Dora's cook book

In making pickles the best cider vinegar should be used, and they should be boiled in a porcelain kettle Grape or cabbage leaves laid over the top of the kettle while boiling will impart a good color. A small lump of alum in the vinegar will render the pickles crisp and tender. Pickles should be kept in a dry, cool cellar, well covered with vinegar ; bits of horse-radish and a few cloves assist in keeping vinegar strong and pure. If you use — ground spices, tie them up in thin muslin bags. Ginger is the most wholesome spice to use. If the vinegar on pickles loses its strength they will soon spoil, if it is not replaced by good vinegar, poured over scalding hot, adding a cup of sugar to each gallon ; this tends to preserve them. A wooden spoon should be used in handling pickles. GRAPE CATSUP. Boil five pounds of grapes over a slow fire until soft ; then strain through a sieve. Add one and one-half pounds of sugar, one pint of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls each of salt, cinnamon and allspice, one tablespoonful red F pepper, a few cloves, and a grated nutmeg. Mix all together and let it boil until thick. GOOSEBERRY CATSUP. Eight pounds of ripe fruit, four pounds brown sugar, one pint of cider vinegar, one ounce of cloves, two ounces cinnamon, and one ounce of mace tied in a bag ; boil the berries and sugar for four hours, then add spice ; boil twenty minutes ; put in a jar and cover well. RAW CATSUP. Peel and slice one peck of ripe tomatoes; strew in a cup of salt in alternate layers of tomatoes ; let it stand over night, then drain off all the juice, chop fine, then add a tablespoonful each of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and a little cayenne pepper, one pound ProeD sugar, one quart good vinegar. Bottle for use. CUCUMBER CATSUP. Take large cucumbers and large onions, an equal number of each ; pare and slice them thin, and put them ina _ sieve, throwing a handful of salt over them. Place the sieve over a pan and let them drain for twelve hours, then take the liquor, and for each dozen of cucumbers add four ounces of anchovies, a pint of white vinegar, a nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of mace and half an ounce of whole pepper. Let these ingredients boil up, then strain the liquor and when cold bottle it and tie down witha bladder. CATSUP, PICKLES, ETC. 91 CURRY POWDER. ae, | One tablespoonful each of coriander and poppy seeds, one-half spoonful each of turmeric, cumin seed, red chili, ground ginger and salt. Pound together and mix thoroughly. TOMATO CATSUP. One peck of tomatoes, quarter pound pepper, quarter pound allspice, quarter pound white mustard seed, two ounces cloves, six tablespoonfuls salt, half-gallon vinegar. Boil-slowly for six hours. Cool and then bottle. PLUM CATSUP. Five pounds plums; boil and strain; three pounds sugar, one pint vinegar, one tablespoonful each of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, pepper, one teaspoonful salt. CURRANT CATSUP. Two quarts currant juice, three pounds sugar, one pint vinegar, one tablespoonful each cinnamon, cloves, pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Boil twenty minutes, SOUR PICKLES. PICKLED ONIONS. Select small, silver-skinned onions ; remove with a knife all the outer-skins, so that each onion will be clean and perfectly white. Put them into brine that will float an egg for three days ; bring vinegar to boiling point, add a little mace and whole red pepper, a few bits of horseradish and cinnamon bark, and pour it hot over the onions, well drained from the brine. AUNT AMANDA D’s PICKLES.