Pickled Eggs

These have become a new staple in our home.  I have always liked pickled beets and I have always put boiled eggs in my leftover pickle brine, coming out with lovely purple eggs with all the pickled flavor.

Recently, I have learned to make pickled eggs differently.  They taste different but super good. Even the daughter that does not care for boiled eggs likes these.

You start by hard boiling your eggs.  You will need to cook a few extras just in case you have some that do not peel perfectly. (You do not want to use any eggs that have the yolks showing or that are split.)  Once your eggs are hard boiled (and this varies with altitudes) drain the hot water off of them, gently roll them around in the pan while running cold tap water over them…you want to gently crack the shells….Cover with cold tap water and allow to cool. Then further crack and peel.

This recipe is a guideline.   For a quart you want to use the following…

12 very hard boiled eggs

5-6 cloves of peeled garlic

The eggs and garlic go into the quart jar

Then in a sauce pan combine the following:

2 cups of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt (sea or non-iodized)

To that add about 5 TBSP of honey(you can use more or less)

Added in about an 1/8 tsp of the following spices and then adjusted them to taste–Mace, nutmeg, and ginger.

15 whole cloves and a good shake of paprika to give it all a good reddish color.  Oh yes, and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Hot Peppers are optional.

Bring all of this to a boil and pour over your boiled eggs packed into a quart canning jar.  (Wide mouth is necessary)  Put on the lid and when cool transfer to the refrigerator.  Allow to sit for two weeks. (If you can wait that long!)

 

Dehydrating Cheese

This is an idea that I read about and decided to try.  Dried Cheese.  I love my dehydrators and use them for all kinds of things.

I had so much fun doing this that I just wanted to share this with everyone.  Granted it was a bit messy and some people might wonder why bother but I liked the final product so well that I plan to utilize this concept more in the future.  It is a way to buy cheese on sale and then store it up for later.  It also makes a great on the go snack!  The cheese can also be grated and added into just about anything like  GAPS/SCD breads, pancakes, etc. with the moisture already reduced

The first thing  you do is start out with a GAPS/SCD approved cheese.  That would be any of these cheeses: Cheddar, Asiago, Blue, Brie, Camembert, Colby, Edam, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Havarti, Jack, Muenster, Parmesan, Roquefort, Stilton, Swiss, Romano and uncreamed cottage cheese.

I slice the cheese about a 1/4 inch thick or a little thinner.  And place it on my trays that I lined with parchment paper.  (Parchment works much better than wax!)

I have done this a couple of different ways and have decided that the one I am giving here is the best. After turning the dehydrator on, I let it run for about 15 minutes or until the cheese begins to get soft.

The oil will begin to come out of it and this is where it can get tricky.

I tilt the tray and allow the oil to run off.  (I slanted the tray and let the oil run into the sink.)

Then as the cheese cools a bit I lift if off the tray and wipe the oil off with a paper towel.  Wiping both the cheese and the tray.  At this time I turn the cheese over.

I repeat this process until there is little excess oil and then I just allow it to dry, turning it every so often until it is hardened.  I then store it in a airtight jar.  I now have cheese and dried fruit to keep in the car for ready to eat snacks.