Before we get into talking about this killer recipe for Paleo Pickled Eggs with Fresh Beets, I want to sincerely thank everyone for your wonderful advice and encouraging words regarding my last post of self pity and doubt 🙂 To me, the best thing about blogging is the amount of sincere support and foodie love among all Bloggers. A mutual love and admiration for food definitely draws us all together, but it amazes me how close I feel to many of you and, even though I’ve never met any of you personally, I still consider you all as friends. Knowing that everyone at one time or another has had the same not-so-good feelings about blogging, reassures me that all of my self doubting is okay and perfectly normal. I may take a break now and then, but I believe I’ll always keep this blog because I wouldn’t want to let go of the friendships I’ve formed with everyone 🙂 Okay, now that the sappy-I-love-you-all speech is over…on to the recipe!
I live for the summer season in New England because I have the best organic CSA in all of New Hampshire from Normanton Farms. Every week in my box are the most gorgeous fresh organic vegetables and over these past few weeks, my box has been filled with loads of delicious red beets. Typically I do the same ol’, same ol’ with the beets. I save the greens to sauté with fresh garlic and shallot as a side dish or to put in a lovely breakfast omelet the next morning (yum!). Then I’ll roast all the beets to serve them as a salad, like my Healthy Roasted Beets with Feta and Basil recipe. Roasted beets are great because you can cut/slice them up up and store in the refrigerator to use as needed. Easy, easy, easy, which is how I like my life; however, I took one look at last week’s CSA and thought about how awesome some pickled beets and eggs would be with a nice cold beer sitting on my porch during a warm summer’s day. Next thing I know, I’m pulling out my pickling jar.
This Paleo pickled eggs with fresh beets recipe is as clean eating as you can get and is made with raw apple cider vinegar, for the sour tang, and raw honey, for a slight sweetness. Besides taste, the raw vinegar and honey are loaded with lots of nutritious benefits. I prefer Bragg’s organic, unfiltered, raw apple cider vinegar that contains the “mother”, which is made up of healthy enzymes, proteins, and good bacteria. Raw honey is just as beneficial with it’s various anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.
It is also best to use the freshest eggs possible for this recipe, since the eggs may be stored for a long period of time in the pickling juice. I use eggs from my backyard chickens, so that’s about as fresh as you can get! If you don’t have your own chickens, try to seek out a local farm to get free-range chicken eggs. These eggs are not only better for you, but the taste is superior, plus the chickens are humanely raised. It’s most definitely worth the extra few dollars and time to go pick them up. Chickens don’t lay eggs while they are going through their feather molting stage, so I have to buy eggs from my favorite Normanton Farms when that happens at my house. I love buying my veggies, meats, and eggs from them because you can see how the farm actually works and meet all the animals they raise. I know for a fact that everything on this farm is humanely raised and that makes me feel better about purchasing products from them.
Here’s a little 411 on hard boiled fresh eggs…they are a pain-in-the-ass to peel. Older eggs are easier to peel so, unfortunately, my hard boiled eggs are always banged up on the outside. Except when they are pickled and pretty in pink 🙂
So go get some fresh farm goodies to make this Paleo Pickled Eggs with Fresh Beets recipe. By next weekend, you could be sitting outside in the hot summer sun, drinking a cold one, and eating some healthy pickled eggs and beets!
- 5 whole medium-sized organic red beets, cleaned of all dirt with the tops and bottoms removed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup organic unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
- 2 Tb organic raw honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 5 peeled small hard boiled eggs
- ½ small onion, thinly sliced
- Place well cleaned beets in a saucepan with the 3 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to a light boil and cook for 25 minutes or until beets are fork tender.
- Removed the cooked beets from the water and set aside to cool. DO NOT THROW OUT BEET WATER, set it aside to cool. Once beets are fully cooled, remove skins and cut into slices or wedges. Set aside.
- Once beet water has cooled to room temperature, add the vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir well.
- Place cut beets, peeled hard boiled eggs, and sliced onion in a large glass container. Pour the cooled seasoned beet water in the container and completely cover everything. Tightly seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before eating to allow the beets, eggs, and onion to absorb pickling flavor. The longer the beets and eggs stay in the pickling liquid, the more intense the flavor.
