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How’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 93,858 times. Salted eggs are native to Chinese and Filipino cuisines. The process traditionally calls for duck eggs, but you can use chicken eggs when duck eggs are unavailable.
You can consume the finished eggs alone after boiling them, but you can also use salted eggs as ingredients for moon cakes and other foods. Rinse the eggs under cool, running water while using your fingers to gently scrub away any dirt or debris. Dry the eggs with clean paper towels. While cleaning the eggs, inspect the shells for cracks. Discard any cracked eggs and keep the whole eggs.
Duck eggs are preferred over chicken eggs for this recipe, but either will work. Duck eggs have tougher shells, and the yolks are both larger and oilier than those of chicken eggs. All of these traits can improve the taste and texture of the salted eggs. Bring extra water to a boil inside a kettle, then pour the water into the container you plan to use for the salted eggs. Glass or ceramic containers work best, and the container should also have a lid. If the container will crack under intense heat, do not sterilize it with boiling water.
Clean it with warm water and soap instead, rinsing well to remove any residue. Place the eggs in the jar. Carefully stack the clean eggs in the clean jar. Be gentle to avoid cracking the shells. You can have more empty space than that, but if there’s less empty space, the brine may not cover the eggs adequately well once you add it. Set it on the stove over medium heat and bring the water to a full boil.
Gradually add the salt to the boiling water, stirring after each addition. Dissolve the full amount of salt in the water before continuing. The goal is to fully saturate the water with salt. In other words, the water should become so salty that additional salt will no longer dissolve. If you are unable to dissolve some of the salt after adding it, do not add any more, even if you haven’t used the full amount yet. If you wish to add spices to the brine, do so now.
Star anise and Szechuan peppercorns are the most traditional. Adding spices to the brine can give the salted eggs a richer taste. You could add other spices alongside the star anise and peppercorns, too. Red chili peppers, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and whole black cardamoms are among some of the most popular choices. The egg shells will deepen in color if you take this option. Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Do not pour hot brine over the raw eggs.
Doing so could cause the egg shells to crack. If you wish to add the Shaoxing wine, do so now. Stir well to fully distribute the wine throughout the brine. Adding the wine to the brine will enhance the taste while changing the yolk to an orange-red color. It should also mask the odor of the eggs while restricting the growth of bacteria. This step isn’t strictly necessary, though.
Pour the brine over the eggs. Pour the cooled brine solution over the eggs in the jar. The brine must cover the eggs completely. If the brine does not cover the eggs, top off the containers with additional room temperature water. Some of the eggs may float the top of the brine as the eggs sit. To keep the eggs submerged throughout the entire process, place a sealed plastic bag filled with additional water on top of the eggs.
Some people prefer to use a small plate to weigh down the eggs, which may also work well. If you choose that option, pick a relatively light plate to avoid crushing the eggs on accident. If the lid of the container sits relatively deep, it alone might be enough to keep the eggs submerged, especially if the eggs and brine nearly fill the container to the top. Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Cover the container with its lid and let the eggs sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. During this time, the brine should begin permeating the shells of the eggs.
It will be easier for this process to start while the eggs are still at room temperature. Store the jar for 30 days. Place the jar in a cool location and keep it there for about one month. A refrigerator, cellar, or cool garage would work well. Some recipes recommend cool storage, but others recommend room temperature storage. Cool storage can help preserve the eggs for a longer period, but either method could work.