Bad salty eggs

[hzrt8w]

I am really disappointed at the salty eggs sold in the local Asian grocery markets. Even 99 Ranch, the salty eggs they sell are bad. I haven't had any good experience in the past few years.

For example, I just bought 3 packages of salty eggs from one of these markets a week ago (6 eggs in each package) to make joong. 18 eggs in all. After I opened each egg, there were less than 50% of them containing a good yolk. Only about 20% of them have perfect yolks - big, round, bright orange, perfectly formed. The rest? Either deformed (half an egg yolk good, half "dissolved"), or the yolk was entirely "dissolved" in the egg white. "Dissolved" mean you can no longer distinguish between the yolk and the white. 1 turned out to be stinky!

Just how hard is it to make salty eggs? This is not rocket science. Is it really that difficult to make good salty eggs? These eggs had all gone through the same process and preserved for the same period of time. Why were the results so different from one egg to another? What makes a salty egg go bad? Is it the source duck egg? Is it the timing that is crucial (remove them from brine)? How can a package of 6 salty eggs have 2 good ones, 1 so-so one and 3 bad ones?

I am tired of this non-sense. I need to learn how to make my own.

Edited June 2, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[aprilmei]

Do you "shake" the eggs? My grandmother used to do that to test them. Problem is, I can't remember if there's supposed to a lot of movement inside the shell, or if they're not supposed to move a lot.

[Seitch]

I am really disappointed at the salty eggs sold in the local Asian grocery markets.  Even 99 Ranch, the salty eggs they sell are bad.  I haven't had any good experience in the past few years.

For example, I just bought 3 packages of salty eggs from one of these markets a week ago (6 eggs in each package) to make joong.  18 eggs in all.  After I opened each egg, there were less than 50% of them containing a good yolk.  Only about 20% of them have perfect yolks - big, round, bright orange, perfectly formed.  The rest?  Either deformed (half an egg yolk good, half "dissolved"), or the yolk was entirely "dissolved" in the egg white.  "Dissolved" mean you can no longer distinguish between the yolk and the white.  1 turned out to be stinky!

Just how hard it is to make salty eggs?  This is not rocket science.  Is it really that difficult to make good salty eggs?  These eggs had all gone through the same process and preserved for the same period of time.  Why were the results so different from one egg to another?  What makes a salty egg go bad?  Is it the source duck egg?  Is it the timing that is crucial (remove them from brine)?  How can a package of 6 salty eggs have 2 good ones, 1 so-so one and 3 bad ones?

I am tired of this non-sense.  I need to learn how to make my own.

←

It's not hard at all to make salted eggs. Basically you just use a large non reactive container such as a 10 gallon plastic tub and fill with a couple of eggs, add plenter of water and dissolve table salt till the eggs float, then add 4-5 dozen eggs or so, add a plate to weight down the eggs while leaving a couple inches of water over the plate. Wait for 3-4 weeks and crack open an egg to check if it's ready. If the yolk is not hard enough then wait a few more days and check again till they're ready. Some people add tea leaves in the belief that'll help achieve darker colored egg yolks but I don't believe it makes a difference.

[hzrt8w]

Do you "shake" the eggs? My grandmother used to do that to test them. Problem is, I can't remember if there's supposed to a lot of movement inside the shell, or if they're not supposed to move a lot.

←

April: these salty eggs are sold in packages and cannot be picked individually. The eggs were all sealed in small plastic bags then inside a styrofoam case, then shrink-wrapped. It's a leap of faith in buying each package (of 6).

I think if you feel a solid movement inside an egg that is a good sign because the yolk is solid and is bouncing around. If the yolk bursts (I said "dissolved"), then you would not feel the solid yolk bouncing around.

[hzrt8w]

It's not hard at all to make salted eggs.

←

Thanks Seitch. I will just follow your instructions and experiment with some. I don't use salty eggs too often. But I really had it with these markets/manufacturers carrying bad products.

