In this tutorial, I’m sharing how to make Chinese salted eggs using a 30-day brine solution, 10-day brine solution, and curing the egg yolks directly with salt.
Recipes using salted egg yolks are getting more and more popular in recent years. They are no longer used just for making mooncakes, but you’ll see them in desserts, cakes, and cooking a lot more now. It’s not easy for me to find uncooked duck eggs here, so I have to use chicken eggs instead.
WHICH METHOD TO USE
So, I’m sharing 3 different ways that I have tried to get salted egg yolks. Depending on what you are using them for, here are just my suggestion:
1. Salted eggs 30-day brine method
This method is the “traditional” way of making salted eggs if I can say that. The whole eggs are submerged in a brine solution for 30 days. Sometime it may take a bit longer too. In the end, you will get firm round egg yolks. The salted eggs made with this method is suitable for anything you want to use them for, baking or cooking
2. Salted eggs 10-day brine method
This is the “short-cut” version of the 30-day version. But it’s not like what you think, just soaking the eggs in the brine for 10 days instead of 30 days. We have to soak the eggs in the vinegar prior to soaking them in the brine solution. More explanation on that later down the post. The result is firm round egg yolks. The salted eggs made with this method is also suitable for anything you want to use them for, baking or cooking
3. Salt-cured egg yolks
The egg whites and yolks are separated. You can use the whites for other use (which is great!). We are just using the yolks and curing them directly by covering them with salt. The salted eggs produced with this method will be flat and not round. The salted yolks are not suitable to use in mooncakes or any pastries that you want to show the round shape of the salted yolks. You can use them for grating over pasta, noodles, and in cooking or desserts where you won’t see the shape of the yolks
HOMEMADE SALTED EGGS: BRINING METHOD FOR 30 DAYS
If your purpose of making salted eggs is to make mooncakes, then you will need to follow either the 10-day or 30-day brining method
1. MAKE THE BRINE SOLUTION
Place the salt and water in a large pot and bring to a boil and cook until the salt dissolves. Let it cool down completely.
2. BRINE THE EGGS
Check each egg to make sure there are no cracks (Cracked one will get rotten inside the brine). Very gingerly place each egg in a glass jar big enough for the amount of eggs you want to brine. When the brine solution has cooled down, gently pour it into the jar. If there are salt crystals, scoop those into the jar too. Add spices if you want ot use. The eggs will float.
I crumpled up a parchment paper and put it on top to gently push the eggs down so they are all submerged in the brine solution.
3. BRINE FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS
Cover the lid and let them sit in the brine for the next 30 days. 30 days usually works well for chicken eggs. For duck eggs, if you can go for 6-8 weeks, they turn out even better and the yolks are “oiler”. Label it on the jar and mark your calendar or set a reminder
4. AFTER 30 DAYS
At the end of 30 days, take one egg out and you can boil it and give it a try to see if it’s salty enough. Usually the white part is very salty, but the yolk isn’t. If you are happy with the result, carefully drain off some of the brine and take each egg out and place them in the fridge and use them as you need
About 30 days of brining, you will surely look forward to that hardened yolk that has deepened in color too.
HOMEMADE SALTED EGGS: VINEGAR SOAK AND BRINING METHOD FOR 10 DAYS
The only two differences between this method and the 30-day brining method are the addition of vinegar soak and a shorter period of brining.
1. VINEGAR SOAK
The purpose of soaking the whole eggs in vinegar solution is to “thin” the egg shells, making the brine solution easier to penetrate and curing the eggs since we only have 10 days to do it. The science behind it is that egg shells are mainly made of calcium carbonate, which dissolves in acid (the vinegar) and produces carbon dioxide, which is pretty much just gas. We are not going to completely dissolving the shell, we just want to thin the shell enough to let the brine penetrate faster.
Some whitish or brownish (brown eggs) part may rub off because of the vinegar.
2. MAKE THE BRINE SOLUTION
This step is exactly the same as the 30-day brine method above. So I won’t repeat the step-by-step here.
