Eggs

   
    I love our eggs this year, they are so pretty. Our hens are producing so well, it makes me feel rich (note: it doesn't take much to make me feel rich.). My flock has increased to a satisfactory number at last. Where we were getting two to seven eggs a day now we get at least 17 a day. About time too, Bryon was talking about them not earning their keep, he was convinced that the chickens were freeloading and contemplated hauling them off to the auction. They must have heard him, I was surprised how well that they have been doing, especially with the long winter that we had. Good news for us since eggs are an important part of our diet. It doesn't take much time for a family of eight to go through a dozen eggs.

   Biddy, our setting hen, managed to hatch 3 of her eggs through our freezing spring. That is a bit disappointing but she will get another brood together, maybe even two more this season.
  

      My cousin Molly doesn't know this but last year I just about re'tched down, all the way to Floridy and wrung her neck, for runnin' off with all o' Granny's pickled eggs! I think now that I can forgive her. With all the eggs piling up, and it was raining out side, what else was I  to do. I called Granny to get her pickled egg recipe and satisfy myself. One hour and 15 minutes later I did get off the phone, without the recipe. Three phone calls later I finally got the recipe down. It took longer to get the recipe than to put the stuff together.
 

                        For this attempt I used:
4 dozen boiled peeled eggs       2 cups natural sugar
2 tsp. cloves                            2 1/2 cups water
2 TBS cinnamon                     2 cups strong vinegar ( apple cider vinegar)
2 TBS salt
        Bring to a boil and simmer a minute or two. This covered  4  quarts of eggs.

  Here is an fresh egg peeling tip a friend let me know about: Take the eggs before they are boiled and tap the end on the table a crack. Boil 5 minutes and let set in the hot water until you are ready to use them ( or cook them 7 min. and run under cold water). The shell comes off very nicely this way without waste.
                                        

     Pack eggs in clean sterilized quart jars. Pour syrup over then and screw on  sealers. Pressure can for 5 minutes under 10 lbs pressure.  Don't open for least 2 weeks for the best flavor. My kids run when I open these, but I love them, so does Molly, the others are just plain missing out.