Use none but the best cider vinegar; especially avoid the sharp colorless liquid sold under that name. It is weak sulphuric acid, warranted to riddle the coat of any stomach, even that of an ostrich, if that bird were so bereft of the instinct of self-preservation as to make a lunch of bright-green cucumber-pickle seven times a week.

If you boil pickles in bell-metal, do not let them stand in it one moment when it is off the fire; and see for yourself that it is perfectly clean and newly scoured before the vinegar is put in.

Keep pickles in glass or hard stoneware; look them over every month; remove the soft ones, and if there are several of these, drain off and scald the vinegar, adding a cup of sugar for each gallon, and pour hot over the pickles. If they are keeping well, throw in a liberal handful of sugar for every gallon, and tie them up again. This tends to preserve them, and mellows the sharpness of the vinegar. This does not apply to sweet pickle.

Pickle, well made, is better when a year old than at the end of six months. I have eaten walnut pickle ten years old that was very fine.

Keep your pickles well covered with vinegar.

If you use ground spices, tie them up in thin muslin bags.

Cucumber or Gherkin Pickle. ?

Choose small cucumbers, or gherkins, for this purpose. They are more tender, and look better on the table. Reject all over a finger in length, and every one that is misshapen or specked, however slightly. Pack in a stone jar or wooden bucket, in layers, strewing salt thickly between these. Cover the top layer out of sight with salt, and pour on cold water enough to cover all. Lay a small plate or round board upon them, with a clean stone to keep it down. You may leave them in the brine for a week or a month, stirring up from the bottom every other day. If the longer time, be sure your salt and water is strong enough to bear up an egg. If you raise your own cucumbers, pick them every day, and drop in the pickle. When you are ready to put them up, throw away the brine, with any cucumbers that may have softened under the process, and lay the rest in cold fresh water for twenty-four hours. Change the water then for fresh, and leave it for another day. Have a kettle ready, lined with green vine-leaves, and lay the pickles evenly within it, scattering powdered alum over the layers. A bit of alum as large as a pigeon-egg will be enough for a two-gallon kettleful. Fill with cold water, cover with vine-leaves, three deep; put a close lid or inverted pan over all, and steam over a slow fire five or six hours, not allowing the water to boil. When the pickles are a fine green, remove the leaves and throw the cucumbers into very cold water. Let them stand in it while you prepare the vinegar. To one gallon allow a cup of sugar, three dozen whole black peppers, the same of cloves, half as much allspice, one dozen blades of mace. Boil five minutes; put the cucumbers into a stone jar, and pour the vinegar over them scalding hot. Cover closely. Two days afterward scald the vinegar again and return to the pickles. Repeat this process three times more, at intervals of two, four, and six days. Cover with a stoneware or wooden top; tie stout cloth over this, and keep in a cool, dry place. They will be ready for eating in two months. Examine every few weeks.

Pickled Mangoes. ?

• Young musk or nutmeg melons.
• English mustard-seed two handfuls, mixed with
• Scraped horseradish, one handful.
• Mace and nutmeg pounded, 1 teaspoonful.
• Chopped garlic, 2 teaspoonfuls.
• A little ginger.
• Whole pepper-corns, 1 dozen.
• ½ tablespoonful of ground mustard to a pint of the mixture.
• 1 teaspoonful sugar to the same quantity.
• 1 teaspoonful best salad oil to the same.
• 1 teaspoonful celery-seed.

Cut a slit in the side of the melon; insert your finger and extract all the seeds. If you cannot get them out in this way, cut a slender piece out, saving it to replace,—but the slit is better. Lay the mangoes in strong brine for three days. Drain off the brine, and freshen in pure water twenty-four hours. Green as you would cucumbers, and lay in cold water until cold and firm. Fill with the stuffing; sew up the slit, or tie up with pack thread; pack in a deep stone jar, and pour scalding vinegar over them. Repeat this process three times more at intervals of two days, then tie up and set away in a cool, dry place.

They will not be “ripe” under four months, but are very fine when they are. They will keep several years.

