Eggs

We have times of the year when we have lots of eggs. Twice a year we have the three geese laying gigantic eggs, and the 5 chooks laying each day – the equivalent of about 13 eggs each day. These need to be eaten, or used up in some way.

The solutions:

Dogs had eggs for dinner with their dried dog food. This cannot be done for long because the Vet tells me that there can be problems with too much of a dog’s protein coming from non meat sources. We give away dozens of eggs and we make things that take a lot of eggs. Miss a day when no-one has an egg for some meal and suddenly you have 4 dozen sitting around.

The Recipes:

Ice Cream

We make plenty of French Ice-cream – the one based on an egg custard.

Impossible Lemon Pie

This lemony egg based dessert is quite delicious. I serve it with natural yoghurt.

Pickled Eggs

Almost any combination of spices and vinegar can be used – cardamom, dill, garlic, mustard seeds, chilli, and onion flakes or powder. The pink and brown below look great together.

Ingredients for pink eggs

  • 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
  • 1 cup vinegar (malt, acv, white or a combination)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • juice from pickled beetroot (gives fantastic colour)

Ingredients for brown pickled eggs

  • 12 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 cup of vinegar (malt or cider)
  • 1 cup water
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 2tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

  1. Mix vinegar, water, and other ingredients in a pan, bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes then leave to steep until cool. Taste and adjust – no point making something you don’t like the taste of.
  2. Place eggs in a large, very clean jar. I try a few jars until I find one that fits the eggs neatly. Moccona coffee jars are good as they fit three per layer and 12 in jar.
  3. Strain liquid through a fine seive or cheesecloth into the jar, covering the eggs completely with the spiced vinegar mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 days before using. The eggs will keep at least a month in the refrigerator.

To Make Hard-Cooked Eggs

  1.  Place room temperature eggs in a saucepan. Cover with at least 3 cm of cold water.
  2. Cover the saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat.
  3. Turn off the heat and set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs and how cooked you want the yolk.
  4. Drain and run cold water over eggs until cooled.
  5. Crack the shell all over by shaking in a jar or rolling it egg between your hands to loosen the shell.
  6. Begin peeling at the large end where the air sack is. Hold under cold running water to help remove the shell.
Use pickled eggs to make egg salad, add to an antipasto plate or make devilled eggs. Slice them for a sandwich filling or chop them to garnish a salad or just eat whole for a snack .