Give Your Homemade Pickled Eggs An Extra Layer Of Flavor With This Simple Step

Whether you're proteinmaxxing or simply want something simple and nutritious to eat on the go, you can't beat the incredible, edible boiled egg. If the thought of eating one makes you snooze, though, the best way to upgrade it is by pickling. Pickled eggs make a tasty addition to egg salad, too. For the most flavorful pickled eggs of all, Nelson Serrano-Bahri, our go-to eggs-pert and director of innovation at the American Egg Board, suggested taking one extra prep step before you season the brine. He advises toasting your spices before adding them to the mix.

"When whole spices are warmed in a dry pan, their essential oils are released. That process makes the spices more aromatic and expressive, so instead of tasting flat or one-dimensional, the brine develops more depth and character," Serrano-Bahri explained. While toasted spices can add a boost to any recipe, he feels they're especially beneficial to eggs since eggs have a very mild yet rich taste. As he sees it, "A brine with aromatic spices helps balance that richness and gives the final egg more personality without needing to increase the salt or vinegar."

If you want to toast your spices, whole spices are better. According to Nelson Serrano-Bahri, "Whole spices benefit the most from toasting, especially those that store flavor in their seeds or bark." Some spices, however, take to toasting better than others. "Some of the best candidates include mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, and even a small amount of cloves," Serrano-Bahri told us.

With mustard, gentle heat gives them a somewhat nutty scent and flavor, while heat intensifies the citrusy side of coriander. With peppercorns, on the other hand, it tames some of their pungency, while it makes fennel's flavor sweeter and stronger. "Even crushed red pepper flakes can take on a slightly fuller, toastier flavor if warmed briefly," said Serrano-Bahri.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that toasting spices is a very hands-on process. Dump them in a dry frying pan over low to medium heat and stir or shake them around for anywhere from 30 seconds to one or two minutes. Serrano-Bahri cautioned, however, "As soon as the spices smell fragrant, remove them from the heat — they can turn bitter quickly if over-toasted." Once they're done, add them to the brine and simmer for a few minutes before pouring it over the eggs. Heating the toasted spices in the pickling liquid will allow them to flavor the latter.

If you're flavoring your brine with any ground, powdered, or granulated spices, don't bother toasting them. "Ground spices are usually better added directly to the liquid brine rather than toasted in a dry pan. Things like ground turmeric, paprika, or ground ginger can scorch quickly and develop bitterness," said Nelson Serrano-Bahri. With turmeric used as a coloring agent, he prefers blooming it in hot brine. Beet juice, a traditional colorant, is added directly to the brine, while chunks of cooked beet can be added to the eggs in the jar before the brine is poured over the top.

Fresh ingredients like onions and garlic are better off added to the brine right before the simmering stage, as per Serrano-Bahri. "Dry heat can burn them unevenly and create harsh flavors."

Serrano-Bahri doesn't advocate toasting fresh herbs like cilantro, dill, or parsley, either, since adding them directly into the brine will help keep them tasting fresh instead of charred. Even some dried herbs, too, can benefit from this technique. As he pointed out, "Bay leaves release flavor very well just by steeping in hot liquid, so I typically add those straight to the brine as well." Needless to say, salt and sugar, which are basic pickle brine seasonings, should also go right into the liquid instead of being dry-fried.