Pepper Mangoes. ?

Are put up in the same way, using green peppers that are full grown, but not tinged with red.

They are very good, but your fingers will smart after thrusting them into the peppers to pull out the seeds. For this purpose I have used, first, a small penknife, to cut the core from its attachment to the stem-end of the pepper, then a smooth bit of stick, to pry open the slit in the side and work out the loose core or bunch of seed. By the exercise of a little ingenuity you may spare yourself all suffering from this cause. Should your fingers burn badly, anoint them with sweet-oil and wear gloves that night. Cream will also allay the smart.

Pickled Cabbage (Yellow.)

• 2 gallons vinegar.
• 1 pint white mustard seed. }
• 4 oz. ginger. }
• 3 oz. pepper-corns. }
• 1 oz. allspice. } pounded fine.
• 2 oz. cloves. }
• 1 oz. mace. }
• 1 oz. nutmeg. }
• 2 oz. turmeric. }
• 1 large handful of garlic, chopped.
• 1 handful scraped horseradish.
• 4 lbs. sugar.
• 2 oz. celery seed.
• 3 lemons, sliced thin.

Mix all and set in the sun for three days.

To prepare the cabbage, cut in quarters—leaving off the outer and green leaves—and put in a kettle of boiling brine. Cook three minutes. Take out, drain, and cover thickly with salt. Spread out in the sun to dry; then shake off the salt, and cover with cold vinegar in which has been steeped enough turmeric to color it well. Leave it in this two weeks, to draw out the salt and to plump the cabbage. They are then ready to pack down in the seasoned vinegar. Do not use under six weeks or two months.

Pickled Cabbage (Purple.)

Quarter the cabbage. Lay in a wooden tray, sprinkle thickly with salt, and set in the cellar until next day. Drain off the brine, wipe dry, lay in the sun two hours, and cover with cold vinegar for twelve hours. Prepare the pickle by seasoning enough vinegar to cover the cabbage with equal quantities of mace, cloves, whole white peppers; a cup of sugar to every gallon of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of celery seed for every pint. Pack the cabbage in a stone jar; boil the vinegar and spices five minutes and pour on hot. Cover and set away in a cool, dry place.

This will be ripe in six weeks.

Pickled Onions.

Peel the onions, which should be fine white ones—not too large. Let them stand in strong brine for four days, changing it twice. Heat more brine to a boil, throw in the onions, and boil three minutes. Throw them at once into cold water, and leave them there four hours. Pack in jars, interspersing with whole mace, white pepper-corns, and cloves. Fill up with scalding vinegar in which you have put a cupful of sugar for every gallon. Cork while hot.

They will be ready for use in a month, but will be better at the end of three months.

Green Beans and Radish Pods.

Take young French or “string” beans, and radish pods just before they change color; green and pickle as you do cucumbers and gherkins.

Nasturtium-seed. ?

Take the green seed after the flower has dried off. Lay in salt and water two days, in cold water one day; pack in bottles and cover with scalding vinegar, seasoned with mace and white pepper-corns, and sweetened slightly with white sugar. Cork, and set away four weeks before you use them.

They are an excellent substitute for capers.

Pickled Butternuts and Walnuts. ?

Gather them when soft enough to be pierced by a pin. Lay them in strong brine five days, changing this twice in the meantime. Drain, and wipe them with a coarse cloth; pierce each by running a large needle through it, and lay in cold water for six hours.

To each gallon of vinegar allow a cup of sugar, three dozen each of whole cloves and black pepper-corns, half as much allspice, and a dozen blades of mace. Boil five minutes; pack the nuts in small jars and pour over them scalding hot. Repeat this twice within a week; tie up and set away.

They will be good to eat in a month—and very good too.

Pickled Cauliflower. ?

