Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs

Grumpy Kevin and I first had a version of these eggs in Portland, OR at Gruner, a fantastic German restaurant. If you’re ever in the area, you should stop by as it is truly a delightful place. Beet-pickles eggs are popular in Pennsylvania Dutch country and a beetless variety can be found in pubs. We were head-over-heels with Gruner’s version of these eggs, beet-pickled, then deviled, with what we think was the tiniest horseradish shavings on top. The contrasting pink and yellow was striking and the taste was out of this world. I have been searching through recipes ever since! After reading dozens of recipes, I decided to take the plunge, combining a bit of all of them, and the result was fantastic! I kept the beets on the firm side so there was a little toothiness to contrast the soft egg and I used red onions to provide a little heat (like the horseradish).  These make a great snack (make sure to get a bite of egg, beet, and onion together!) or are an excellent accompaniment to a salad.

• 1 dozen eggs, boiled, peeled
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• 3 TBSP sugar (try substituting honey, beet sugar, or coconut sugar)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/2 gallon ball jar or other large container
• 1 pound beets, peeled, sliced thinly, and boiled in just enough water to cover (reserve water)
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced

slice your beets thin, about a quarter of an inch

red onions and plenty of garlic add a little heat

a dozen eggs should do it…fresh eggs will be a bit harder to peel but the flavor is well worth the trouble

For farm fresh eggs in the greater Charleston area, try Wishbone Heritage Farms!

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorn, garlic, and bay leaf in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir to melt sugar, reduce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes and add dill.

combine the pickling spices, bring to a boil to melt the sugar, and let it cool before adding the dill

Layer eggs, beets, and onion in your container

layer the eggs, beets, and onions

Pour over the vinegar mixture. Add the reserved beet juice to cover.

Pour the spiced brine over the layered eggs. What a color!

It’s hard to wait for them to pickle!

Let sit until cool, about 1 hour, uncovered on the counter. Place lid and refrigerate at least 6 hours.  Eggs and beets will keep for 1 week.  The longer they sit, the more pink they will become and the further the pink penetrates the egg. So if you want just a pink ring when they are cut open, go with a shorter pickling time.

Seriously, you can’t ask for a more beautiful egg! This would be perfect for Easter, luncheons, teas, or just a great snack!

Devil the yolks and grab a bite of the egg, beet, and onion. Delish! Try adding grated horseradish, wasabi powder, or some spicy dry mustard for variations. A bit of turmeric can make the yolk even more yellow when deviling.

Just perfect on a salad with a slightly sweeter vinaigrette. Not bad to look at either!