger the taste.
- Prolonged time in the brine tends to create a rubbery texture.
I would say safely 3-4 months. Since this is a quick pickle method, the shelf life is not as long as the traditional canned method, or the ones purchased in the grocery stores.
Yes for food safety you will want to keep them in the fridge.
The hard-boiled eggs are peeled before they are put into the pickling brine. Unpeeled eggs will not work in this recipe.
People have used pickle juice to make pickled eggs. This recipe uses a seasoned brine. If you use dill pickle juice, the eggs will have a dill pickle taste. Pickled eggs with beet juice will make them pink.
Still Looking For Some Great Egg Recipes?
Here are some of our favourites:
- Flavoured Devilled Eggs
- Poached Eggs and Lentil Hash
- Egg Tacos with Smoked Salmon
- Egg Muffin Baked Omelette
- Sausage and Egg Breakfast Tacos
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Easy Old Fashioned Pickled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs (hard boiled & peeled)
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoons course sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
Instructions
- Sterilize a large mouth jar.
- Hard boil and peel the eggs.
To make the Brine:
- In a pot combine the vinegar, water, salt and pickling spice.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
To Pickle:
- Place peeled eggs into the clean jar.
- Pour brine over eggs.
- Seal jar. Leave on kitchen counter for about 1 hour, then place in fridge.
- Let eggs sit in brine for at least 3 days before eating.
- ENJOY!!
Melinda McCarty
WHAT PICKLING spices did you use?? There are ton’s to choose from. Please let me know!
Homemade & Yummy
Well I just picked up a blend I found in the store. Nothing special…just labeled pickling spice. Hope this helps.
Stephanie
Never been much of a pickled egg fan, but tried your recipe and I’m hooked! Making my mother a batch for Christmas after she tried one and loved it, too! Thanks!
Homemade & Yummy
Oh my gosh, THANKS so much for swinging back to let me know. So glad you like them, and your mom will love you for it too.
karen munro
I work at retail and if 1 egg is broken in a dozen, they throw them all out, and i saw your picked egg recipe on line and said , give me all the good eggs and i will pickle them, instead of throwing the out as damaged…so i did and everyone love your recipe…just wondering , you say keep for several months, how long is the expiring date from bottling them?
Homemade & Yummy
I have kept these in the fridge for well over a month. The ones bought in the stores last long as well.
Vee
Can this be made with ACV with the “mother” in it?
Homemade & Yummy
I have never done any pickles with apple cider vinegar. If you do, please let me know how they turn out.
Rose
I use ACV and they come out fine except they aren’t as white
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks for swinging back and letting me know. Glad they turned out great!!
Ruth
These are fabulous… My boyfriend is on a diet that doesn’t allow much meat protein but he can eat all the eggs and chicken he wants.So i went searching to find ways to add variety to his diet… These are a huge hit. thank you for posting the recipe
Homemade & Yummy
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. My husband LOVES these. Maybe it is a guy thing LOL??
Kelly
These look great — I’ve never tried but they look so easy too!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this recipe a try…my most popular by far!
Josee Marchessault
I have 12 chickens and they’re on a laying frenzy. I just made 2 dozens of pickled eggs following your recipe. I am also growing some very hot peppers so I sliced thinly and added some to the brine.
The first dozen I made as written, the second, I added smoked salt instead of regular. My house smells amazing! Thank you!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much for letting me know. I bet the spicy peppers will make them delicious.
Kyle
How many quarts does this make
Homemade & Yummy
Quarts of liquid? It certainly makes more than you need for the recipe. I would rather have too much than not enough. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your needs. As long as you have the eggs completely covered you are good to go??
Sherry
Thank you for sharing your “non-beet” recipe. I’ve only ever eaten a Chinese-style pickled egg, and I don’t recall liking it much. (Mom made them using a soy sauce/vinegar/sugar brine so they were brown and not appealing to look at.)
