This recipe is based on a recipe called Blue Ribbon Dill Pickles found on food.com, but with a few changes.

Wash and sterilize your jars (the dishwasher usually does a fine job of this).

Put water in your water-bath canner and get it heating up.

Wash dill and cucumers, then pack each jar with:

• Five garlic cloves (or halves of especially large cloves)
• Five black peppercorns
• 2 heads of fresh dill and several pieces of stem and branches with dill weed.
• 1 tsp dill seed
• 1 small mild hot pepper (optional)
• as many pickle cucumbers as will fit (up to the neck of the jar)

Mix the following and bring to a simmer, then allow to cool slightly.

• 8 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/4 cups white vinegar
• 1/2 cup pickling salt

Pour the slightly cooled brine over the contents of the jar, leaving a half-inch of headspace.    You’ll need to judge how many batches of brine you’ll need based on how many jars you’re making and how tightly you’re able to pack them.  This amount of brine should be able to fill 6 to 7 quarts.

Put lids and rings on the jars, tightening to finger-tight.

Place in the canner, and turn the heat to high.  Heat until the the canner just begins to boil.  Remove the jars and set out to cool.  Once cool, store in a cool, dry place for at least 6 weeks.  Longer aging will produce a better flavor.

We tried this recipe both with and without grape leaves (which many recipes call for to help with crispness, since they are a natural source of alum) to see if it would have an impact on crispness.  It didn’t, so don’t bother, they were all fantastically crisp.

Good luck, and enjoy your pickles!

First, of course, you need great eggs.  Use large, fresh eggs that have been consistently refrigerated.  Follow these instructions for boiling fresh eggs.  Always boil more eggs than you need so you have some spares in case any don’t peel or slice cleanly, and so you can sample your filling in its proper context before you fill the rest.

The first, most important ingredient is good mayonnaise.  I think the mayonnaise is the single biggest factor in deviled eggs, and can’t recommend anything other than homemade.  See here for a recipe for homemade mayonnaise.

After you’ve boiled and peeled your eggs, cut them in half long-ways.  Remove their yolks to a mixing bowl and arrange the whites on a working surface (a large plate, probably).

The quantities of everything are going to vary based on the flavor you want and the number of deviled eggs you need to prepare, as well as on the size of the eggs.  Use an iterative process of adding ingredients until you’ve got a blend that’s pleasing to you.

You’ll want to add some mayonnaise to the yolks and mix until you have a thick paste.  Next, you’ll need an acid.  For regular deviled eggs, I usually use dill pickle or sweet relish brine (or both), but you can use vinegar, or possibly wine or citrus juice.  You’ll also want other seasonings.  I’ll provide some ideas for combinations of seasonings below.

Make sure to add your ingredients in small quantities, and keep all of them out and at hand so you can keep adjusting as you go.  After you’ve got a flavor you like, make sure to make up a deviled egg to test so you get an idea of how it tastes in its complete context.  You may find it needs a little more adjustment.

Once you’ve got your filling finished, put it in a resealable plastic bag, the smallest that will easily accommodate it.  Seal the bag and cut a hole in the corner.  Squeeze the filling through the hole to dispense it into the egg whites.  With everything you’ve added to it, and given that you should have used the yolks from more eggs than you need (since you made extras for testing and to account for those that wouldn’t cut or peel well…  right?), you should have enough filling to put a yolk-sized dollop in each half-yolk-sized hole.

If prepared ahead of time, the filling will have a tendency to dry out and get an unattractive skin on it.  If you have to prepare them ahead of time, it’s best to store the filling in the bag until just before serving, when you can fill them.  If you absolutely have to fill them in advance, make sure to store them in an air-tight container that will hold moisture in.  You might even want to put a damp paper towel in the container with them to keep them humid.

Combinations

I’ve only got two fillings so far, but if I come up with any others, I’ll make sure to post them.

Standard

This is my go-to mix.  I use the following and just continually adjust until they taste right, topping each with a pinch of paprika.

• Homemade Mayonnaise
• Dill Pickle and Sweet Relish (both homemade) brine
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Powdered Cayenne Pepper (sparing)
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Parsley

Asian

This is a more recent development.  This asian-inspired blend went over very well.  We will be making it again.  Optionally, you can make marbled eggs for an amazing presentation.  Some of the liquid from marbling the eggs was added, which is the tea, soy sauce, and sugar below.  You could add any of these without having to marble the eggs.

• Homemade Mayonnaise
• Rice Vinegar
• Sesame Oil (sparing)
• Strong, Smokey Black Tea
• Soy Sauce
• Sugar (sparing)
• Salt (sparing)
• Paprika (sparing)
• Black Pepper
• Turmeric
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Parsley
• Cayenne Pepper Powder

Garnish with dried basil flakes or fresh basil leaves, along with a course salt.  If you want to garnish with salt, make sure you make the filling a little less salty than it should be (this is where having more of the whites to test with is a good idea).

