Pickled beets and pickled hard boiled eggs were as much a part of Easter as my newest annual Easter bonnet.
Easter was a special holiday for my brother and me…starting with a trip to church on Easter morning. It was a special day. And we always had some new clothes to wear to Mass. But no Easter outfit was complete for Mom and me without a new Easter bonnet!
I remember making that yearly pilgrimage to the city to buy a new hat every single year, and that trip to Dotty Dunn Hats was an amazing adventure for a little girl like me. The walls of the small shop were lined with rows and rows of special pedestals. And each pedestal held one hat. I was allowed to try on as many hats as I wanted. I would plop each one on my head and marvel at my reflection in one of the many mirrors around the perimeter of the shop. (I guess nobody was too concerned about the sanitary aspect back in the 1950’s.)
But enough about hats. Let’s get to that Easter dinner. And no Easter dinner was complete without a dish of pickled beets and pickled hard boiled eggs!
This year I made a batch for our Easter dinner with friends.
Those eggs and beets go perfectly with ham..and the colors are spectacular!
Here are the simple ingredients…starting with peeled hard boiled eggs. (If you need a refresher course on making the perfect hard boiled eggs…Click HERE for my no fail method!)
Drain the beet juice into a one cup measure. You’ll need ONE cup of juice so you’ll discard whatever is left over from the two cans of beets. (And be very careful with that purple juice…it will stain anything it touches!) Pour that one cup of juice into a saucepan and dump the drained beets into a glass bowl with the peeled hard boiled eggs.
Add one cup of white sugar and one cup of apple cider vinegar and one cup of water to the beet juice and heat to boiling, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Allow the mixture to cool, then pour it over the peeled hard boiled eggs and beets.
Make sure the eggs are completely submerged in the liquid, and refrigerate for 24 hours if possible. Roll the eggs around a few times during that time to make sure the eggs are evenly colored by the juice mixture.
And there you have it. They’re done. And ready to serve.
Give these a try…and let me know how you like them!
Pickled Eggs and Beets
Ingredients
- 2 cans sliced or whole beets approx. 14 oz. cans
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
-
Prepare 8 to 12 hard boiled eggs. Peel them and place the eggs in a glass bowl. Dump in the drained sliced beets and set aside. Drain beets and reserve 1 Cup of beet juice. (Discard the remaining juice.) Pour the 1 Cup of juice into a saucepan. Add the water, sugar, and vinegar to the saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. Allow the mixture to cool. Pour the juice mixture over the hard boiled eggs and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring several time to make sure the eggs are evenly colored by the juice.
How timely! I had some beets I baked in a jar with balsamic and white champagne vinegar (I was emptying some bottles so mixed them) and the beets were almost gone so not wanting to toss that wonderful flavorful vinegar in went a few hard boiled eggs. I love them on salads!
Thanks for your comment Ferne! What a great way to use up that beautiful beet juice and vinegar bath! Like I always say…Waste Not Want Not!
XOXO
Meemaw
I bought pickled beets in can..can I use them and still add sugar etc?
Did you buy PICKLED beets or simply SLICED beets? That makes a big difference since pickled beets would already have the vinegar and sugar added. If they’re PICKLED beets simply put your peeled, hard boiled eggs in the juice and keep spinning them in the frig for a few hours to cover completely. ENJOY!
XOXO
Meemaw
I have never pickled eggs. I must do this as we love beets and dressed eggs!
You will LOVE them! 🙂
Happy Easter!
XOXO
Meemaw
Time for me to make some too, I make them similar to yours’ except I cut up onion, couple garlic cloves, or use garlic powder, salt & pepper, and any other spices you want and tablespoon of white sugar and couple shakes of Cayenne Pepper in the beet juice mixture too, just gives them a good flavor. My kids like them a little spicy….and after the mixture cools, I pour it all over the eggs and the spices & all just look good in the Jar….
I use glass jars, I have a large gal.size jar that I use if I make a lot, but if I just make a few I just use a big mouth mason quart jar, can’t remember how many eggs you can get in a mason jar…but could use two…
I also have just opened a can of pickled beets from the store, and drain the beets off and make a mixture similar to yours and just make a few eggs for myself..but when kids were growing up, I’d always do a doz or two….they will keep in the fridge for days…..they are pickled….they do fine…..
Something else I like to do for myself is take the yolks out and make deviled eggs out of them , they make a pretty deviled egg 🙂 Try them sometimes…..
They are pretty sliced and put on a plate with the remaining beets….
But I like to cut mine in quarters and add salt & pepper and eat that way…
Guess I’m making some shortly….I had almost forgotten about them….I always made them for Easter….and other times during the summer I do the fast trick with the canned pickled beets….LOL
Thanks Kentucky Lady!! Your recipe ideas are well worth filing away to try in my kitchen too! I hope your Easter celebration was filled with family and more memories!!
XOXO
Meemaw
I make this using pickled beets and still add acv, water, a bit of sugar, and a sachet of pickling spice, boil. I remember my mom using the picking spice in hers so that is how I like them. I fill a big gallon jar layered with eggs, sliced pickled beets, and sliced red onions, then cover with my liquid. Best if left untouched for at least 4 days but they never last that long with my husband around lol. We love eating the pickled onions and beets with the eggs. I use the brine multiple times, just add new eggs to it.
Thanks for your comment Heidi! Aren’t food memories awesome??? I agree with your hubby…those eggs don’t last long in OUR house either! 🙂
XOXO
Meemaw
Was looking for the main ingredients for pickled eggs, and found many new and different ideas!
Thanks Brenda! I hope you like them!
XOXO
Meemaw
Always just used pickled beets and eggs! So many different ways to do this. I really appreciate all of these suggestions. I will have to try a few!
Thanks Candy! Enjoy!
XOXO
Meemaw