Frugal meal ideas for a frugal food budget. Updated 4/06/18

[Kaleva]

25. Basic pickled eggs

Those 2 qt. 1 pt. (80 fl. oz.) and 1 gal. (128 fl. oz.) containers of dill pickles are rather cheap and once eaten, the juice can be used to pickle eggs in the very same container.

Eggs can be bought at places like Menards or gas station mini marts for a $1.00 a dozen. A local store sometimes sells eggs for $0.65 a dozen as long as one purchases $25.00 of other products.

Ingredients

leftover pickle juice
1 tablespoon pepper for every gallon of pickle juice. Adjust accordingly. $0.22
1 tablespoon garlic powder for every gallon of pickle juice. Adjust accordingly. $0.10
1⁄2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce for every gallon of pickle juice. Adjust accordingly. $0.13
x number of hard-boiled eggs, peeled, that will fit in the size pickle jar you are using. $1.00 per dozen

1 tbsp----(1/2)1-1/2 tsp ---(1/3)1 tsp
1 tsp -----(1/2)1/2 tsp--- -(1/3)1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp---(1/2)1/4 tsp---- -(1/3)1/8 tsp
1/4 tsp ---(1/2)1/8 tsp ----(1/3)dash


As a rule of thumb, 10 to 12 hard boiled eggs will fit into a quart size container. So one ought to be able to fit a dozen to 16 eggs into a 46 fl. oz. pickle jar, 2 to 2 1/2 dozen eggs into an 80 fl. oz. pickle jar and up to 4 dozen into a gallon size pickle jar.


Directions

After eating all the pickles out of the jar, save pickle juice.
In a pot, combine juice, pepper, garlic powder, and Tabasco sauce, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes
Boil eggs
Peel the eggs and drop them into the jar.
Add the other ingredients.
Put in the refrigerator and let them sit for 2-4 weeks so they can marinate.

Use the eggs within 3 to 4 months for best quality.

An option is to skip the spices and just use the saved pickle juice. One does not have to simmer the juice. Just pour the juice over the eggs that are placed into whatever container you are using.