Thirty+ years later, I’m on a diet that calls for a daily serving of boiled eggs and because I love deviled eggs and egg salad, I want to try pickling some. But my cookbooks and Internet seaches keep showing beet versions with cinnamon and sugar–likely tasty, just not the flavors my palate is craving. That said, I’m going to try half a batch of your version first to see if the rubbery texture you descibed will be too *blech* for me as well.
Homemade & Yummy
Well I hope you enjoy this recipe. Since my hubby thought these were better than my mom’s (that is a HUGE deal for me)….you just might like them too.
Sherry
While heating my brine, I sampled it and knew it’d be too sour for my hubby so I added a little more salt and a teaspoon of sugar. He didn’t even wait 24 hours before eating one, and once he told me it was good, I just HAD to try one myself. I LOVED it!
And there was a bonus…I used the extra brine to make my first batch of pickled watermelon rind! So thanks for the inspiration!!
Homemade & Yummy
THANKS so much for letting me know. I really appreciate the time you took to do that. This brine is perfect for tweaking, and I am so glad you found the perfect combination to suit your taste. Let me know how the watermelon turned out!!
Healthy Kitchen 101
Honestly, I had no idea of pickled eggs in my childhood until I’ve got the culinary education ? Actually, the first time I met them is when I was in a bar. I looked curiously at the bartender bringing eggs for the customer next to me, then I asked him and yes, it became my first try. Not bad! Well, now it’s the indispensable can in my kitchen xD
Homemade & Yummy
Isn’t it funny the things you learn. Hubby is happy I decided to FINALLY make these for him.
Otis cooper
Can still remember the “dugout” smell like it was yesterday,but that was 52 yrs ago. Grandpa and ma had a concrete cellar that they call the dugout,filled with all kinda canned garden veggies and served as a storm shelter also. Pickled eggs were a treat on special occasions….can remember how ma smiled when grandpa bragged on the eggs!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much for sharing your story with me. Yes…those eggs bring a smile to his face for sure.
Claudia Lamascolo
Wow talk about a childhood memory you just gave me a flash back. My dad would make a whole humungous jar of these. I never did learn how to make them and I really forgot about them and him making these until now. It actually brought a smile and tears to my eyes. So Glad you posted this to stumble or I may have never seen it thank you
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. I really appreciate it.
James
I love pickled eggs, your recipe looks great. Would like to see your moms original recipe too though 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…well I will have to see if I can find it. Hubby did think they were great…till I made these.
Jim
Thank you so much for this recipe (and funny story), Gloria. My dad and I used to eat the pickled eggs my mum made using the old English pub method: dropping the egg into a packet of potato chips and giving the packet a shake. You get a kind of crispy coating on the egg and the chips borrow some of the pickle flavour from the egg. It’s culinary symbiosis!
We’ll be in Ontario in April – I’ll have to keep an eye out for a bottle of Beau’s. Sounds like my kind of beer.
Homemade & Yummy
I have never heard of making them that way. Very interesting…and I think I would enjoy the crunch from the chips. Beau’s should be easy to find. Even the grocery stores that carry craft beer has it.
jim
Good to know! Thank you. I’ll keep my eye out for it. Yes, the crunch from the chips takes away a bit from the weird rubberiness of the egg white.
Homemade & Yummy
Well that part I totally understand.
Holly
I just use my pickle juice when my pickles are all gone. Works about the same way and they keep a long time in fridge.
Homemade & Yummy
I have never heard of that. Hmmm….I just wonder about contamination from one food to the next?
Murray
Hi Gloria. Why no sugar? I’ve just started making my own pickled eggs after years of my parents making various pickles. I must admit i prefer the tartness of pickled onions and dill pickles. I’ll let you know how my version goes. I used sugar and I’ll try the next batch without. Have you used sugar and if so how did it go. Would be interested to know.
Homemade & Yummy
I personally have NOT used sugar. There are lots of recipes out there that include sugar (I guess the sweet/salt balance). For me I have never been a SWEET pickle person (except for pickled beets). I am sure ALL are delicious, and I really think it is personal preference. I used pickling spices in mine, where my mom did not.