Pick the whitest and closest bunches. Cut into small sprays or clusters. Plunge into a kettle of scalding brine and boil three minutes. Take them out, lay upon a sieve or a cloth, sprinkle thickly with salt, and, when dry, brush this off. Cover with cold vinegar for two days, setting the jar in the sun. Then pack carefully in glass or stoneware jars, and pour over them scalding vinegar seasoned thus:

To one gallon allow a cup of white sugar, a dozen blades of mace, a tablespoonful of celery-seed, two dozen white peppercorns and some bits of red pepper pods, a tablespoonful of coriander-seed, and the same of whole mustard. Boil five minutes. Repeat the scalding once a week for three weeks; tie up and set away. Keep the cauliflowers under the vinegar by putting a small plate on top.

Sliced Cucumber Pickle. (Very nice.)

• 2 dozen large cucumbers, sliced, and boiled in vinegar enough to cover them, one hour. Set aside in the hot vinegar.
• To each gallon of cold vinegar allow—
• 1 lb. sugar.
• 1 tablespoonful of cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoonful ginger.
• 1 teaspoonful black pepper.
• 1 teaspoonful celery-seed.
• 1 teaspoonful of mace.
• 1 teaspoonful allspice.
• 1 teaspoonful cloves.
• 1 tablespoonful turmeric.
• 1 tablespoonful horseradish, scraped.
• 1 tablespoonful garlic, sliced.
• ½ teaspoonful cayenne pepper.

Put in the cucumbers and stew two hours.

The pickle will be ready for use so soon as it is cold.

Pickled Water-melon Rind. (Extremely nice.)

• Equal weight of rind and white sugar.
• ½ ounce white ginger to a gallon of pickle.
• 1 pint vinegar to every pound of sugar.
• 1 tablespoonful turmeric to a gallon of pickle.
• Mace, cloves, and cinnamon to taste.

Take the thickest rind you can get, pare off the hard green rind, also the soft inner pulp. Lay the pieces—narrow strips or fanciful cuttings—in brine strong enough to float an egg, and let them remain in it ten days. Then soak in fair water, changing it every day for ten days. Cover them with clear water in a preserving-kettle, heat slowly and boil five minutes. Take them out and plunge instantly into ice-water. Leave them in this until next day. Give them another gentle boil of five minutes in strong alum-water. Simmer carefully, as a hard boil will injure them. Change directly from the alum to the ice-water again, and do not disturb them for four hours. After a third boil of five minutes, let them remain all night in the last water to make them tender. Next day add to enough water to cover the rinds sufficient sugar to make it quite sweet, but not a syrup. Simmer the rinds in this ten minutes, throw the water away, and spread them upon dishes to cool. Meanwhile prepare a second syrup, allowing sugar equal in weight to the rind, and half an ounce of sliced white ginger to a gallon of the pickle, with a cup of water for every two pounds of sugar. When the sugar is melted and the syrup quite hot, but not boiling, put in the rinds and simmer until they look quite clear. Take it out, spread upon the dishes again, while you add to the syrup a pint of vinegar for every pound of the sugar you have put in, one tablespoonful of turmeric to a gallon of pickle; mace, cloves and cinnamon to taste. Boil this up, return the rind to it, and simmer fifteen minutes. Put up in glass jars. It will be fit for use in two weeks.

This is a very handsome and delicious pickle, although it may seem to be made upon the principle of the Frenchman’s pebble-soup.

Green Tomato Soy. ?

• 2 gallons tomatoes, green, and sliced without peeling.
• 12 good-sized onions, also sliced.
• 2 quarts vinegar.
• 1 quart sugar.
• 2 tablespoonfuls salt.
• 2 tablespoonfuls ground mustard.
• 2 tablespoonfuls black pepper, ground.
• 1 tablespoonful allspice.
• 1 tablespoonful cloves.

Mix all together, and stew until tender, stirring often lest they should scorch. Put up in small glass jars.

This is a most useful and pleasant sauce for almost every kind of meat and fish.

Sweet Tomato Pickle. (Very good.) ?

• 7 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced.
• 3½ lbs. sugar.
• 1 oz. cinnamon and mace mixed.
• 1 oz. cloves.
• 1 quart of vinegar.

Mix all together and stew an hour.

