Pickled Beet Eggs

First, you need to hard-boil the eggs. The best way I have found to cook hard-boiled eggs and have them turn out looking pretty on the inside (no gray tint in the whites or green tint in the yolks) is this:

Place 12 eggs into a large saucepan and cover with COLD water by 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a boil with the lid off. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes exactly.

Next, drain off the hot water and fill the pan with enough cold water to cover the eggs. This cools them down and stops the cooking process.

Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs.

Drain the liquid from the cans of beets into a saucepan. Add the vinegar and sugar to the saucepan with the beet liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Cut the onion in half and peel it. Slice the halves thinly.

Place the whole, cooked eggs into a pitcher, bowl, or large canning jar along with the sliced onion and the sliced beets from the cans. (I like to use large canning jars—several quart-sized jars or one half-gallon size.)

Arrange them in layers, so that there are eggs, onions, and beets on the bottom, in the middle, and at the top, just to make them evenly distributed (they look pretty this way).

Pour the beet juice mixture into the jar(s) and top with the lid(s). Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 days to allow adequate time for the pickling brine to permeate the eggs.

I make these every Easter and like to serve them on a platter along with the onions and beets. I usually slice 1 or 2 eggs in half on the platter to create visual interest—the color change from dark purple on the outside, fading to white and then the yellow yolk is one of my favorite things about spring!

I have been known to make these at all times of the year, not just Easter, and in that case, I keep the jar(s) in the fridge and take out 1 or 2 for a snack, or several to serve along with dinner.

The eggs will keep for a week to 10 days. This recipe can be halved.

Enjoy!