Well, dear reader, it is hard to believe it is one week before the Easter holiday. One of the staples of our Easter dinner is pickled eggs with red beets. I make these eggs a week in advance so they have time to pickle through and turn a beautiful deep purple. Pickled eggs have been a staple in our family's Easter dinner for as long as I can remember. My grandmothers made pickled eggs with beets for our family holiday meal. I can remember eating several at a time, often wearing red beet juice on my Easter outfit.
Although The Bean and The Bibbed Wonder eat pickled eggs with beets, they prefer deviled eggs. For our Easter meal, I usually make both because I can't give up the tradition of making pickled eggs with beets. Our Easter meal is rather simplistic compared to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I usually bake ham with brown sugar and serve pineapple sauce with a side of fresh roasted asparagus, pierogi, chocolate pie, and lemon meringue for dessert. It's a simple and delicious meal that does not require a lot of time in the kitchen.
Although The Bean is now fifteen, I continue to do an Easter egg hunt for her and her BFF. They may be big kids, but they are still kids and enjoy searching high and low for candy and money-filled eggs. Honestly, the Easter egg hunt is as much for me as it is for the kids. I genuinely enjoy making their Easter egg hunt challenging. Oh, I also continue to hide their Easter baskets. My goal is to stump them and have them look for at least an hour before we play the Hot/Cold Game. I hope my girl never tires of this tradition.
What Easter traditions do you enjoy? Is there a staple at your Easter table that you make year after year? Without further adieu, here is my recipe for pickled eggs with beets.
Pickled Eggs with Beets
2 Dozen Hard Boiled Eggs, Peeled
2 Quart Jars of Pickled Red Beets (I prefer Grambarbs pickled beets)
1 Cup of White Sugar
1 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cinnamon Stick
10Whole Cloves
1 Medium Onion Peeled and Thinly Sliced
In a glass container, place beets with juice reserved on the side, peeled hard-boiled eggs, the cinnamon stick and cloves, and the sliced onion. I like to layer these ingredients, beginning with the onions on the bottom, then the spices, then the beets, and finally, the eggs on top.
In a stainless steel saucepan, combine the liquid from the pickled beets, the vinegar, and the sugar. Heat over medium flame until it comes to a slow boil. Remove from heat and pour the liquid over the eggs. Seal tightly with a lid and place the glass container in the refrigerator.
I do this a week in advance so my eggs have time to absorb the pickling brine. I also gently shake the jar throughout the week to ensure all eggs are covered evenly. These eggs are a beautiful and delicious addition to your Easter table.
A few notes: I find that store-bought eggs peel better than farm-fresh eggs. Also, when the eggs have finished boiling, I drain the pot and then fill it with ice water, crack the shells, and add a teaspoon of baking soda to the ice water, and the eggs peel much easier. Canned or pickled beets from the store can be used in place of home-canned pickled beets. Adding a bay leaf adds depth to the flavor, but I prefer to use just the cloves and cinnamon sticks.
On this sunny but chilly spring day, stay safe, be smart, have a wonderful weekend before Easter, enjoy playing Easter Bunny as long as possible, and keep washing your hands. High-quality, handmade goat's milk soap also makes a lovely Easter gift...insert a wink.