much of the shell’s calcium carbonate,
penetrates the eggs, and lowers their pH
sufficiently to prevent the growth of spoilage
microbes. (The vinegar in Easter-egg dyes
etches the shell surface and helps the dye
penetrate.) Pickled eggs will keep for a year
or more without refrigeration.
Pickled eggs can be eaten shell — or its
remains — and all. In addition to being tart,
they are firmer than freshly boiled eggs; the
white is sometimes described as rubbery. A
more tender consistency can be obtained by
including ample salt in the pickling liquid and
having the liquid at the boil when the eggs are
immersed. Though the eggs won’t spoil at
room temperature, they will suffer less from
swollen yolks and split whites (which result
when the egg absorbs the pickling liquid too
rapidly) if stored in the cold.
Chinese Preserved Eggs