Fresh eggs are much harder to peel when hard-boiled than older eggs are.  You may not ever have a problem peeling grocery store eggs, but if you’ve got really fresh eggs to work with, you’ll undoubtedly need to adjust your technique.

Begin heating a pot of water.  You should use more water than you may be used to, since a larger volume of water will maintain its temperature better when the eggs are added.

While the water is heating up, wash the eggs if necessary, and begin preparing your workspace.  You’ll need a large bowl with ice water for chilling the eggs after they come out of the pot.

Once your water has reached a rolling boil, gently add the eggs.  Set a timer for 12 minutes.  Return to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer.  When the timer is up, remove the eggs directly into the ice water and allow to cool until they are comfortable to handle, at least 5 minutes.

Shocking the eggs with the cold water helps the shells to separate from the whites, similar to blanching a tomato or peach to peel it.

If done according to these directions, you should have no trouble peeling your eggs, no matter how fresh they are.  Good luck!

Homemade mayonnaise is much smoother, creamier, and fresher tasting than the congealed mystery substance that comes from the store.  It is also made with much more natural ingredients than most people imagine.

When mayo was originally created, it was used as a sauce, which is confusing if you’re thinking about store-bought, but makes sense when you taste homemade.

Here is my basic recipe:

• One egg
• 2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 2 cups liquid oil, any kind

Mix the egg, salt, sugar, pepper, and acid (lemon juice or vinegar) in a bowl with a whisk.  Once thoroughly mixed, SLOWLY drizzle the oil in while whisking vigorously.  If you pour too fast, it won’t emulsify properly and you’ll ruin your batch.  The consistency of your finished mayonnaise will depend a bit on the type of oil you used, which acid you used, and how large your egg was.

The acid provides flavor, but also chemically cooks the proteins in the egg while also lowering the ph of the mayonnaise to a level that kills or prevents the multiplication of bacteria (such as e-coli or salmonella), thus making it safer to eat.

For the egg, select a clean, medium to large egg that has been consistently refrigerated and which is as fresh as possible.  The egg yolk, along with the mustard powder act as emulsifiers, binding the water in the acid and the egg white with the oil.  This is what provides the consistency of the mayo.

Select an oil that is a liquid at room temperature (not coconut oil, for instance).  Canola oil and vegetable oil (usually soy) make a good mayonnaise with a neutral flavor.  Grape seed oil gives a slightly different flavor and adds numerous health benefits.  Olive oil produces a very strongly flavored mayonnaise.  Feel free to experiment with different oils and even mix oils.  You might try safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, or a splash of sesame oil in with another more neutral flavored one.

You can also try adding small amounts of other things as well.  We’ve had good luck adding minced garlic or minced chipotle chiles.  You can try various herbs and spices, but don’t add much of any wet ingredients or anything that will change the ph of the mayonnaise.  If you’re not sure about it, don’t add it before storing the mayonnaise, instead add it to a portion just before serving or using it.

This mayonnaise should store well for two weeks or so in a closed container in the refrigerator.  Use everywhere you would use store-bought mayonnaise, and also as a sauce for vegetables, or as a base for a simple dip.  This mayonnaise is also the key for wicked deviled eggs.

Keep in mind that this product does contain raw egg.  Please do your own research and make your own decisions about its food safety.  Also see this post about salmonella prevention and management in eggs.

Preventing Salmonella Contamination

Only chickens that are infected with salmonella can lay eggs containing salmonella, though it is possibly for eggs to be permeated and infected after the fact in their environment (such as by the feces of other chickens, etc.).  Eggs produced by well-kept backyard flocks should tend to be safer than those produced by factory farms.  Many of the problems that tend to cause the large-scale factory farm egg producers to have problems with salmonella can be easily managed or prevented in a home flock. Here are some of those concerns and how they relate to factory farms operations and backyard flocks.

For more information about backyard egg production safety, here is an article about safe egg handling from the Washington State Department of Health.

Managing Salmonella Risk

Of course, no matter how careful you are, there’s really no convenient way to be positive an egg doesn’t have salmonella.  So, what happens if an egg is contaminated?  Well, usually nothing.

A healthy human immune system can fight off some salmonella on its own.  Most illness from salmonella occurs from high levels of exposure, or among young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised (including those with auto-immune disorders, or those already fighting another illness or infection).

A properly prepared egg, one that is cooked thoroughly or otherwise prepared in a manner recognized as safe, should prove no risk, even if very contaminated.  To reduce your risk of salmonella poisoning always cook your eggs thoroughly (no runny yolks), or carefully follow an approved recipe that is known to be safe.

If you simply must have your eggs over-easy or need an egg in your protein shake, make sure to buy the highest quality eggs you can, or produce them yourself with a backyard flock.  Make sure the eggs have been refrigerated consistently, since any present salmonella bacteria will multiply within the egg at a much slower rate than if left out.  If the eggs are from your backyard flock, make sure to only use the freshest, cleanest eggs for these uses.

Disclaimer

We are not qualified to give nutrition or medical advice of this nature, please do not consider this as such.  This information is intended only for informational purposes.  Please research this information for yourself and form your own conclusions.