3. BRINE THE EGGS FOR 10 DAYS
Cover the lid and let them sit in the brine for the next 10 days. Label it on the jar and mark your calendar or set a reminder
4. TEST THE SALTED EGG
At the end of 10 days, take one egg out and you can boil it and give it a try to see if it’s salty enough. The 10-day isn’t as salty as the 30 days, but still salty enough I think, considering it’s only 10 days. Usually the white part is very salty, but the yolk isn’t. If you are happy with the result, carefully drain off some of the brine and take each egg out and place them in the fridge and use them as you need. If it’s not salty enough, cure it for another week or until you are happy with the result
HOMEMADE SALT-CURED EGG YOLKS : QUICK METHOD / DRY METHOD
Another method I had tried, I called the “Quick Method” because it is much quicker and it’s less than 24 hours, also worked out beautifully. The shape of the yolks will not be round. They are going to be more like disc because the egg yolks are actually taken out and cured with salt directly where the brining method uses the whole eggs still intact. These are great for grating over pasta or any dishes you like. They are not suitable for making mooncakes or other pastries. The egg whites can be used for other purposes because they are not cured.
1. SEPARATE YOLKS FROM THE WHITES
Separate the egg yolks from the whites (keep the whites for other use).
Pour about 1-inch of salt in a container
Very gently place the yolks on the salt (as shown in photos). The yolks should be intact. Cover with more salt on top of the egg yolks
Cover and put them in the fridge and cured for at least 4 hours but no more than 12 hours (depending on how salty and firm you want the yolks to be)
3. BRUSH EXCESS SALT OFF
You can use a brush or just your fingers
4. RINSE THE YOLKS WITH WATER SEVERAL TIMES
After few rounds of testing and some input from readers who have tried this salt-cured method, I found that rinsing with water several times actually helps to get rid of the saltiness. You don’t even need to do apple cider vinegar. Rinse the yolk gently in a bowl of water by gently rubbing with your fingers, and then pour the water off and get a fresh bowl of water and rinse again. Do this for about 3-4 times.
4. DRY FOR ANOTHER 2 DAYS IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Lay these yolks down on the cheesecloth and put them back into the refrigerator without any wrapping to let them dry out for 3-4 days
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER CURING FOR 4 HOURS, 8 HOURS, AND 12 HOURS
I tried it for as few as 1 hour and to me that’s definitely not enough to do anything to cure the egg yolk. IMO, you need at least 4 hours or as long as 12 hours. Depending on what you want to use them for, you can go beyond 12 hours too if you want, just know that the longer they are cured in salt directly, the saltier they get and the firmer the texture.
4 hours: The yolk is medium firm, creamy, not too salty
8 hours: The yolk is firm, creamy, and a bit saltier than the 4-hour yolk, but not excessive
12 hours: The yolk is the firmest, but still creamy. It’s the saltiest among the three, but still not excessive IMO
Salt-cured egg yolks. Top (4 hours), Left (8 hours), Right (12 hours)
HOW TO SMOKE SALTED EGG YOLKS
1. Put about 1 cup of tea leaves on top of a medium pan and heat them until they started to smoke. Then I lower the heat and place a heat-proof rack/trivet on top of it
2. Set the egg yolks on top of the rack along with the cheesecloth. Keep them smoking on this low heat for about 30 minutes. The yolks will have that smoky flavor
WHAT TO DO WITH SALTED EGG WHITES?
Most people tell me they just toss these away, but oh no…such a waste. The whites of the salted eggs usually are very salty. So I usually use them in cooking. Here are few ideas:
1. Scrambled eggs
I usually mix some of this salted egg whites with regular eggs to make scrambled eggs and that way I don’t need to add salt anymore and it’s the perfect amount of savory in the scrambled eggs. I use about 1 salted egg whites for 4 regular eggs, but the amount may vary depending on how salty the salted egg white is
2. As a topping on salad or crackers
You can cook the egg whites in the pan or steam them and then chop into tiny pieces and sprinkle on salad or on crackers, just like how you would eat cheese. They are salty, so you only need small amount
3. Make salted egg white fried rice
I’ve done this several times and it’s such a great combination. I scramble the egg whites first and break into tiny pieces (you don’t want to bite into salty big chunks) and then stir fry with the rice
RECIPES THAT USE SALTED EGGS
Sweet and Savory Salted Egg Yolk Chiffon Cake
Salted Egg Yolk Seafood Pasta with Black Truffles
Ube Bibingka Galapong
Golden Crispy Salted Egg Yolk Chicken
Hokkien Bak Chang
Salted Egg Yolk Cookies
Pandan Liu Sha Bao (Salted Egg Yolks Custard Pandan Steamed Buns)
Stir-fried Zucchini with Salted Egg Yolks
Did you make this salted eggs recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
The post has been updated to reflect the faster 10-day brining method and to improve the salt-cured egg yolks result and to update some details on June 1, 2023
Homemade Salted Duck or Chicken Eggs (Brine Solution or Salt-Cured)
Ingredients
For the brine: For both 30-day or 10-day
- 300 g kosher salt or coarse salt. See notes 1
- 1200 g water
- 12 duck/chicken whole eggs
Optional spices:
- 2 star anise
