Salted duck egg is a very famous Chinese traditional food across the entire country. My grandma used to usually make this duck eggs with preserved eggs together. It has been a long family tradition and memory.
In summer days, eggs can’t keep for a long time and thus we developed several ways to keep them longer. If you visit Cantonese restaurants and order a congee, pickled vegetable, fresh lettuce and pickled duck egg are always the matches.
Salted egg is with a long history
Salted duck egg is widely used in lots of traditional Chinese holiday food like moon cakes for Mid autumn day and Zongzi for Dragon Boat Festival. It can bring a super unique texture and flavor in filling. There are around several ways to make salted duck egg, the method I introduce today is dry method using wine and salt only. Some of the traditional ways are not feasible since we cannot find the tools and materials needed like yellow sands or red soil. But there is another way popular among housewives—pickled duck eggs.
It is all about balance
When the salted eggs are well pickled, the white remains still liquid but the yolk in center turns solid. The sodium and chloride ions separate the proteins from each other, which further presents as agglomerated proteins. That’s the oil sandy texture. The fat really around 8% comes out along with the agglomerating process. So as long as the pickling time is enough, you get oily yolks.
The actual time needed is very much depending on how salty you want the eggs to be and on the room temperature. A perfect well salted duck egg has an oily egg yolk and acceptable saltiness in egg white. But in most cases, we need to find a balance.
In warm days, we need to start testing for around 3 weeks (in shadow places). Start testing the saltiness of the egg after 3 weeks fermentation. Just boil one and cut in halves for testing. Wash the eggs carefully when they are appropriately salted. and place them in the refrigerator. However in winter days, one or two more weeks might be needed.
Steps
Carefully wash the eggs until clean. Then place under sunshine for 6 hours (depending on the room temperature). In summer days, shorten the time to 1 hour in soft morning sunshine. This process helps to open the pores and fasten the process.
Then soak the eggs with lard liquid or you can use a small amount of the liquid and soak them in batches.
In the mean time, add salt and water in a completely clean pot, heat until boiling. Turn off the fire and wait until cool down.
Wait for 25 to 45 days, also depending on the room temperature.
When the egg is well pickled, hard boil them before serving.
Salted Duck Egg
Ingredients
- 10 fresh duck eggs
- 500 ml hard liquor , or 100ml to soak in batches
- 500 ml water
- 175g salt
Instructions
- Carefully wash the eggs until clean. Then place under sunshine for 6 hours (depending on the room temperature) in winter. In summer days, shorten the time to 1 hour, morning sun please. Or at least 4 hours in other seasons.
- Then soak the eggs with lard liquid or you can use a small amount of the liquid and soak them in batches.
- In the mean time, add salt and water in a completely clean pot, heat until boiling. Turn off the fire and wait until cool down.
- Wait for 25 to 45 days, also depending on the room temperature.
- When the egg is well pickled, hard boil them before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Never in a million years would I have thought to make this myself. My brother loves curing and salting things himself, he is going to love this recipe! Thank you for sharing – sending it to him now!
Haha Nagi,
We seldom buy from store. From generations, we made salted duck egg and persevered egg at home. It is really easy and much fresher than store bough version. You should try it yourself.
Do you have to use duck eggs? What about chicken eggs found at a grocery store?
Duck eggs are perfect for salted eggs. However you can use chicken eggs too. Make sure your eggs are fresh and you need to shorten the time slightly since chicken eggs are smaller than duck eggs, usually.
Hello,
May I know what is the purpose of the hard liquor? Is it for sterilization? Can I skip that process?
Hi Nadia,
Hard liquor is used to speed up the process and make the lecithin separated from the protein, thus making a perfect salted egg yolk. It can help the permeation of salt by destroying oil layer near the egg shells.
It should be ok to skip the process but not recommended.
Hi just came across website looking for good places to eat in Changdu.
Three questions:
1. How long do your salted duck eggs last before the go bad, a so called shelf life?
2. In your Ma-Po Dofu recipe, you did not use any dried red chillis, if one does, how best way to use?
3. Do you have any recommendations for really good restaurants in Changdu?
Really like your blog!!! Keep up the great work.
A new fan.
Saki
Hi Saki,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving me such a nice comment. For your questions
1. I would not recommend keeping the homemade salted duck egg for more than one month because there is no antiseptic substance used in the recipe. Otherwise, you need to boil them and keep in vacuum package.
2. If you love spicy taste very much, you can add extra dried red chili in mapo tofu, just fry them before adding doubanjiang. Or you can use some chili powders at the very last step along with fresh Sichuan peppercorn powder.
3. I am quite sorry for this question, because I am living in Guangdong province and I have not been to Chengdu for quite a long time.
Wish you happy eating and enjoy your time in Chengdu. It is really a great place.
Hi Elaine,First of all thank u so much for sharing ur recipe on how to make ur own salted eggs.I ddnt knw that d process of making it is super easy!However cld u kindly give a suggestion on what kind or brand of hard liquor I cld use?Thanks!
Hi Kune,
It is ok to use any brand of hard liquor, just make sure the alcohol content is around or higher than 50%. I am using Chinese 二锅头.
Thank you for the recipe! Will try this week! I love congee and friends recommended I try it with salted eggs.
Hi Gonzalez,
Go ahead and I am looking forward to your good news. Salted egg really matches perfectly with summer.
Hello Elaine, I have only used preserved duck eggs in a salt water solution. This method seems about 2x faster! Have you preserved duck eggs in salt water, and if so, Is there a difference in taste or texture?
Thank you!!
Sorry for the followup comment — I meant to say that I have preserved duck eggs in salt water solution before, but never just packed them in salt. Thank you so much!!
Also, I plan to use these eggs for making “hom dan” the steamed ground pork dish with ginger, topped with duck eggs. My Shanghainese mother made this when I was growing up, and I’m now making it for my Children it’s the ultimate comfort food!!!
Hi Lin,
I used pickled method to make preserved duck egg (I believe that’s the way you are referring to). I do not think there is obvious texture or taste difference. This salt wrapped method is faster but we need to be very careful about the time to washing off the salt, otherwise the duck might be over-salted. You can use either way of course.
By the way, I love steamed pork with salted duck eggs. It has been my best memories too.
Hi Elaine, thank-you so much for this recipe and your wonderful blog. It’s so nice to be able to find traditional Chinese recipes that Ive eaten as a child and cook them myself in a small regional town in Australia. I have a question about the amount of time to ferment the duck eggs. I noticed you said it takes about 3 weeks in summer and only 1-2 weeks in winter. I would have thought the fermentation process would be faster in summer and slower in winter. Is there a reason why this takes longer in summer? Many thanks!
Hi Tara,
You are right. Fermentation goes faster in summer than winter. It is a typo. I mean one or two more weeks required in winter days.
Ah ok, thanks for clarifying!
Hi Elaine:
I bought fresh duck eggs two weeks ago. They were kept in the fridge. Is it ok to use them or they need to be super fresh?
Please let me know because I want to try making these tomorrow.
Thank you.
Renuka
Hi Renuka,
Two week duck eggs are good for this recipe. But you need to figure out whether they are fresh at the store. Fresher eggs are better of course. You can break one and see whether they are still fresh.