Quail eggs are considered a delicacy due to their unique and delicious flavor and the fact that they are more difficult to find than chicken eggs. As they are very delicate, they are perfect for pickling; you can create a sweet, salty, beetroot flavored solution or you can create the blend that best suits your palate. Once you have learned how to proceed, you can offer quail eggs at parties, you can try to sell them or enjoy them as a delicious snack.
Ingrediants
Purple Preservative Solution
- 24 quail eggs
- 125 ml of cider vinegar
- 125 ml of water
- 50 g of peeled and grated beetroot
- 20 g of granulated sugar
- 5 g of nutmeg
- 10 g of whole salt
- 10 g of spices for preserves
- More wholemeal salt to serve the eggs
Spicy and Spiced Preserves Solution
- 24 quail eggs
- 375 ml of rice vinegar
- 60 ml of water
- 10 ml of sugar syrup or molasses
- 15 g of peppercorns
- 15 g of allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 g of red pepper flakes
- 2 pinches of green coriander seeds
- 5 g of salt
Golden Preservative Solution
- 24 quail eggs
- 375 ml of cider vinegar
- 125 ml of water
- 10 ml of honey
- 10 g of peppercorns
- 10 g of salt for preserves
- 5 g of ground turmeric
- 5 g of allspice
- A pinch of celery seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Eggs
Step 1. Check the eggs for cracks or breaks in the shell
Eliminate any that have openings in the shell.
- You can find high-quality quail eggs in many high-end grocery stores and farmer's markets.
- Some people prefer to leave the eggs in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, so that the inner membrane "loosens" and the eggs are easier to shell.
Step 2. Immerse the eggs in a pot of hot water for several minutes
Step 3. Clean the shells by wiping them
Remember that quail eggs are a little more delicate than normal ones, so you should handle them with great care so as not to break them
Part 2 of 3: Cook the Eggs
Step 1. Put the eggs in a pan of cold water
Wait for them to reach room temperature before boiling them.
- The water should cover the eggs with a layer at least 2.5 cm thick.
- You can use a saucepan instead of a saucepan.
Step 2. Bring the water (with the eggs) to a boil
Step 3. Remove the pan from the heat
Some people believe it is better to remove the eggs from boiling water immediately, while others say that it is advisable to wait at least three minutes. Finally, there is a current of thought that recommends removing the pot from the heat as soon as the water boils and wait a few minutes and then continue cooking for another three minutes. The fundamental thing, however, remains that of not overcooking the eggs, otherwise they will become rubbery when they are pickled.
If you decide to let the eggs "rest" in hot water for a few minutes, remember to mix them carefully during this phase
Step 4. Drain the water from the saucepan
Step 5. Replace the water with vinegar if you want to shell the eggs more easily
Pour enough to cover the eggs with a 2.5 cm layer.
- Wait for the vinegar to soften the membrane for 12 hours before proceeding with the removal of the shells.
- If you opt for this technique, mix the eggs every few minutes.
- Rinse the vinegar from the eggs with fresh water when you are done.
- Of course, you can skip this step and start preparing the solution right away if you don't have the patience to wait.
Step 6. Immerse the eggs in cold water, even with ice, for a few moments before shelling them
This makes it easier to remove the shells and hard membranes.
Step 7. Shell the eggs before placing them in the vinegar solution
The shells can be thrown into the compost bin.
Step 8. Rinse each egg with fresh water to remove shell fragments
Be very careful not to break the yolk while you proceed with this process, otherwise the vinegar solution will become cloudy
Part 3 of 3: Picking the Eggs
Step 1. Transfer the eggs to glass jars
The size of the containers depends on your needs. Make sure they have been properly sterilized and that the lids seal the jars perfectly. You can dry the eggs with kitchen paper before transferring them to the containers.
Step 2. Prepare the mixture
You can proceed at this stage while you are cooking and preparing the eggs or at a later time. Each recipe is slightly different, so it's important to follow the instructions carefully. Here are some suggestions on this:
- To make the purple solution, simply mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Keep stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Wait for the solution to come back to room temperature, it will take about 30 minutes.
- As for the hot and spicy solution, bring the ingredients to a boil and then wait for them to cool for half an hour. When you need to pour it over the eggs, use a popsicle stick to push the bay leaves and coriander seeds to the bottom of the jar along with the eggs.
- When you want to make the golden solution, pour all the ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Close the pan with the lid, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Finally, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. At this point you can pour it over the eggs.
Step 3. Cover the eggs with the solution
Be very careful and pour it through a colander or graduated cup with a spout. By doing this you can check the liquid of the solution and avoid pouring it all at once.
Clean the edges of the jars before closing them with lids
Step 4. Wait for the eggs and the solution to cool inside the containers
Step 5. Close the jars with lids
As an added safety measure you can seal the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes before placing them in a safe place to cool.
- Once the lids are closed, you can shake the jars lightly to distribute the spices evenly.
- If you move carefully, you can flip and straighten the jars immediately.
Step 6. Place the eggs in the refrigerator for at least one day before eating them
The "resting" time depends on your personal tastes and the blend you used.
- For example, the purple mixture will flavor eggs better if you wait at least a day or, better yet, a week.
- If you have decided on the hot and spicy solution, you should wait two weeks before eating the eggs.
- The golden mixture, on the other hand, should have time to flavor the eggs for at least 48 hours, but you should still eat them before a month passes.
Step 7. Serve the quail eggs
They are excellent alone, sprinkled with fresh parsley or coarse salt.