Once I take the eggs out of the brine, how long do you think I can keep the salty eggs? A few months? Possible? Any longer? Or they have to be consumed right away or else they turn bad?

[aprilmei]

My mother's made salted eggs. She did basically what Seitch said, but when the eggs sink to the bottom, they should be ready. Osmosis (I knew that word would come in handy some day) - the salted water goes through the pores of the eggs and makes them heavier.

[sheetz]

I made salted chicken eggs for joong and they turned out fine. I made them as described above and they were ready in 3 weeks. The only things is that chicken egg yolks aren't the bright orange color of duck yolks, so if possible see if you can get duck yolks.

[Seitch]

It's not hard at all to make salted eggs.

←

Thanks Seitch. I will just follow your instructions and experiment with some. I don't use salty eggs too often. But I really had it with these markets/manufacturers carrying bad products.

Once I take the eggs out of the brine, how long do you think I can keep the salty eggs? A few months? Possible? Any longer? Or they have to be consumed right away or else they turn bad?

←

You're welcome! Put them in the refrigerator and they'll last for months. The salt is a great preservative.

Just be glad that the eggs in the market were just bad and not artificially concocted versions that are supposedly sold by unscrupulous individuals in China.

[Dejah]

Po-PO used to brine eggs all the time, before they were accessible on the prairies. Duck eggs were not easy to find, but we were able to find double yolk chicken eggs quite often from local farmers. These were great as the yolks were the favourite part, especially for joong.

The Asian markets in Winnipeg carry vacuum sealed packets of salted duck egg yolks. My s-i-l bought them last year. Handy but they spoil quickly once the packet is opened. She had some left over and gave them to me. I used them next day to make joong, and I thought they were a bit smelly. Used the few I had but kept the batch separate. I couldn't eat the joong, but found out my sister loves them that way!

[jo-mel]

  How can a package of 6 salty eggs have 2 good ones, 1 so-so one and 3 bad ones?

←

The mama duck only loved 2 of her ducklings! One she just tolerated, and the others she ignored!

What a waste! Could you have brought the bad ones back to the store to make them more alert as to what they are selling?

[trillium]

If you do decide to make your own salted eggs (and you should, it's easy and they last almost forever in the fridge) put a couple of teaspoons of oolong in the brine. The tea helps the yolks stay firm and oily (or so I've been told).

regards,

trillium

[annachan]

For people in San Francisco, maybe even the Bay Area, check your local farmer's market if you're looking for duck ggs. I've been able to get them for the Alemany farmer's market in the past. But you have to go to the market early as they sell out quick. I got some for my mom to make salted eggs before and they turn out ok.

[yimay]

my mom used to make salty eggs and they'd end up being stinky eggs. my parents ate them anyways. they loved em. i think there is an aquired taste for both. next time try eating it!

[Seitch]

my mom used to make salty eggs and they'd end up being stinky eggs. my parents ate them anyways. they loved em. i think there is an aquired taste for both. next time try eating it!

←

Hmmm...maybe not enough salt was used. The salted eggs made at home should not be stinky at all.

[Dejah]

my mom used to make salty eggs and they'd end up being stinky eggs. my parents ate them anyways. they loved em. i think there is an aquired taste for both. next time try eating it!

←

Hmmm...maybe not enough salt was used. The salted eggs made at home should not be stinky at all.

←

If the egg yolks are firm, then there was enough salt. The only reason the eggs would be stinky would be if the egg was already spoiled prior to brining.

I tried eating joong with stinky egg. Couldn't do it. Now I wonder if I'll ever be able to eat stinky tofu again after 48 years!

[liuzhou]

Do you "shake" the eggs? My grandmother used to do that to test them.

I think that is for fresh eggs, not preserved/salty eggs. Certainly everytime I go to the local market here in SW China, everyone's grandmother shakes eggs near their ear to test for freshness. No movement is best.

