The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

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PICKLES.                                         191
the purest and best vinegar (white wine), say a quart or more, by boiling gently, spice with 4 blades of mace, 3-4 of an ounce of black or white pepper, 3-4 of an oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of white ginger, 3-4 oz. mustard (white) seed, and 4 cloves of garlic. When the spiced liquor has simmered for 3 minutes, take it up and pour slowly into the jar, observing that the eggs are fully covered with the liquor. When cold, stop it tightly for use; which will be in the course of a month, or five weeks. When traveling, they are nice with cold viands as a lunch, affording a fine relish; when quartered they are a nice garnish to dishes of cold meats of any kind.
Sweet Pickled Cabbage.—Cut the cabbage fine and scald it in a brine made of 1 cup of salt and 1 quart of water; let it remain a day and night; squeeze it out and put in good cider vinegar with
1  oz. of cinnamon, 1 oz. of mace, 1 oz. nutmeg, 1 1-2 lbs. sugar and 1-2 gallon cider vinegar.
Onion Pickles.—Take 1-2 lb. of crushed ginger, 1-2 of white mustard, 1-2 lb. salt, 4 oz. white mustard seed, whole, 2 oz. black or white pepper ground, 1-2 oz. cayenne pepper, 1-4 lb. of tameric to
2  gallons of good cider or pear vinegar. Then have ready a large jar with a tightly fitted top, put in your onions, sliced cucumbers (or cut an inch and a half long), cauliflowers, celery seeds, gherkins, green tomatoes, green radish pods, nasturtiums, martinasand small green chilis. Reserve enough vinegar to mix the various powders to a well-worked paste, so that no lumps remain, then pour the vin­egar into the jar over the fruit, then add the thoroughly prepared spice mixture. Keep the jar in a warm place and stir up well every morning tor a month with a wooden spoon; or the liquor can be prepared and kept as directed, and the different vegetables can be added at pleasure, as they come in season, gathered on a dry morn­ing, wiping them with a dry cloth to remove the dust and moisture. The cauliflower must be divided into small bunches. When the jars are full, and it is no longer needful to stir them, close the jar firmly with a bladder or waxed cloth, over the mouth. Pickles prepared in this way will be good at the end of the year. While it is im­portant to stir the pickles every morning, it is best to keep a wooden spoon always convenient.
Sweet Pickled Ripe Cucumbers.—Take ripe cucumbers before they grow soft or have an unpleasant smell, slice lengthwise, so as to be clear of seeds; scald for half a day in salt water; pour that off and rinse in warm water. Take a pint of sugar to a quart of good cider vinegar, flavored with spice, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice to the taste; scald the fruit once a day for several consecu­tive days by pouring the boiling liquor over it Be careful not to put them in an iron vessel, which will turn them dark.
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