Amish pickled eggs and beets are a classic dish where hard-boiled eggs are preserved with red beet slices in a sweet and tangy pickling liquid. This liquid, made with vinegar, sugar, and beet juice, gives the eggs a slightly sweet and tasty flavor.
People in the Amish community often enjoy pickled eggs and beets as a side dish or snack. The sweet and tangy flavor makes them a unique and delicious addition to meals or a delightful treat on their own.
Through the pickling process, the eggs not only absorb flavors but also take on a distinct color and texture. The beets add a colorful touch, turning everything a vibrant red or purple.
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How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
- Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan or pot. Leave the eggs to sit at room temperature overnight. (Cold, fresh eggs are hard to peel without ripping them. Bringing eggs to room temperature before cooking makes peeling eggs a lot easier.)
- Add enough water to the pot to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, set the timer for 10 minutes.
- When finished boiling, remove the pot from the heat and carefully drain the hot water.
- Cover the eggs with ice and cold water to cool them down quickly and stop the cooking process. Ice water also shocks the egg white, causing it to shrink back from the shell.
- Once the eggs are cool, tap them gently on a hard surface to crush the shell, then peel and rinse.
How to Make Pickled Red Beet Eggs
- Prepare the Jar and Eggs:
- Place the peeled, hard-boiled eggs into a wide-mouth quart jar (affiliate link). If you double the recipe, you'll need a larger jar such as a big dill pickle jar.
- Add Beets:
- Drain a 16-ounce can of whole beets (or sliced beets) and add the beets to the jar with the peeled eggs.
- Prepare Pickling Brine:
- Pour the beet juice into a medium saucepan.
- Add apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), sugar, and salt to the beet juice.
- Bring the pickling brine to a boil, stirring several times. (If you prefer a milder taste, you can add a bit of water.)
- Cool and Combine:
- Cool the hot beet juice mixture for several minutes.
- Pour the warm vinegar brine over the eggs and beets in the jar.
- Mix and Refrigerate:
- Gently stir or shake the jar to ensure even pickling.
- Cover the jar and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Give it an occasional shake to ensure the even coloring of the eggs. The longer you let the eggs pickle, the richer the flavor, and the eggs will be more colored.
- Enjoy:
- Once properly pickled, your red beet eggs are ready to be enjoyed! They make a delicious and vibrant addition to any meal.
Feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking, add more or less sugar, and let the pickled eggs soak up the flavors for a delightful treat.
How Long Do Red Beet Eggs Last?
Red beet eggs typically last about 1 to 2 weeks when stored in the refrigerator. It's important to keep them refrigerated to ensure their freshness.
Always store them in a sealed container to prevent contamination and maintain their quality. If you notice any signs of spoilage, such as an off smell or unusual discoloration, it's best to discard them.
Variations
- Spicy Red Beet Eggs: Add a kick to your red beet eggs by including hot peppers, red pepper flakes, or Tabasco sauce in the pickling liquid for a spicy version.
- Dill-Infused Red Beet Eggs: Add fresh dill to the pickling liquid to infuse the eggs with a delightful dill flavor.
- Garlic Red Beet Eggs: Include minced or sliced garlic in the brine for a savory and aromatic twist.
- Sweet Onion-Infused Red Beet Eggs: Add sweet onions to the pickling liquid for a delightful twist that adds a touch of sweetness and a pleasant onion flavor to the eggs.
- Herb-infused Red Beet Eggs: Experiment with fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, or rosemary to add a unique herbal dimension.
- Mustard Red Beet Eggs: Add a tablespoon of mustard seeds to the pickling liquid for a mild mustard flavor.
- Cinnamon and Clove-Infused Red Beet Eggs: Add a cinnamon stick and whole cloves to the pickling liquid for a spiced infusion that enhances the flavor of the eggs.
Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe
The Pennsylvania Dutch culture has some unique and interesting recipes. When visiting Amish country in Lancaster County, you will find many yummy PA Dutch foods such as wet-bottom shoofly pie, chicken pot pie with homemade noodles, scrapple, apple dumplings, etc.
Red beet eggs are another popular dish in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. During the summer months, many Amish housewives pickle and can fresh red beets.
Pickled beets are often served with their Sunday church dinner, and they also use them to make red beet eggs. If you don't have any home-canned pickled beets, store-bought ones work just as well.
How to Serve Pickled Eggs
Enjoy these colorful beet-pickled eggs - they're easy to make and a perfect addition to your Easter dinner table. Simply cut them in half to showcase the beautiful insides of the eggs.
Made with natural ingredients, these red beet eggs are perfect for a healthy snack, a delightful appetizer, or a vibrant addition to your salads.
I never cared for pickled beets when I was growing up, therefore I didn't like pickled red beet eggs either. But I guess taste buds change because now I like both of them.
I hope you enjoy Amish pickled red beet eggs. If you try this PA Dutch recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Maybe you'd like to try PA Dutch deviled eggs as well! These pickled eggs could also be used to make deviled eggs.
If you like pickled food, you might also enjoy PA Dutch chow chow.
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Pickled Eggs and Beets Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 (16-ounce) can pickled beets (whole or sliced) and beet juice
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil 6 eggs in a pot of water for 10 minutes. Place boiled eggs in ice water, peel, and rinse.6 hard-boiled eggs
- Drain a can of pickled beets. Add the juice (approximately ¾ cup) to a saucepan, along with the vinegar, sugar, and salt.1 (16-ounce) can pickled beets (whole or sliced) and beet juice, ½ cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Bring the red beet juice mixture (pickling brine) to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let it cool for several minutes.
- Put the hard-boiled eggs into a wide-mouth quart jar. Pour the red beets over top of the eggs, then pour the warm brine over the top.
- Cover the jar, and give it a little shake to make sure the eggs get covered completely in juice. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
- Cut the eggs in half and serve. Enjoy as a snack or side dish.
Donna McArthur
Eager to try this. Will it make a difference in using apple cider vinegar or white vinegar?
Anna
It may have a slightly different taste, but it should work with either one.
CalGirl
A child of PA "Dutch" I LOVE pickled beet hard-boiled eggs. I eat them for breakfast, took them for years for a quick lunch to my (30+ year) teaching job. Live in the West & no matter to whom I introduced this, they were not on board...hated it...I think b/c it just looked "weird" to them...including my dentist, who asked me in an after-work appt. what happened to turn my tongue so purple/red????? Don't care. I have a load of beet- pickled eggs in my "fridge" right now. Did you know, the beets/beet juices w/vinegar are good protein & good for your heart & cholesterol levels????? Eat up! PS...Anna, one time on a cross-country trip we stopped in a little down-at-the-heals tiny grocer/convenience store in Southern MO. They had a jar of beet-pickled beets on the counter for sale. I bought some that they carefully wrapped up in wax paper...and then proceeded to wrap up a "dose" of salt in a square of waxed paper to accompany my purchase. Take the back roads to find the real America.
Anna
Awesome!
Anna
Tasty!
Phil McCrackin
Yes.