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chez

Pickled egg pricing?

I've finally made time to pickle some of my egg surplus, with a view to selling on the market stall in the run-up to Christmas.

Does anyone already do this and if so, how have you presented them and priced them?

As a starter-run, I have used pre-prepared pickling vinegar, which I don't think looks as nice in the jars as fancier condiments; but it's kept the process simple.

I've got

1. little round jars that take 17 quails eggs - I've scattered a few red peppercorns in these - egg cost is 20p each if I sell them by the dozen in boxes, so that works out at £3.40 without any bells and whistles. Jar, 60p. = £4
2. jars that take eight nice sized hens eggs - cost of eggs, £2, Jar £1 = £3
3. great big jars that will take sixteen or twenty - cost of eggs, £5, Jar, £2 = £7

I've been given the vinegar this time, but Sarsons pickling vinegar is a couple of pounds a litre.

Should I stick 10% on? 20%?

Any advice welcome.

I'm thinking of doing nice raffia-type tags on them. (*bows in direction of Earthyvirgo*)
Pilsbury

How about keeping it simple and doing £4, £4 and £8, any 3 little jars for £10 or a big and little one for £10.....
chez

Thanks, Pilsbury. I definitely think simple is good.

I'm not sure I'm costing it out correctly, though - I'm using the selling price as my starting price for the eggs, because I thought that that would be what the customer would be comparing it with - they will be alongside my baskets of eggs for sale on the stall.

*brain strain*

They actually cost us to produce:

1. £2
2. £2.10
3. £4.70

But of course then you have to factor the time in too. We've done six trays this afternoon - if I never see another pickled egg I'll be ecstatic - and have got four big jars, five small jars and two quail jars. So at the pricing you suggest, that's, roughly, um, £25 for four hours work. Which works out at minimum wage-ish, I guess, so that's not bad.

I'll just have to hope they sell, now!
Rob R

Which works out at minimum wage-ish, I guess, so that's not bad.

I'll just have to hope they sell, now!


You have to factor in the wastage, any you don't sell/don't seal/jar breakages. Not that you'll ever get rich from handmade pickled eggs but with slim margins you can soon double either profit or loss.

I want a pickled egg now.
chez

It's actually part of my wastage management system - the eggs I'm using for it are the ones that don't sell at less-than-week-old. So the plan is to pickle them instead of just having to throw them or give them away.

From that point of view, I suppose I can live with a small profit margin, because I am actually grabbing that back from what has up until now been a loss.

If that makes sense.
vegplot

Have you been able to test the market with them to what what peeps are willing to pay?
Shan

Your cost should be your actual cost not the selling cost.

Cost up the jars, eggs, pickling solution and approximate time per jar, then add what you consider to be a reasonable margin. There you have your expected selling price. Once you have done that, take your expected selling price and compare it with other similar products and make a decision.

Other value added options: custard, meringues, etc
Shan

PS I have always found Sarsons horribly strong.
chez

Thanks, Shan. VP, this is my trial run - hence me feeling my way. Of course, they may not sell at all.
jamanda

Thanks, Shan. VP, this is my trial run - hence me feeling my way. Of course, they may not sell at all.


Could you get some bags of crisps too so you can you sell a bag of crisps with an egg in for people to eat as they shop?
Nicky cigreen



Could you get some bags of crisps too so you can you sell a bag of crisps with an egg in for people to eat as they shop?

is this a done thing? never heard of having a pickled egg in a bag of crisps before. sign of a sheltered life?
jamanda

It's certainly a done thing in pubs up North. To be fair it's not generally quail's eggs. Rob R

It's certainly a done thing in pubs up North.

It is? Surprised I'd never heard of it neither...
sean

Pubs in Oxford used to do it too. I haven't seen a jar of pickled eggs in a pub for yonks. jamanda

It's certainly a done thing in pubs up North.

It is? Surprised I'd never heard of it neither...

The Black Dog in Camblesforth certainly used to.
Rob R

It's certainly a done thing in pubs up North.

It is? Surprised I'd never heard of it neither...

The Black Dog in Camblesforth certainly used to.

Ah, I was never brave enough to head out that way Smile
Pilsbury

Packet of ready salted crisps, opened behind the bar and a pickled egg dropped in before handing to the punter.
Certainly I have done it a few times in my early bartending days.
chez

That sounds *terrifying*.

I'm not sure how the legislation goes for me selling them as individual eggs. I will enquire.
Rob R

That sounds *terrifying*.

I'm not sure how the legislation goes for me selling them as individual eggs. I will enquire.

You'll probably have to add a section to your HACCP for dropping your false nails in the pickled egg jar, along with the mandatory hand washing facilities between handling raw & pickled eggs, in triplicate...
chez

*shudder*

The EHO has already asked me to put up 'No Smoking' signs in my kitchen Rolling Eyes
jamanda

*shudder*

The EHO has already asked me to put up 'No Smoking' signs in my kitchen Rolling Eyes

Laughing No setting fire to tea then.
chez

That hardly ever happens Smile Behemoth

It's certainly a done thing in pubs up North. To be fair it's not generally quail's eggs.

