Simple, spicy pickled eggs

So even though I went to college and hold down a reasonable job, I've still not totally forgotten my roots that trace back to a long line of simple folk in a small, godawful town in the middle of the country. Only being a few steps removed from my kinfolk who wear wifebeaters and watch daytime TV, I often have a hankering to visit dank, dingy watering holes after a long day. And the ultimate litmus test for me is that if it is a TRUE dive bar, there are pickled things in jars for sale. Doesn't matter what is in said jars--pigs feet, dill pickles, eggs--just as long as there's a decade-old, vinegar-embalmed offering at hand, I feel like I'm home. So much so, in fact, that I have a need to keep a jar of pickled eggs in my refrigerator at home as well. Though it represents a true strain on my marriage to have these orbs floating in a Mason jar living behind the orange juice, I can't say I'll ever be able to give up the habit of nibbling on a spicy, tangy egg after cracking a can of Schlitz on a hot summer afternoon.

For this, I use a half gallon Mason jar, so you'll want to scale your recipe depending on the size of your container.

4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
4 TBSP salt
18 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 onion, cut into thin half moons
1-3 jalapenos, sliced into wheels
10-20 whole peppercorns

Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and let cool, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes.

In Mason jar put onions, jalapenos, and peppercorns in the bottom. Add the eggs. Pour the brine over the top, seal with a tight lid. Let sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes before placing in the refrigerator. Allow eggs to sit in the refrigerator for at least a week before eating.