Pickled Eggs & Beets

Pickled eggs and beets are a Pennsylvania Dutch staple that shows up at every church potluck, holiday table, and roadside diner in the region. The concept is dead simple: boil red beets, make a sweet vinegar brine, and soak hard-boiled eggs in it until they turn that unmistakable deep pink all the way through.

The beets cook first and sit in the brine for several days, giving the liquid time to pull out all that earthy sweetness and ruby color. Then the shelled eggs go in and absorb everything over at least two more days.

Brown sugar in the brine gives it a warmer, more caramel-like sweetness compared to white sugar. The vinegar keeps things sharp enough that the eggs stay bright and tangy, not cloyingly sweet.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the beet brine cool completely before adding the eggs. Hot liquid partially cooks the outer layer of the whites and makes them rubbery.
• Use small beets for even cooking and more surface area to release color into the brine.
• The longer the eggs soak, the deeper the color and flavor penetrate. Two days is the minimum, but four days produces a more intense result.
• Keep everything submerged in liquid. Eggs that poke above the brine will have white patches.

Variations

• Add a cinnamon stick and 3 whole cloves to the brine for a spiced version.
• Use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar for a rounder, fruitier tang.
• Slice the pickled eggs and beets over a bed of mixed greens with crumbled goat cheese for a salad.