Not any more. No more seafood man, duty free tobacco or knock off DVDs. How I miss back street boozers. Sad
sean

The pub up the road from us (now closed down) had disturbing sachets of cockles on a card behind the bar next to the peanuts and pork scratchings. Behemoth

Regardless of their real names, it was always Baccy John, Willie Winkle and Lee DVD. Nick

Ooh, pickled egg in cheese and onion crisps. Dee-lish. alison

Don't forget to factor in the cooking time / power for the eggs too. Bodger

Pickled eggs and crisps ? Shocked If you weren't careful, you could fart and cut your a**e to shreds ! Shocked

Now here is something to get your teeth into. Its a venture that i've definately been considering. I priced up pallets of bottles a few months ago. Its the same company that supplies my bottles. Per bottle and lid they are very reasonable but you do get rather a lot on a pallet.

http://www.eggpub.com/pickled_egg_recipe_kitchen.php
Rusticwood


Could you get some bags of crisps too so you can you sell a bag of crisps with an egg in for people to eat as they shop?

Ah,with a few pints beforehand, the culinary delights of a misspend youth
chez

I have been making enquiries. Apparently the egg-in-the-crisps thing is not just a Northern culinary delight.

I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before selling them to let them steep.
Pilsbury

To be honest I have a little jar of chilli vinegar on my desk and it holds 2 eggs. When I eat one I pop a new one in the bottom and leave t like that so I have been known to have it after just a couple of days in the vinegar, I must admit it was bodgers plan that tempted me to try them and its really nice and simple. Bodger

I have been making enquiries. Apparently the egg-in-the-crisps thing is not just a Northern culinary delight.

I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before selling them to let them steep.

I think that it should be six weeks before you sell them, otherwise all you're selling is hard boiled eggs in vinegar.
Nick

Six weeks is a long time. Especially for quails eggs.

So, why not sell some at a week, or two old? These are pickled eggs nouveau, and some at a month old. These are your matured ones, and the special, classic vintage brand, with a higher price tag, only for those that dare, are six weeks old, or even older. You'll want a black and gold label, possibly with a gothic script, for these.

They'll probably taste the same, but you get to increase the value and desirability of your stock the longer it doesn't sell, for. Bet you it works.
chez

Quail literally only take a couple of weeks, they are so small; they can get very strong after that. I used to sell quite a lot of them when I kept quail during my teenage years.

Nick - good idea Smile.
Nick

It's brilliant. Bodger

Re: Pickled egg pricing?

I've finally made time to pickle some of my egg surplus, with a view to selling on the market stall in the run-up to Christmas.

Does anyone already do this and if so, how have you presented them and priced them?

As a starter-run, I have used pre-prepared pickling vinegar, which I don't think looks as nice in the jars as fancier condiments; but it's kept the process simple.

I've got

1. little round jars that take 17 quails eggs - I've scattered a few red peppercorns in these - egg cost is 20p each if I sell them by the dozen in boxes, so that works out at £3.40 without any bells and whistles. Jar, 60p. = £4
2. jars that take eight nice sized hens eggs - cost of eggs, £2, Jar £1 = £3
3. great big jars that will take sixteen or twenty - cost of eggs, £5, Jar, £2 = £7

I've been given the vinegar this time, but Sarsons pickling vinegar is a couple of pounds a litre.

Should I stick 10% on? 20%?

Any advice welcome.

I'm thinking of doing nice raffia-type tags on them. (*bows in direction of Earthyvirgo*)

I could have sworn that you said you were doing hen eggs as well as quail eggs and that any advice was welcome.
chez

I didn't say your advice *wasn't* welcome. I was just pontificating about selling the quail eggs sooner. sicknote

Bit late with a response to this as been busy, however we did very well with our Quail eggs. We sold them in jars of 9 - 12 (depending on size of the egg).

We found Malt/Distilled Vinegars to be too strong for the eggs (Hen and Quail) so used White Wine and Balsamic. These were VERY popular as they are not as harsh, flavoured vinegars are also popular as they are already seasoned/flavoured for using as canapes or with a salad. We had planned to use beetroot in the vinegar to help make the eggs red/purple and with time this seeps into the whites.

We charge £3.50 for White Wine Quail eggs and £4.50 for Balsamic, our margins on these were good (approx 45/50%). We found it more beneficial to have a niche (flavoured vinegars etc) as we got fed up of the 'they only cost £xx in Tescos' comments.

Oh an don't make loads as they don't have a very long shelf life (6 months from date of pickling, we used warm vinegar as this helps with the flavour and shelf life)

HTH
chez

Thanks, David, much appreciated. sicknote

Oh and they are quite popular in Watchet pickled or plain Wink sean

Pubs in Oxford used to do it too. I haven't seen a jar of pickled eggs in a pub for yonks.

However the Conservative Club has a jar of pickled eggs next to the bags of pork scratchings...could this be a new taste sensation?
chez

Good to know ... Wink

ETA: that was to sicknote.

Sean - you are frequenting the Conservative Club? Shocked
sean

The Royal Exchange went bust. Nicky cigreen

Packet of ready salted crisps, opened behind the bar and a pickled egg dropped in before handing to the punter.
Certainly I have done it a few times in my early bartending days.

so explain to this Southerner.... Laughing

how does it work surely you end up with soggy vinegary crisps?

do you crush the crisps to dip the egg in it?

signed confused of Devon
gardening-girl

Packet of ready salted crisps, opened behind the bar and a pickled egg dropped in before handing to the punter.
Certainly I have done it a few times in my early bartending days.

so explain to this Southerner.... Laughing

how does it work surely you end up with soggy vinegary crisps?

do you crush the crisps to dip the egg in it?

signed confused of Devon

My southener oh recons it should be salt & vinegar crisps.No crushing of crisps needed.
Pilsbury

Funny enough when the egg comes out the viniger with a couple of shakes its pretty dry so dropping it into plain crisps give the crisps a hint of vinegar and the egg a splash of salt improving both, eat a few crisps, a bite of egg then back to the crisps and so on is how they did it.
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