Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Alligator Eggs (Cajun Pickled Eggs)


First of all, let me start this off by saying - No, these are not really eggs laid by an alligator. They're chicken eggs, pickled with Cajun spices  - A recipe straight out of the Louisiana swamp.... hence the name, Alligator Eggs. 

I'll tell you, These eggs are absolutely wonderful! They have just the right amount of kick and a subtle hint of vinegar. Nothing overpowering, like you can find in other pickled eggs. 

They are so easy to make and have only 5 ingredients! This recipe is for one pint jar, but believe me, you'll want to make more than one!  


 Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:


  • 6-8 Eggs, depending on size
  • 1/2 cup* Water
  • 1/2 cup* Distilled White Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Powdered Crab Boil (like Zatarain's)
  • 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes


Method:


Clean and sterilize a pint jar, lid and ring. 


Boil your eggs. Peel them and place them in a strainer to cool down. If you pickle them while they are still hot, they tend to stick together in the jar. Do not refrigerate them, though. You just want them to come down to a temperature that is comfortable to work with.  


*Because egg sizes vary, you'll need to do a test run to see how much liquid you will need to fill your jar properly. Once the eggs are cooled down, place them into your jar. Fill the jar, with the eggs in it, to within 1/2 inch of the rim (be sure the eggs are covered completely) with fresh water. Pour out the water into a measuring cup to see exactly what amount of water/vinegar you will need. Mine usually takes right around 1 cup. You will want a 50/50 ratio of vinegar to water. 


Keep the eggs in the jar and add the crab boil and crushed red pepper flakes.  


Mix the proper amounts of vinegar and water in a non-reactive (enameled or steel) saucepan, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat up the lid and ring by boiling them in water, in a separate pot, for 5 minutes.


Carefully pour the vinegar/water mixture over the eggs and hand tighten the hot lid and ring to the jar. (Please don't burn yourself.) The seasonings will mix throughout the jar as you pour the liquid. Let the eggs rest on the counter, undisturbed, to cool and seal. The jar will make a POP sound when it seals. Once cooled, invert the jar and swirl it a bit to make sure the spices mix around evenly.


After a week or so, the eggs are ready to eat.  ~ They tell me that no refrigeration is required... but you might want to pop them in the fridge, just to be on the safe side. 




Enjoy! 


Related posts that might interest you:


 Beet Pickled Eggs 






      

22 comments:

  1. I've done this with a more vintage recipe and didn't refrigerate them and I'm still alive to tell the tale, but it was an experiment for Civil War Reenacting and I say just them in the reefer and be safe.

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  2. Since I found this blogspot I have made so many pints of your alligator eggs these things are off the chain good better than any store bought pickled egg you can buy easy recipe

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    1. I am so glad you like them Jimmie!! Thank you for dropping by to let me know... You just made my day! :o)

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  3. Hi there,
    Being in Canada we can't always find the same spice mixes. I own Creole Seasoning and Ole Bay Seasoning...wonder which would be a better substitute?
    Thank you in advance for sharing your recipe which I'm dying to try.
    Fil

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    1. Hi Fil! It won't be exactly the same, but in order to replicate the Zatarain's flavor, I would try mostly Creole seasoning with just a touch of the Old Bay. Please let me know how it turns out for you. :o)

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    2. Thank you so much for your response. I will try this today and in a week's time I should let you know how yummy they are...with the available substitute. :-)

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  4. Why can't you jut mix 50/50 water and vinegar, boil and use whatever is needed to top off the jar? No pre-measure is needed.

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    1. That's perfectly fine too. I just like to measure first, because I always seem to either come up short, or have way too much.

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    2. It's all going to depend on the actual egg size.

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  5. How large of a jar did you use? Have you ever ran a toothpick through the egg before placing in the jar?

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    1. Hello! For this recipe I use a pint jar. Also, I would not recommend puncturing the eggs with a toothpick. For pickled eggs, you want to use pristine, undamaged eggs, so that you don't have any trouble with bacteria growth. I hope you enjoy them. :o)

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  6. Trying this tonight. Threw in a dehydrated, home-grown Ghost Pepper as well. These should BITE back.

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  7. So I do a flat of eggs at a time and just love Cajun pickled eggs. I just Jared me a flat with the ingredients you use. My question. I did 2 1/2 cups of water...2 1/2 cups of vinegar and used 2 1/2 table spoons of the boil...tgat won't make it spicy huh?

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  8. Do you think liquid crab boil would work with this recipe? If so, how much?

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    1. Interesting recipe! I make mine almost the same way. But in my version, I start with 3 dozen eggs (because there will be a few that don't make it). I shoot for something more cooked than soft boiled, but not quite hard boiled, because it adds a nice velvety texture and mouth-feel. Then I use 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 white vinegar and about a tablespoon of Thai fish sauce. Then, I add a little crushed red pepper, some thyme, some marjoram, ginger, garlic, a few bay leaves (and a few fresh lime leaves if I can find them - but I usually can't) and kosher salt to the pot, along with a healthy dose of Tony Chachere's (or Old Bay in a pinch), 3-5 healthy dashes of Crystal New Orleans Hot Sauce (just a hair better than Tobacco in my book, but that's just me), with about half as much Zatarain's crab boil as you're using here. I add the zest and juice of a large lemon (which I let float in the brine after that), 2 or 3 pods of star anise and a few whole cloves. After that, I let the brine boil, then simmer for about an hour and then let it steep as it cools down to room temp. Then I put a few cloves of roasted garlic and 1 browned link of Andoille sausage in each jar (I used the quart jars and my recipe usually makes 3 jars plus a few eggs to snack on later (after, say, 72 hours in the fridge). Then I fill the remaining room in the jars with eggs. Then I pour the brine through a fine-mesh strainer and then pour the strained brine into the jars to about 1/2" from the lip. Then I sterilize the lids and rings like you do, and apply the lids to the jars. Then, voila! Very close to my me-maw's recipe, but slightly improved in my opinion. They're always a hit and they make great gifts. And, as for perishability, these things will last until about the next ice age in a cool dark place. They should be put into the fridge after opening though, and they'll last at least 2-3 weeks in there as long as you don't pour off the brine.

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  11. Sorry about the two deletions. Since the last update on my phone, autocorrect has gone insane! I was just trying to correct the typos!

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  12. Made these today, thank you so much for the recipe. I will let you know how they come out. I did ad some minced garlic to mine

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  13. I also made a large jar full today. However, I may have made a huge mistake in the crab boil. I bought concentrated liquid. The label looked the same and after reading some comments I realized I may have made a mistake. Hmmm.. well, I added dill as well since I love dill. Will let you know how they turn out!

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