- The pickled beets and eggs will stay fresh, covered in the refrigerator and the liquid, for up to 1 month (or longer). The pickling liquid can be reused, just add more cooked beets and eggs to the jar, making sure they are completely covered by the liquid.
That’s lovely! I’ve made pickled eggs (they were deviled eggs Indeed) just first time this year, and I loved them! However, I used a simpler marinade that’s why using apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves in your version sounds like a good addition! Well done, Karrie!
Thanks Ben. I’m going to go check out your recipe now for the deviled pickled eggs because you would to try that recipe with these.
This is such a cool recipe, Karrie! I’ve never had pickled eggs, but they sound delicious. I love picked foods in general so I can imagine devouring these too! Also I didn’t know fresh eggs were so hard to peel; that’s so interesting. I saw Pioneer Woman do this thing where she placed her cooked eggs in an ice bath and covered them with lots of ice before peeling…she said it made them way easier to peel. I wonder if that would work with fresh eggs too? Anyways, fantastic post – I will definitely have to try this!
Thank you Beeta! I could eat pickled foods every day of my life at every meal. Pioneer Woman is right and I forgot to mention in the post that I immediately cool down the eggs in cold water to try to make the peeling easier. My fresh eggs still like to be troublesome but the cold water def helps with peeling older eggs.
It looks like a great snack! I love roasted beets, although I don’t love the purple hands after haha.
Too true Dannii! Everything in my kitchen and both of my hands were purple after this recipe (but it’s worth it) 🙂
You have your very own chickens?!!?! How cool is that?! I love roasted beet so much I could marry them. I have to confess that I’ve never had pickeled eggs though. They certainly are festive! 🙂
Haha! I would marry roasted beets too! Never had pickled eggs before? Girl, you better get on that quick cause they are mighty tasty with a beer.
Well, welcome out of your pit of self doubt, girlfriend! I love pickled eggs (minus the yolk–>allergic), but I’ve never made my own. Why? No clue. Obvi this is going to change now that you have shown me the light.. and provided me with a handy dandy yummy recipe! I always buy cage free eggs, and you are right- totally worth the couple extra cents per egg. Next year I’ll have to join the cool chick (pun intended) club and raise my own chickens! Happy friday, my sweets! <3 Cheers!! Xo
Thanks Chey and yes, now that you are a NC country girl, you should get your own chickens next year! They are really easy to keep, except for cleaning out the coop every other week but my J does that and yours can too 🙂
I love these eggs, They look and taste incredible. Very fancy and impressive 🙂
Thanks so much. I just clicked on your recipe for deviled beet eggs and going to try it with mine this weekend 🙂
Hey Karrie I love pickles! and have never tasted pickled eggs! I think I am going to try your recipe as soon as possible! looks so great!
Anything pickled is awesome!! Hope you do try it Gaila and please let me know how you like it.
I despise beets. They taste like dirt. But your picture was really pretty and it made me want to at least TRY them. I like your hubby first, then your chickens, then Gracie. Then I like Nola. Then you. Then the beets.
If I’ve told you once Heather, I’ve told you a thousand times. You haven’t had properly cooked beets and that is why you don’t like them. You need to try this recipe and I bet you change your mind. BTW, I like your kids first, then your hubby, then these beets, then your cat, then your neighbor’s dog, and then you 🙂
These are so gorgeous, and combine two of my favourite things: pickling & beets!
I totally agree with you on buying humanely raised eggs, and I absolutely love the sound of going to a farm to pick them up yourself!
Thanks so much Sophie and thanks for stopping by!
I get tired of the same-old-same-old veggie dishes. This is definitely not same-old-same-old. These pickled eggs and beets are such a nice change, and the vibrant color of the egg is pretty amazing!
Thank you Thao and they are so easy to make 🙂
The color of these eggs are absolutely stunning! And I love all of the warm and bold spices you used in the pickling solution. How cool is it that you have a farm to buy fresh, humanly raised eggs that’s so close to you!
Thanks Kathleen!
I love pickled veggies, and these beets + eggs look gorgeous! Love how the whites of the egg took on the purple color of the beets…so pretty! Would go perfectly on top of of some frisee!
Thank you! I love frisee and you are so right, it would be the perfect combo 🙂