Description
A tangy and spicy Southern-inspired snack featuring hard-boiled eggs, smoked sausages, jalapeños, and carrots pickled in a flavorful vinegar brine. Perfect as a chilled appetizer or bar snack with bold, zesty flavors that intensify after a few days of refrigeration.
Ingredients
Scale
Pickled Eggs and Sausages
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 6 cooked smoked sausages or hot links, sliced into chunks
Vegetables
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4–5 jalapeños, sliced, seeds removed for less heat
- 1 small white onion, sliced
Pickling Brine
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients. Hard boil the eggs, peel them, slice the cooked smoked sausages into chunks, peel and slice the carrots, slice the jalapeños (removing seeds if desired for less heat), and slice the white onion. Set all prepared ingredients aside.
- Pack the Jar. Using a large sterilized glass jar or container, tightly pack in the hard-boiled eggs, sausage pieces, sliced carrots, jalapeños, and sliced onion to prepare them for pickling.
- Make the Pickling Brine. In a medium saucepan, combine white vinegar, water, sugar, salt, smashed garlic cloves, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and optional crushed red pepper flakes. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Pour Brine Over Ingredients. Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid over the packed ingredients in the jar, making sure everything is fully submerged in the brine to ensure even pickling.
- Cool and Refrigerate. Let the jar cool to room temperature before sealing it with a lid. Refrigerate the jar for at least 3 days to allow the flavors to develop and intensify.
- Serve and Enjoy. After pickling time, enjoy the spicy, crunchy, and tangy eggs, sausages, and vegetables chilled as a flavorful snack or appetizer, perfect for gatherings or bar food.
Notes
- Use pickling-safe jars to prevent breakage and contamination.
- Keep the jar refrigerated at all times to ensure safety and prolong shelf life.
- The flavor improves the longer it sits; it’s best after at least 3 days and can be enjoyed within 2–3 weeks.
- Remove jalapeño seeds to reduce heat if desired.