Ripe Tomato Pickle. (No. 2.)

• 2 gallons tomatoes, peeled, but not sliced.
• 1 pint vinegar.
• 2 lbs. sugar.
• Mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon to taste.

Put all on together, heat slowly to a boil, and simmer one hour. Put up in glass jars.

Sweet Pickle—Plums, Pears, Peaches, or other Fruits. ?

• 7 lbs. fruit, pared.
• 4 lbs. white sugar.
• 1 pint strong vinegar.
• Mace, cinnamon, and cloves.

Pare peaches and pears; prick plums and damsons, tomatoes, “globes” or husk-tomatoes (otherwise known as ground-plums). Put into the kettle with alternate layers of sugar. Heat slowly to a boil; add the vinegar and spice; boil five minutes; take out the fruit with a perforated skimmer and spread upon dishes to cool. Boil the syrup thick; pack the fruit in glass jars, and pour the syrup on boiling hot.

Examine every few days for the first month, and should it show signs of fermenting set the jars (uncovered) in a kettle of water, and heat until the contents are scalding.

Husk-tomatoes—a fruit which looks like a hybrid between the tomato and plum—are particularly nice put up in this way.

Pickled Peaches.

• 10 lbs. fruit—pared.
• 4½ lbs. sugar.
• 1 quart vinegar.
• Mace, cinnamon, and cloves to taste.

Lay the peaches in the sugar for an hour; drain off every drop of syrup, and put over the fire with about a cup of water. Boil until the scum ceases to rise. Skim; put in the fruit and boil five minutes. Take out the peaches with a perforated skimmer, and spread upon dishes to cool. Add the vinegar and spices to the syrup. Boil fifteen minutes longer, and pour over the fruit in glass jars.

Pickled Peaches (unpeeled.)

Rub the fur off with a coarse cloth, and prick each peach with a fork. Heat in just enough water to cover them until they almost boil; take them out, and add to the water sugar in the following proportions:—

• For every 7 lbs. of fruit
• 3 lbs. of sugar.
• Boil fifteen minutes; skim, and add—
• 3 pints of vinegar.
• 1 tablespoonful (each) of allspice, mace, and cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoonful celery-seed.
• 1 teaspoonful cloves.

Put the spices in thin muslin bags. Boil all together ten minutes, then put in the fruit, and boil until they can be pierced with a straw. Take out the fruit with a skimmer, and spread upon dishes to cool. Boil the syrup until thick, pack the peaches in glass jars, and pour this over them scalding hot.

You may pickle pears in the same way without peeling.

Pickled Cherries. ?

Morella, or large red tart cherries, as fresh as you can get them. To every quart allow a large cup of vinegar and two tablespoonfuls of sugar, with a dozen whole cloves and half a dozen blades of mace.

Put the vinegar and sugar on to heat with the spices. Boil five minutes; turn out into a covered stoneware vessel, cover, and let it get perfectly cold. Strain out the spices, fill small jars three-quarters of the way to the top with fruit, and pour the cold vinegar over them. Cork or cover tightly. Leave the stems on the cherries.

Picklette. ?

• 4 large crisp cabbages, chopped fine.
• 1 quart onions, chopped fine.
• 2 quarts of vinegar, or enough to cover the cabbage.
• 2 lbs. brown sugar.
• 2 tablespoonfuls ground mustard.
• 2 tablespoonfuls black pepper.
• 2 tablespoonfuls cinnamon.
• 2 tablespoonfuls turmeric.
• 2 tablespoonfuls celery-seed.
• 1 tablespoonful allspice.
• 1 tablespoonful mace.
• 1 tablespoonful alum, pulverized.

Pack the cabbage and onions in alternate layers, with a little salt between them. Let them stand until next day. Then scald the vinegar, sugar, and spices together, and pour over the cabbage and onion. Do this three mornings in succession. On the fourth, put all together over the fire and heat to a boil. Let them boil five minutes. When cold, pack in small jars.

It is fit for use as soon as cool, but keeps well.

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