is bactericidal These treatments were rendered obsolete by the advent of refrigeration and year-round egg production Still vital 500 years after their first known description are Chinese preservation methods that maintain the nutritional value of the egg but drastically change its flavor, consistency, and appearance The closest Western counterpart to this ovo-alchemy is cheesemaking, which transforms milk into an entirely different food Ordinary vinegarpickled eggs offer only a hint of the possibilities; they are to Chinese preserved eggs as yogurt is to Stilton Pickled Eggs Common pickled eggs are made by first boiling the eggs and then immersing them in a solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and often a coloring like beet juice, for 1 to 3 weeks Over that time the vinegar’s acetic acid dissolves much of the shell’s calcium carbonate, penetrates the eggs, and lowers their pH sufficiently to prevent the growth of spoilage microbes (The vinegar in Easter-egg dyes etches the shell surface and helps the dye penetrate.) Pickled eggs will keep for a year or more without refrigeration Pickled eggs can be eaten shell — or its remains — and all In addition to being tart, they are firmer than freshly boiled eggs; the white is sometimes described as rubbery A more tender consistency can be obtained by including ample salt in the pickling liquid and having the liquid at the boil when the eggs are immersed Though the eggs won’t spoil at room temperature, they will suffer less from swollen yolks and split whites (which result when the egg absorbs the pickling liquid too rapidly) if stored in the cold Chinese Preserved Eggs ...much of the shell’s calcium carbonate, penetrates the eggs, and lowers their pH sufficiently to prevent the growth of spoilage microbes (The vinegar in Easter-egg dyes etches the shell surface and helps the dye... Though the eggs won’t spoil at room temperature, they will suffer less from swollen yolks and split whites (which result when the egg absorbs the pickling liquid too rapidly) if stored in the cold... they are firmer than freshly boiled eggs; the white is sometimes described as rubbery A more tender consistency can be obtained by including ample salt in the pickling liquid and having the liquid at the boil when the eggs are