- 2 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
Vinegar solution (for 10-day brining method):
- 300 g white vinegar
- 600 g water
Quick Salt-cured Method:
- 6 duck/chicken egg yolks
- Table salt or any fine-grain salt
- Cheesecloth or coffee filter
- Water to rinse off salt
For smoking the salted egg yolks:
- Wood chips or tea leaves I used tea leaves
Instructions
Prepare the brine:
- Place the salt and water in a large pot and bring to a boil and cook until the salt dissolves. Let it cool down completely. Some salt crystals may form after cooling, not a problem
To brine for 30 days:
- Wash the eggs with clean water and then pat them dry with an absorbent paper towel
- Check each egg to make sure there's no cracks (Cracked one will get rotten inside the brine). Very gingerly place each egg in a glass jar big enough to harbor 10-12 eggs. When the brine solution has cooled down, gently pour it into the jar. If there are salt crystals, scoop those into the jar too. Add the spices if you plan to use. The eggs will float. I crumpled up a parchment paper and put it on top to gently push the eggs down so they are all submerged in the brine solution
- Update: for chicken egg, 30 days are usually sufficient to brine the eggs. If you use duck eggs and you want the yolk to be "oiler", brine it for 6-8 weeks if you have the time, otherwise, 30 days are okay too for duck eggs
- At the end of 30 days, take one egg out and you can boil it and give it a try to see if it's salty enough. Usually the white part is very salty, but the yolk isn't. The yolk will harden and can be held with your fingers. If you are happy with the result, carefully drain off some of the brine and take each egg out and place them in the fridge and use them as you need. I would say keep them for max 1 month in the fridge
To brine for 10 days:
- You need to prepare a vinegar solution to soak the eggs first before you can brine them
- Mix the vinegar and water in a large bowl, enough for 10-12 eggs. Soak the eggs in there, make sure they are completely submerged. If not enough, you can make more of the vinegar and water solution. The ratio we are using here is 2 parts water and 1 part vinegar
- Soak the eggs in vinegar solution for 3-4 hours. There will be lots of bubbles inside the jar. After that, remove from the vinegar solution and rinse them with water and carefully pat each egg dry with clean towel
- Very gingerly place each egg in a glass jar big enough to harbor 10-12 eggs. When the brine solution has cooled down, gently pour it into the jar. The eggs will float. I crumpled up a parchment paper and put it on top to gently push the eggs down so they are all submerged in the brine solution. Let them sit in the brine for the next 10 days. Label it on the jar and mark your calendar or set a reminder
- At the end of 10 days, take one egg out and you can boil it and give it a try to see if it's salty enough. Usually the white part is very salty, but the yolk isn't. The yolk will harden and can be held with your fingers. If it's not salty enough for your tastse, you can brine for another week and see. If you are happy with the result, carefully drain off some of the brine and take each egg out and place them in the fridge and use them as you need. I would say keep them for max 2 weeks
For making mooncakes:
- If you plan to use the salted yolks for mooncake from brining method (either 30-day or 10-day method), you can spray the salted egg yolks with 1 Tbsp of rose cooking wine (or any cooking wine) to remove unpleasant smell from salted egg yolks. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F (180 C) for 10 minutes and let them cool off completely before using
Quick Method (not suitable for mooncakes):
- In a clean small baking sheet or platter (or anything you wish to use), place about 1-inch layer of salt. Separate the egg yolk from the white (keep the whites for other use) and very gently place the yolks on the salt (as shown in photos). The yolks should be intact (I have one that was "broken" and I tried to cure it anyway to see how it went, the result was still good, just not as pretty). Cover with more salt on top of the egg yolks. Wrap with a plastic wrap and place this inside the refrigerator and let them cured for at least 4 hours to no more than 12 hours. The longer you cured them, the firmer the texture and saltier they will be
- Gently dust off most of the salt with your clean hands or use a clean brush. You can see that the yolks have somewhat hardened at this point with some creaminess on the outside. Gently submerge each yolk in a clean bowl of water and gently rub with your fingers. Dump the water out and refill with fresh water and do this again for another 3 more rounds to get rid of excess salt
Drying the cured yolks :
- If you want to grate it like a block of cheese as topping on your pasta, etc, place a clean cheesecloth on a tray. Lay these yolks down on the cheesecloth and put them back into the refrigerator without any wrapping to let them dry out for 3-4 days
- You can also dry them in a dehydrator if you have one at about 280 F (140 C) for about 3 hours. Another way is to use your oven. Use the lowest temperature of your oven (about 170-200 F), then turn off the oven and keep the cured yolks in there for 12 hours or so or until they are dried up
Smoking the salted egg yolks:
- I use tea leaves to smoke the egg yolks. You are welcome to use wood chips to do that.
