The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

Now under the circumstances to which I allude — that is, when there is in the stomach a certain craving for food and yet a feeling of nausea — there is no doubt that piccalilli will be very far superior to any other sort of pickle in inducing persons to eat. Oriental pickles are extremely delicious, and bave their seasons, but most of them contain mangoes. Now it is well known that the flavour of mango is rich and delicious, though undoubtedly at times sickly ; but there is, so to speak, a purity in the flavour of piccalilli which is almost matchless. When housekeepers are unable to have more than one bottle of pickle in the house at one time I would strongly urge them to fix their choice upon a bottle of Crosse and Blackwell’s piccalilli. PICKLES. — Pickles are sold in bottles containing half-pints, pints, and quarts, as well as by the gallon in jars. A description of the following pickles, supplied by Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell, will be found under their respective headings : — Cauliflower, chow-chow, cucumber, mangoes, French beans, gherkins, mixed pickles, piccalilli, red cabbage, walnuts, onions, Captain White’s Oriental pickle, imperial pickles, West Indian pickle, Indian mangoes, West Indian limes, Colonel Skinner’s mango relish, pickled lemons, pickled mushrooms, prepared horse-radish, pickled long red chilies, and pickled red birdpepper. PICKLES, MIXED. -Plain pickles are sold not only in bottles by themselves, such as onions, beans, etc., but also in bottles mixed. This is, of course, a convenient form when no one form of pickle is preferred to another. A spoonful of plain mixed pickle can be chopped up and used for making pickle sauce, by being mixed with a spoonful of good brown gravy, and all warmed up together. When the sauce is liked acid, the pickles and gravy may be mixed immediately the pickles are taken from the bottle. But should acidity in the flavour be objected to, take out a spoonful of pickles, chop them up, and place them in a frying-pan and let them warm sufficiently long for the pieces of pickle to get nearly dry. By thus evaporating the vinegar any very great acidity of flavour will be got rid of. PICKLED OX TONGUES. — See Tongues. PICNIC TONGUES.— See Tongues. PILAR AND CO.’S TOMATO CON- SERVE.—See Tomatoes. PILCHARDS IN OIL.— Pilchards in oil form a very excellent breakfast-dish, and now that so great difficulty is experienced in obtaining genuine sardines at all, it is often far better to ask for pilchards preserved in oil, which are genuine, in preference to too often getting sprats in oil under the name of sardines. Pilchards preserved in oil are very nice eaten exactly as they are. The tin should be opened, and the contents then be placed in a fancy jar (see Fancy Jars). Pilchards are often eaten just like sardines, and are very nice with buttered toast. A little cayenne pepper and lemon juice should be served with them, as these very much assist to bring out the flavour. Another very nice dish that can be made from pilchards is that of “ Curried Pilchards.” As these tins can be kept for any length of time, this is a very convenient dish, as an extra dish, by its means, can be served at dinner or luncheon at a very few moments’ notice. Open the tin, and pour the oil off from the pilchards into a frying-pan, placing it over the fire.