Pub-Style Pickled Eggs

Name: Pub-Style Pickled Eggs
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 12 medium eggs; 600ml malt vinegar; 100ml water; 2 tsp fine sea salt; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 2 dried red chillies; 2 bay leaves

Hard-boiled eggs steeped in spiced malt vinegar until sharp and savoury. A proper bar snack with a pint and a bag of crisps.

Time25 min plus 1 week pickling
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.28 a head
Oven120°C (100°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

97kcal
3.7gcarbs
2.9gof which sugars
5.8gfat
1.7gsaturates
7gprotein
0.1gfibre
1.2gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

12 eggs

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

12medium eggs
600 mlmalt vinegar
100 mlwater
2 tspfine sea salt
1 tbspcaster sugar
2 tspblack peppercorns
1 tspcoriander seeds
1 tspmustard seeds
2dried red chillies
2bay leaves

Method

1
Wash a 1.5 litre jar and its lid in hot soapy water, rinse well, and sterilise in a 120°C (100°C fan) oven for 15 minutes. Boil the lid for 5 minutes.
2
Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes, so they are hard boiled, then cool at once in iced water.
10 min
3
Peel the eggs carefully under a running tap and pat them dry. Pack them into the hot jar.
4
Put the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds, chillies and bay in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, then simmer for 5 minutes.
5 min
5
Pour the hot pickling liquid and spices over the eggs until they are completely covered. Tap the jar to release air bubbles, and seal.
6
Leave to cool, then keep in the fridge for at least 1 week before eating. The longer they sit the sharper they get. Eat within 4 weeks and always keep them covered in vinegar.
7
Safety notes: use only fresh, clean, fully cooked eggs, always store in the fridge, and never keep them at room temperature. Throw them away if the liquid goes cloudy or slimy or if they smell off.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.