Quail eggs are considered delicious because of their unique and delicious taste, and due to the fact that quail eggs are more difficult to obtain than regular eggs. Its slightly more brittle structure makes it perfect for pickling; You can use a sweet, savory, beet-flavored pickle mixture, or any other mix you want to give it the flavor you crave. Once you learn how to pickle quail eggs, you can serve them at parties, sell them, or even enjoy them on their own as a snack.
Ingredients
Purple pickle mix
- 2 dozen quail eggs
- 1/2 cup fruit cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup peeled and grated beets
- 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pickled spices
- More kosher salt for serving
Spicy pickles
- 2 dozen quail eggs
- 1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugarcane syrup or molasses
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 sprays of green coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
Gold pickle mix
- 2 dozen quail eggs
- 1 1⁄2 cups fruit cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons pickled salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Eggs
Step 1. Check for nicks and cracks in the eggshell
Discard eggs that have cracks in their shells.
- You can get high-quality quail eggs at a fancy grocery store or farmer's market.
- Some people choose to leave the eggs in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks so that the eggs become a little more "loose" and easier to peel.
Step 2. Soak the eggs in a pot of warm water for a few minutes
Step 3. Clean the quail eggs by gently rubbing the shells
Keep in mind that quail eggs are a bit more fragile than regular eggs, so you have to be careful when handling them so they don't crack
Part 2 of 3: Cooking Eggs
Step 1. Put the eggs in a pot of cold water
Allow the eggs to come to room temperature before boiling them.
The water level should be approximately 2.54 cm above the surface of the egg
Step 2. Heat the water containing the eggs to a boil
Step 3. Remove the pot containing the eggs from the heat source
Some people recommend removing the eggs as soon as possible after the water boils, and others suggest that the eggs should be allowed to simmer for at least three minutes. Others have also suggested removing the eggs from the heat source after the water boils as soon as possible and allowing them to continue cooking for another three minutes. The important thing to remember is not to overcook or the eggs will become too tough when put in the brine.
If you let it sit for a few minutes, then slowly stir in the eggs in this process
Step 4. Remove the water from the pot used to boil the eggs
Step 5. Replace the water in the pot with white vinegar if you want to make the eggs easier to peel
Pour the vinegar until it is at least 2 inches above the surface of the eggs.
- Let the eggs soak in the white vinegar for 12 hours to soften the membranes so they are easier to peel.
- If you do this step, you will need to stir the eggs in the pot every few minutes.
- Rinse the vinegar from the eggs with clean water when you are done soaking them.
- Of course you can skip this step and move on to the salting stage if you can't wait to do it.
Step 6. Leave the eggs in cold water or even ice water for a while before peeling them
This often makes stripping the hard shell and egg membranes easier to do.
Step 7. Peel the egg membrane from the quail eggs to be salted
You can make eggshells in a compost bin.
Step 8. Repeat the rinsing process after the eggshell has been peeled to remove any small pieces of eggshell
Be careful not to crush the yolk when you do this. This can cause the pickle mixture to turn cloudy
Part 3 of 3: Marinating Eggs
Step 1. Put the eggs in a salting jar
The size of the jar to use depends on your needs. Make sure that the jars have gone through a proper sterilization process and have lids that can seal the jars tightly. You can pat the eggs dry with a paper towel before transferring them to a salting jar.
Step 2. Make the pickle mixture
You can make the pickle mixture while preparing the eggs or after you have made them. Every mix is made slightly differently, so it's important that you follow the directions when you choose the type of mix to use. Here's how to make each mixture:
- To make the purple pickle mixture, simply combine all of the marinating ingredients in a small skillet and let it simmer over medium heat. Continue to stir the mixture to dissolve the salt and sugar. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- To make a spicy pickle mixture, simply bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat source and let cool for 30 minutes. After that, mix the mixture with the eggs, then use chopsticks to poke the bay leaf and coriander seeds in the inside of the jar along with the eggs.
- To make the golden pickle mixture, simply put all of the marinating ingredients in a medium saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce heat, and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes. After that, chill the pickle in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, then the pickle is ready to use.
Step 3. Soak the quail eggs in the hot pickled mixture
Carefully pour the mixture over the eggs. You can use a strainer or a measuring cup with a small spout to prevent the liquid from pouring all over the eggs at once.
Clean the pickle mixture on the lid of the jar before you close the jar
Step 4. Allow the eggs and pickle mixture to cool in the jar
Step 5. Cover the jar with the lid
As an added effort, you can process the jars in hot water for 10 minutes before refrigerating them.
- Once you've closed the jar tightly, you can shake the jar gently to ensure that the spices are evenly distributed.
- You can even turn the jar upside down, then flip it over to its original position if you can do this with care.
Step 6. Store eggs in the refrigerator for at least 1 day before consuming
How long eggs can be stored in the refrigerator depends on your taste and the type of mixture used.
- For the purple pickle mixture, you can store it for at least a day to a week.
- For spicy mixes, the best way to enjoy them is to refrigerate them for 2 weeks before consuming.
- For the gold pickle mixture, you should store it in the refrigerator for at least a few days before consuming it. You can eat them up to a month after the eggs are salted.
Step 7. Serve
You can enjoy the delicious eggs right away, sprinkled with parsley, or with a pinch of coarse salt.
