A manual of home-making

Wash the vegetables, drahi off the surplus water, and weigll them. For each 100 tKiunds of the vegetables weigh out 3 pounds of salt; for smaller quantities use the saine proportion (3 per cent by weight) of 8a! t. Cover the bottom of the crock, or otiier container with a la^'er of the vegetable» 1 inch thick and sprinkle over this a little of the salt* Do nol atld too much of the salt to the first layers packeil, but try to distribute it ecjually among the different layers so that the quantity which has bn/n weigher! i>ut will l>e sufficient for given quantity of vegetal>les packed. If a Uttle of the «alt ; left over» it can be added to tlie top layer, but if more has to be atlded than has lH»en weighed out, the finished product will tiiste too salty. Continue adding layers of the materinl apciii* kkxl with salt until the container is aliout thrn " ^ fuH, Sprinkle the last of the salt on the top layer and -^ iver fl one or two thicknesses of cheese-cloth, tucking them down il the sides. On the cloth place one of the round pieces of bcjAitl or a plate, and on tliis put a clean stone or one or two cleni bricks. The size of the weight depends on the quantity of] terial being preservecL For a 5-gallon keg a weight of 10 fiouc will be sufficient, but if a larger barrel is used, a heavier will be neetlecK The weight added should l)e sufficient to tract the juices to fonn a brine, whicli will cover the top to about twenty-four hours and sometimes it may be FOOD PRESERVATION 595 to add more stones after the material has stood a while, if a brine does not form. After it is packed, allow the container to stand in a moderately warm room to ferment. The salt and pressure of the weight 8oon extract water from the vegetables and form a brine which .soon rovers the whole mass. The stone and board serve to keep the vegetables beneath the surface of the liquid. If the weight is not sufficient for this purpose, a larger stone or more bricks should be added. As the fermentation goe,s on, Imbbles iirise to the surface of the liquid. The rati* of fermentation de- pends principally on the temperature. In warm weather it retiuires only eight to ten days; in cool weather two to four week may be necessary. When bul>bling stops, fermentation is com- plete. A good way to deteiniine this is to tap the receptacle gently; if no huljl>les arise, fermentation is finished. The containers should then be placed in a cellar or other cool storeroom and the surface of the liquid treatetl to prevent the development of a stnim of mold. If this is not clone, a thin fihii will appear on the surface of the brine soon after fermentation ceases, which will spread rapidly and develop into a heavy folded membrane. This scorn is a growth of micro-organisms which fecxl upon the acid formed by fermentation. If allowed to grow yndisturbcnh all tlie acid will eventually l>e destroyed and the fermented material will spoiL This scum must be prevented from forming if the product is to l>e kept for a con- siderable time. Exclusion of air from the surface of the brine will entirely prevent its formation. There arc three feasiljle methods of accomplisliing this.