Pickled quail eggs are protein-packed little morsels that combine the creaminess of a boiled egg with the delightful tang of a mild pickle, so they’re super yummy!
What are pickled quail eggs?
Pickled quail eggs are eggs that have been hard-boiled, peeled and preserved in brine (since “pickle” refers to the process, not the product, should we ask for pickled cucumbers on our hamburgers?)
How do you make pickled quail eggs?
Pickled quail eggs aren’t difficult to make, but (like all good things) they do take some time.
The easiest way to have pickled quail eggs is to buy the ones from Spring Creek — they’re boiled to perfection, peeled and pickled at our family-owned farm and ready to pop in your mouth whenever you have a hankering!
But if you want to try making your own, here’s how:
Start with a dozen (or more!) quail eggs that have been hard-boiled and peeled (see our post on how to do that!) Put them in a heat-proof glass container and set them aside.
Make a basic brine using one cup of vinegar to one teaspoon of salt (we also like to add a bit of sugar). Different kinds of vinegar will give you different results, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
Add some herbs and spices to jazz them up even more — think garlic, mustard seeds, ginger, cloves and more!
Bring everything to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Pour the brine over the quail eggs and put them in the fridge. The longer they sit in the brine, the more intense the flavour!
If you like your pickled quail eggs to be less “vinegary” you can substitute a third of the vinegar with another liquid, like wine or beet juice (the beet juice will give it a nice, reddish colour too!).
How long will pickled quail eggs keep?
Under normal circ*mstances, they’ll keep for three or four months — but make sure to keep them in the refrigerator! (If you LOVE quail eggs like we do, they’ll keep for about a day (or an hour, if you’re feeling particularly peckish.)
What are quail eggs good for?
That’s an easy question! Quail eggs are good for appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, charcuterie boards (a meat and cheese platter with an attitude), salad toppings and more! (see our recipe for Beet Salad With Beet-Pickled Quail Eggs!).
You can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and if you get our packaged pickled quail eggs, you can easily pack them for a picnic or road trip (or sneak them into the movie theater for a tasty and healthy snack!).
Where can I find pickled quail eggs?
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of pickling your own, you can grab a bag of these tasty little guys in the dairy section, next to the cute lil’ speckled ones (unfortunately, the pickled ones don’t have speckles 😕).
Don’t know where to find them? Use our handy store locator to find the store nearest you (or order them online and get them shipped from our farm right to your door — what do you say about that, Amazon?)
Whether you want to pickle your own or pick up a bag of ours, do yourself a favour and give them a try — but I gotta warn you. These little suckers are addictive!