- I place about 1 cup of tea leaves on top of a medium pan and heat them until they started to smoke. Then I lower the heat and place a heat-proof rack on top of it and set the egg yolks on top of the rack along with the cheesecloth. Keep them smoking on this low heat for about 30 minutes. The yolks will have that smoky flavor
- Remove and store in an air-tight container. Some said these can be stored at room temperature. But I'm a little nervous about storing them at room temperature. I stored them in the refrigerator. Should be good for about a month
How to store (for both methods):
- The cured yolks (not-dried) can be kept in the fridge in a clean container for about 2 weeks. If you dried them, you can keep them in an air-tight container for about 1 month or could be longer
Notes
- You can use table salt too. If you use table salt, reduce the amount to 225g(3/4 cup). Both kosher salt and table salt have an anti-caking agent and table salt collects at the bottom of the jar and makes the brine cloudy but won't affect the result.
47 comments
Hello Marvellina
I can’t wait to try this recipe which so carefully and clearly wrote out. It can be read so well on my iPhone with photos and all! My question is if I only want to make 1/3 of the eggs you mention in the recipe, do I proportionate the salt & water appropriately i.e. 1/3 water and 1/3 salt? Many thanks in advance🙏
Hi Juliana, what a great question you have! Yes, you can reduce them proportionally as well 🙂
When do I add the optional spices? After salt dissolves or after it’s cooled? Thx 😊
It’s after the brine has cooled down.
How long does it take to dissolve the brining salt under boiling water? I tried and it’s taking forever.
Hi Mary, I have just made this again few months ago and just updated the recipe to include both metric and cup measurements. The previous salt to water ratio was a bit too concentrated and the salt takes longer to dissolve. The salt may crystalize after it has cooled down though, but not an issue
Thank you for your tip on the 10 days soak method to salt eggs. I am also into salted egg making but i use Itik eggs. I have a question about the type of salt to use. If there is not rock salt available is it ok to use iodized rock salt?
Hi Leticia, yes you can. The salt will collect at the bottom of the container after sometimes, but it should work too.
hello I would like to ask if I can leave the eggs for more than 30 days. I was thinking of using this method to keep my eggs fresh or edible after a long period of time. And is it ok or safe to eat when using the 30days method but take it out before the 30 days?
Hi Joy, yes, you can leave it longer for 30 days. Sometime it may take about 40 days or longer to cure the eggs too. If you want to take it out before 30 days, that’s fine too, but it just won’t be as salty or cured properly, cut should be still edible after cooked.
Just wondering if the container needs to be sterile and airtight?
Hi Vanessa, I washed the container clean, but didn’t sterilize it. I did screw the lid on tight.
Thank you for the clear instructions! My first time making salted eggs and they turned out perfect! I used the 30 day method and it worked great
That’s great to know Afra! Did you use chicken or duck eggs?
Can you reuse those black charcoal from commercially sold salted eggs to make your own salted eggs?
That’s a very good question. Honestly, I’m not sure either! I would imagine you can reuse it. I would try it if I were you.
Why the egg yolk won’t harden? I used the 30 days brine method. But the yolks never harden to a ball.
Hi Paulina, that is weird! I’m not sure what to tell you. The yolks usually will harden too with the brine method (or the salt-cured method)
Once you have salted the eggs for 30 days, how long can you keep them in the brine? Will the eggs go bad if you leave longer than the 30 days?
Hi Diane, usually after 30 days, I would take one out and cook one and see if it’s salty enough or not, if not, I would leave them for another 5 days or so and then try again. I don’t think they will go bad, but the longer you keep, the saltier they get though. I don’t think I’ve ever had to go further than 40 days.