[takadi]

Does anyone know how to make their egg yolks nice and oily? I use the brine method, but it doesn't seem to work, perhaps because the water can't saturate itself with too much salt without making the eggs float, thus not making it completely submerged.

Does everyone here use other methods?

[chappie]

So a "salty egg" is uncooked and preserved in salt? Can someone describe the texture, taste of one? How else are they consumed? I'm interested.

[takadi]

I usually eat mine with plain congee/rice porridge, but I'm pretty sure it's used in a ton of other stuff. It's also used in mooncakes and some take the yolks and stirfry it with squid. The whites are extremely salty and sharp depending on how long you allow it to cure, but the yolks, when cooked, are firm, sort of gritty, and tastes kind of like a nice cheese. It's not very salty either. When raw, they are a bright vivid orange color and are basically solid due to all the moisture being drawn out from the salty whites.

Oily yolks are prized in salted duck eggs, but I can't seem to get mine that way

Edited March 30, 2008 by takadi (log)

[Dejah]

I think duck eggs are the kind with "oily yolks".

For supper last night, I whipped some lean ground pork with seasoning, a little oil, cornstarch and water until it is a little soupy. Then I whipped in 4 fresh eggs followed by 2 salted eggs. I cut the salty yolk into 4 pieces so they were distributed throughout the mixture. This was poured into a shallow dish and steamed for 30 minutes. It was light and fluffy, the best I've ever made.

Often, I will cook the eggs in the shell on top of the rice as it cooks. Throw in a couple of lapcheung, stir fry some choi, and supper is ready.

Of course, there's always the gow gai tang (wolfberry leaves soup) with the addition of a salted egg at the end for gow gai dan fa tong.

[chappie]

So you preserve them in salt, and then cook them? I'm confused.

[Prawncrackers]

It's not so confusing really. You brine fresh duck eggs in a saturated salt solution for a couple of weeks. As they are still raw after the brining you have to then cook them before consuming.

I like them boiled for ten minutes so the yolk is just set and have it as an accompaniment with rice as part of a meal. Cut in half you have that golden oily yolk that is almost chewy and the salty whites are very appetising mixed in with your plain boiled rice.

Edited March 31, 2008 by Prawncrackers (log)

[origamicrane]

what a conincidence i just made my first batch of salted duck eggs this week.

recipe was 300g of sea salt in 1 Litre of water then 6 clarence court duck eggs and a tetley tea bag in a tight lid tuperware for 3 weeks at room temperature.

(mum says if you don't add a tea bag the yolk will be pale yellow rather then golden yellow)

I tested 1 egg at 3 weeks and then another at four weeks and my preference is on the 3 weeks one as the 4 week egg white was overly salty.

I pin pricked the egg shells before boiling

boiled for 15 minutes and the whites are still runny but the yolk it perfect.

I finished this one in the steamer.

boiled 25 minutes and its hard boiled all the way through

next batch I am dropping the salt to 250g, keeping the brining time to 20 days and boiling for 20 minutes.

[Dejah]

You young'uns are great! Ask a question and you answer with an experiment: salty eggs, char siu, siu gnap...

[takadi]

Origamicrane, those are some awesome eggs! I remember having one egg in the past and upon opening it, a red oil came seeping out. I was a little freaked out at first but upon tasting it, it was delicious.

I've been soaking my eggs in a supersaturated brine solution (meaning I put as much salt as I can in the brine until it can no longer dissolve), and I have another batch where I dipped the eggs in shaoxing wine and rolled them over in salt. We'll see how it turns out, but I'm wondering what lowering the salt solution in the brine will do to the end product. Will brining it in a lower salt solution for a longer time as opposed to brining it in a higher concentration for a shorter time give better results? I'll have to test this next time

Btw, did you boil your eggs at a simmer, a soft boil, or a rolling boil?

Edited April 2, 2008 by takadi (log)