The universal cookery book

Take an unripe muskmelon, just before they begin to ripen the better, wash it in cold water ; cut out a small section on the side most rounded, and scoop out the seeds and soft pulp ; scrape off the soft matter from the section, and preserve it for the “lid.” Pare off the rind carefully, so as to leave all of the tender portion of the shell. Put a tablespoonful of salt in the cavity, place it in a bowl, and pour hot water in and over it, and let it remain eight to twelve hours. Then have your filling, — generally of finely chopped cabbage, but it is a matter of taste. Beetstems, tender string-beans, radish seed-pods, etc., can be used. Three or four small slices of green pepper, lining the shell, will spice it ; white mustard-seed, or any other condiment, is good. A preferable way is to tie up in a small piece of muslin the spices you desire, and boil them in the vinegar in which you pickle it. The hot water and salt make the shell soft and pliable, and render the “stuffing” process easy. When filled, stitch the segment cut out of it carefully over the aperture. A common practice is to “disembowel” a large red or green pepper, and fill it with the chopped vege- 1 14 TO PICKLE BEET-ROOT. table. But the advantage in the melon is, that the rind is better than the best cucumber pickle. — I. S. “ The Elms” near Dayton, 0. To Pickle Beet-Root. This vegetable makes an excellent pickle, and from the brightness of its color has a very pretty effect in a glass pickle-dish or jar. Wash the beet perfectly ; do not cut off any of the fibrous roots, as this would allow the juice to escape, and thus the coloring would be lost. Put it into sufficient water to boil it, and when the skin will come off it will be sufficiently cooked, and may be taken out and laid upon a cloth to cool. Having rubbed off the skin, cut the beet into thick slices, put it into a jar, and pour over it cold vinegar prepared as follows : Boil a quart of vinegar with one ounce of whole black pepper and an equal weight of dry ginger, and let it stand until quite cold. The jar should be kept closely corked. — Peterson's Magazine. (By per.) To Pickle Carrot. “ Boil carrots until tender, cut them in fancy shapes, and put them in strong vinegar. This is a pretty garnish and an excellent pickle. It can be spiced or flavored to suit the taste.” To Pickle Red Cabbage. Cut the cabbage across in very thin slices, lay it on a large dish, sprinkle a good handful of salt over it, and cover it with another dish ; let it stand twenty- TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS. 1 1 5 four hours ; put it in a colander to drain, and then lay it in the jar. Take white-wine vinegar sufficient to cover it, a little mace, cloves, and allspice, and put them in whole, with one pennyworth of cochineal bruised fine, and some whole pepper. Boil it all up together, let it stand till cold, then pour it over the cabbage, and tie the jar over with leather. — American Home Cook-Book. (By per. Dick & Fitzgerald, Pubs.) To Pickle Mushrooms. Take button mushrooms ; rub and clean them with flannel and salt ; throw some salt over them, and lay them in a stew-pan with mace and pepper. While the liquor comes from them, keep shaking them well till the whole is dried into them again ; then pour in as much vinegar as will cover them ; warm them on the fire, and turn them into a jar.