PICKLED EGGS A LA DRAGONWAGON-DeWITZ

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar (preferably organic)
2 1/2 cups water (preferably spring or filtered)
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon sea salt (fine-grind)
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 large slice fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
12 large eggs (preferably organic and free-range)
24 whole cloves

1. Combine everything EXCEPT the eggs and cloves in a medium non-reactive pot, and bring to a hard boil. Then turn down to a simmer and let ingredients meld as you peel the hardboiled eggs (if you already peeled ’em, the post-boil simmer-time is about 10 minutes).

2. After each egg is peeled, and rinsed to remove any little residual bits of shell, stick two cloves into each egg, opposite each other, one on each end. Place the whole clove studded eggs into a non-reactive storage container with a tight-fitting lid: a wide-mouthed glass or high-quality plastic container.

3. Pour the hot pickling mixture over the cloved hard-boiled eggs in their container, including all the spices and the slurry of turmeric. The eggs should be covered with the pickling liquid. Let cool to room temp, cover, and refrigerate for at least one week. Shake every few days to redistribute the spices, but expect that the eggs won’t be evenly yellow, and that there will be a trace of brown at the site where you inserted the cloves. Either remove the cloves from the eggs before serving, or warn your guests.