The store where I work has a section for what I call “lunch foods” - single portion items that are ready to eat. Once in awhile I’ll grab a two-pack of hard boiled eggs to add a protein boost to a salad (also in the same area) if I’m buying lunch that day. Also, you can sometimes find them at highway rest stops, so they’re convenient if you’re traveling, need to eat, and don’t want the fast food that’s the usual alternative at road stops these days.
Basically, you’re paying for the convenience. There are times when that’s a worthwhile thing. But I agree, for the most part they’re easy to make at home, and barring the occasional kitchen screw-up, homemade also tastes better and you have more control over the final texture.
you have to remember tho around this time of year they’re more prominent because stores stock up on them for easter egg hunts and the like they’re mainly when someone realizes easter is next week and you have 20 or more kids expecting the easter bunny to come at the youth center church etc …or the occasional harried parent that has a kid
yeah they have dyed eggs for sale but those were always a fortune and the kiddies love doing it themselves
Now what always shocked me is what they wanted for premade deviled egg trays I mean 6 bucks for a half dozen eggs …
I’ve often stumbled on discussions on the Dope about eggs being hard to peel, and always though ‘huh, never happens to me’.
Now, being in the European no-eggs-in-fridge land may have something to do with it, who knows, but I also submerge my eggs in already boiling water, and then rinse them immediately in cold water from the tap. Perfect peeling every time.
A key thing for easy-peeling eggs is the temperature change from boiling water to ice water. The better you make that jump the easier the eggs are to peel.
Ever have a pickled hard boiled egg in a bar? They’re in a big glass jar, they sit at room temperature for who knows how long, yet they’re always good.
Back in my traveling days when I was living in hotels, I became familiar with non-junk foods that didn’t require any preparation that I could pick up a grocery store and keep in my mini-fridge, or were shelf stable. The two pack of hard boiled eggs was a definite go-to, as were the tuna-with-crackers packs.
At my local haunt they had a label on the jar that said ‘boneless chicken’. Several customers would also request the ‘steak and egg dinner’, a beef jerky and a pickled egg.
And of course as Moe once instructed, “We’ll choose the same way they pick the Pope. Everybody reach in and draw a pickled egg.”
Yes! Been a long time since I’ve seen those. Last time was about a decade ago in a bar in Wisconsin that also sold pickled Turkey gizzards. I did, of course order the latter. Turkey gizzards are much bigger than I imagined, but I finished it all. Back when I had more time and energy and lived alone (probably a connection there), I would pickle eggs in a beet and habanero brown. Those went great with any adult beverage!
Haven’t had those in ages. Just added to my grocery list! Even though they’re pickled & vacuum sealed, grocery stores keep them refrigerated. The room temperature stuff in a bar sounds a bit iffy.
They don’t need refrigeration. I see them all the time on the shelf at the restaurant supply store. I just looked the brand up, and the manufacturer says they don’t need refrigeration before or after opening.
The Pickled Eggs from Bayview Packing Company consist of fresh Grade A Large eggs, hard boiled, peeled, after highly controlled cooking, and processed with pickling brine. This assures quality for your enjoyment. A low carbohydrate treat (1 gram)! Two 36 ounce jars (20 pickled eggs each). No refrigeration needed before or after opening. Best when eaten within 3-4 months.
That may be true for that particular brand, perhaps because they’re loaded with preservatives, but not for the ones I buy, which are kept refrigerated at the grocery store even when vacuum sealed, and bear the caution “Keep Refrigerated”. There are particular hazards especially with homemade pickled eggs – see here and here. I don’t dispute that the product you cite which claims no need for refrigeration in fact does not need it, but that definitely doesn’t apply to all pickled eggs.
Which is why I was replying to your statement “The room temperature stuff in a bar sounds a bit iffy” because those are the ones I looked up. (They also produce the turkey gizzards @pulykamell mentioned.)
OK, fair enough. I’m just pointing out, as a matter of information for the benefit of all, that the need for refrigeration appears to vary depending on how it’s prepared. The stuff I got today, which is from a reputable manufacturer known for quality products, says to keep the pickled eggs refrigerated. They also, FWIW, keep their dill pickles refrigerated in the store and insist you do the same at home. Are they being overly cautions about safety? About quality? Who knows!
Yeah, I’m sure that the room-temperature-safe ones are precessed much more than the refrigerated ones you’ve mentioned. The refrigerated ones probably taste noticeably better, too.
The discussion kind of veered from pre-made hard-boiled eggs to the traditional bar-style pickled ones that come in jars. These are the ones I got today:
