One day it’s 65 degrees, and the next it’s snowing! But that’s springtime in northern Minnesota. On the warm days, Will’s been removing the black dirt next to the house and under the new porch-to-be and replacing it with gravel from our gravel pit. That way any moisture will drain down and away from the house. With the black dirt it would not have drained off and could have possibly affected our block basement wall.

There was still frost in the shaded corner of the yard and Will had to hack it into blocks and hand-chuck it into the tractor bucket.

Meanwhile, I’ve been transplanting peppers and pickling our surplus eggs. Eggs are real easy to pickle and store in the pantry until I need them to make deviled eggs or egg salad during the winter when eggs are not so abundant. We like them with a little “spunk,” so I add a couple of tablespoons full of hot pepper ring juice (vinegar/spices) too. I’m doing about two dozen eggs a day and they’re starting to add up. How nice!

5 COMMENTS

  1. In pickling the eggs, could you use cider vinegar, my family likes that better. I guess it might ‘color’ the eggs a bit, but that wouldn’t bother us. Or is it possible some might not like the fruitier flavor.
    TY

  2. Michelle,

    My recipe, also found in GROWING AND CANNING YOUR OWN FOOD, is:

    18 whole, hardboiled, peeled eggs
    1 1/2 quarts white vinegar
    2 tsp salt
    1 Tbsp. whole allspice
    1 Tbsp mixed pickling spices

    Mix vinegar and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pack whole, peeled hardboiled eggs in hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Ladle boiling pickling solution over eggs, leaving 1/2″ of headspace; cover all eggs completely. Remove air bubbles. Process for 25 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Never leave unsealed pickled eggs out at room temperature. You risk danger from botulism and other bacterial diseases.

    My old recipe only called for 10 minutes processing, but I use the 25 minutes, in newer recipes. I also added 2 Tbsp. pickling juice from a jar of my hot pepper rings to give my eggs a little “kick” They turned out pretty good!

    Jackie

  3. Heard you on the radio via internet the other night, while we were canning a big batch of chili. I joke that you are my new best friend, because I have been canning nuts and a lot of the beef we got this winter, and have been visiting your site regularly. Pickled eggs are one of my husbands favorites, so I’m really excited about getting my chickens sooner than later. Planted my peppers Monday and onions and leeks yesterday on the back porch. Thanks for all of your inspiration, and knowledge!

  4. What is your recipe for pickled eggs? i do a beet juice pickling and a dill pickling, but my husband is not fond of either…too sweet for his tastes in eggs.

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