Makes 12 eggs

12 duck eggs or chicken eggs



5 cups (1.25 L) water



1 cup (250 ml) sea salt or rock salt

Optional Seasonings


1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 ml) Shaoxing wine



4 star anise


1 Tbsp (15 ml) Szechuan peppercorns

Steps to make salted Eggs

1Wash and dry the eggs. Rinse the eggs under cool, running
water while using your fingers to gently scrub away any dirt or
debris. Dry the eggs with clean paper towels.
 While cleaning the eggs, inspect the shells for cracks. Discard
any cracked eggs and keep the whole eggs.
 Duck eggs are preferred over chicken eggs for this recipe, but
either will work. Duck eggs have tougher shells, and the yolks
are both larger and oilier than those of chicken eggs. All of these
traits can improve the taste and texture of the salted eggs.
 2 Sterilize the container. Bring extra water to a boil inside a
kettle, and then pour the water into the container you plan to use
for the salted eggs.
 Glass or ceramic containers work best, and the container should
also have a lid. You can also use multiple containers; for
instance, you could use two or three 1-pint (500-ml) glass
canning jars.
 If the container will crack under intense heat, do not sterilize it
with boiling water. Clean it with warm water and soap instead,
rinsing well to remove any residue.

3 Place the eggs in the jar. Carefully stack the clean eggs in
the clean jar. Be gentle to avoid cracking the shells.
 Try to leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of empty head space in
between the eggs and the top of the jar. You can have more
empty space than that, but if there's less empty space, the brine
may not cover the eggs adequately well once you add it.

Making the Brine

1 Boil the water. Pour 5 cups (1.25 L) of water into a medium
saucepan. Set it on the stove over medium heat and bring the
water to a full boil.

2 Dissolve the salt. Gradually add the salt to the boiling water,
stirring after each addition. Dissolve the full amount of salt in the
water before continuing.
 The goal is to fully saturate the water with salt. In other words,
the water should become so salty that additional salt will no
longer dissolve.
 If you are unable to dissolve some of the salt after adding it,
do not add any more, even if you haven't used the full amount
yet.

3 Add the optional spices. If you wish to add spices to the

brine, do so now. Star anise and Szechuan peppercorns are the
most traditional.
 Adding spices to the brine can give the salted eggs a richer
taste.
 You could add other spices alongside the star anise and
peppercorns, too. Red chili peppers, garlic, ginger, cinnamon
sticks, and whole black cardamoms are among some of the most
popular choices.
 If you don't have any of these spices, you could also use 1 to 2
Tbsp (15 to 30 ml) of your favorite tea leaves. The egg shells will
deepen in color if you take this option.

4 Cool the brine. Remove the brine from the heat and allow it
to cool to room temperature.
 Do not pour hot brine over the raw eggs. Doing so could cause
the egg shells to crack.

5 Add the optional wine. If you wish to add the Shaoxing wine,
do so now. Stir well to fully distribute the wine throughout the
brine.
 Adding the wine to the brine will enhance the taste while
changing the yolk to an orange-red color. It should also mask the
odor of the eggs while restricting the growth of bacteria. This
step isn't strictly necessary, though.
 Salting the Eggs
1 Pour the brine over the eggs. Pour the cooled brine solution
over the eggs in the jar. The brine must cover the eggs
completely.
 If the brine does not cover the eggs, top off the containers with
additional room temperature water.
 Leave at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.6 to 1.25 cm) of empty head
space in between the surface of the brine and the top edge of
the jar.

2 Weigh down the eggs. Some of the eggs may float the top of
the brine as the eggs sit. To keep the eggs submerged
throughout the entire process, place a sealed plastic bag filled
with additional water on top of the eggs.
 Some people prefer to use a small plate to weigh down the eggs,
which may also work well. If you choose that option, pick a
relatively light plate to avoid crushing the eggs on accident.
 If the lid of the container sits relatively deep, it alone might be
enough to keep the eggs submerged, especially if the eggs and
brine nearly fill the container to the top
3Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Cover the container with its
lid and let the eggs sit at room temperature for about 15
minutes.[4]
 During this time, the brine should begin permeating the shells of
the eggs. It will be easier for this process to start while the eggs
are still at room temperature.

4 Store the jar for 30 days. Place the jar in a cool location and
keep it there for about one month.
 A refrigerator, cellar, or cool garage would work well.
 Some recipes recommend cool storage, but others recommend
room temperature storage. Cool storage can help preserve the
eggs for a longer period, but either method could work.
 After 28-30 days its ready