Pickled Tink

I have joined a cooking group. It's like a book club but cooler because you get to eat at the end (okay, you get to eat at most book clubs too). It's cool to me because I get to not only try out something new I also get to read one of my favorite types of books, you know the one's that are filled with recipes. This month's theme is "the pickle we're in" (get it?!, now go and VOTE) and it didn't take long for me to come up with the perfect pickled food.

On visits to Pennsylvania the jars of pickled eggs at the bars have caught my eye (I've also seen them at Moe's Tavern in countless episodes of the Simpsons). Throw in that one of my favorite holiday is Easter (there is something so cool about eating deviled dyed easter eggs) and I knew eggs were just what I had to pickle! Christmas in August? How about Easter in October?

So, after a bit of googling and reading several recipes on the internet I found out why these pickled eggs were calling me. Adding beets to the pickled eggs would turn them pink, not a pale pink but a true fuchsia. I was smitten.
Check it out:

Eggs, in their natural state



Let the pickling begin...........



Mmmh mmh, pink eggs!



Recipe for Pink Pickled Eggs:

12 eggs
1 bunch of beets (some recipes call for a can of beets but I used some fresh from the farmer's market)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
approx 12 black peppercorns
approx 12 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks

DIRECTIONS
Place eggs in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs sit in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water and peel. **There is some debate among recipes about whether you should cool the eggs or place them in the "brine" warm. I went the warm route for no particular reason other than that's how the timing worked out.

In a seperate pan add the sliced onion and beets with the vinegar/sugar mixture and bring to a boil. Add spices and simmer until the beets are tender.
Place beets, onion, peeled eggs and liquid in a non-reactive glass or plastic container. Cover, and refrigerate at least 48 hours before using (mine went 72 hours before being devoured).

Recipe adapted from: www.allrecipes.com www.achickenineverygrannycart.wordpress.com/
http://arteculinaria.wordpress.com/