Eggs · Filipino Native Food · Street food

How to make Itlog na Maalat

How to make Itlog na Maalat
Homemade Salted Eggs (Itlog na Maalat or itlog na pula) the easiest way. Yes, you dont have to dig it inside the soil or follow the traditional process. This is way better and easy.
You’ll never have to crave for salted eggs ever again. This recipe is described by Filipinos around the world as home away from home recipe.
You can use duck eggs as they use it traditionally but any chicken eggs is okay to use. Salted eggs or in filipino we call it “itlog na pula” is made by soaking the eggs in a brine solution for about two to three weeks or more. It depends on the temperature.
Here in the Philippines on a very hot temperature, it only takes about two weeks. So you might want to check and cook 1 egg for a test on the 13th day for tropical countries. But for colder countries, it takes 3 weeks or more.
Keep them in a dark and dry place, like in the cupboard. You need to keep it away from air and place it in a warm place, this will preserve the eggs well. Cover the bottle with tight lid and cover it again with a cloth on top of the lid, tie it with a rope tightly on the bottle neck.
Other countries normally cure salted eggs after three weeks (for colder countries). And to make sure your eggs are fully submerged, use a bottle as seen on the photo above.
The neck of the bottle should be narrow. Wide mouth container is not advisable because your eggs will float on top.
All eggs should be fully submerged in the brine solution. So prepare 3-4 sterilized bottles if you plan to make more, so you won’t regret the waiting time you invested.

HOW TO MAKE ITLOG NA MAALAT

INGREDIENTS:

8 fresh duck eggs (or chicken eggs), raw
4 cups water
1-1/2 cups salt (rock salt)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Carefully place the eggs in a small mouth jar (or glass) container with a tight lid. Make sure not to get tiny cracks on the shells. Set it aside. (Warning: Ingatan maiging hindi magkaron ng cracks ang itlog)

2. In a saucepan, fill in with the water and bring to boil. Add the salt gradually and stir until the salt is completely dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to completely cool. (Palamigin maigi ang salted water) 

3. Pour the cooled salted water over the eggs in the bottle, make sure the eggs are completely submerged in the water.

4. Cover it tightly with a bottle lid and store the container in a dark place for at least 3 weeks. (To test the saltiness of the egg, take out one egg from the container after 13 days. Boil the egg over medium-low heat for 30 minutes (salted eggs takes more time to cook than regular eggs).

5. Let cool for a few minutes and peel the shell and taste.

6. If you like the saltiness of the egg, you may now take out the other eggs from the container and boil them for 30 minutes. Let cool. Enjoy your Homemade Salted Eggs!

Notes: Let them cool and store in the refrigerator. But, if you want the eggs to be more salty to taste, you can leave the salted eggs in the container for another 2 weeks.

**Reason kung bakit maaring mag-fail ang itlog na maalat ay dahil hindi ito nakalubog maigi sa water solution or nagkaroon ng cracks sa mga itlog.

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