The easiest way in housekeeping and cooking

•Ripe Cucumber or Melon-Rind Pickles. Pare, seed, and cut lengthwise into four pieces, or in thick slices. Boil an ounce of alum in one gallon of water, and pour over them, letting them stand at least half a day on the back of the stove. Take them out, and let them lie in cold water until cold. Have ready a quart of vinegar, three pounds of brown sugar, and an ounce of stick-cinnamon and half an ounce cloves. Boil the vinegar and sugar, and skim ; add the spices and the melon rind or cucumber, and boil for half an hour. Sweet-Pickled Peaches, Pears, or Plums. Seven pounds of fruit; four pounds of brown sugar; one quart of vinegar ; one ounce of cloves ; two ounces of stick- cinnamon. Pare the peaches or not, as liked. If unpared, wash and wipe each one to rub off the wool. Boil vinegar and sugar, and skim well ; add spices, sticking one or two cloves in each peach. Boil ten minutes, and take out into jars. Boil the sirup until reduced one-half, and pour over them. Pears are peeled and cored ; CANDIES. apples peeled, cored, and quartered. They can all be put in stone jars ; but Mason's cans are better. Tomato Catsup. Boil one bushel of ripe tomatoes, skins and all, and, when soft, strain through a colander. Be sure that it is a colander, and not a sieve, for reasons to be given. Add to this pulp two quarts of best vinegar ; one cup of salt ; two pounds of brown sugar ; half an ounce of cayenne pepper ; three ounces each of powdered allspice and mace ; two ounces of powdered cinnamon ; three ounces of celery-seed. Mix spices and sugar well together, and stir into the tomato ; add the vinegar, and stir thoroughly. Now strain the whole through a sieve. A good deal of rather thick pulp will not go through. Pour all that runs through into a large kettle, and let it boil slowly till reduced one-half. Put the thick pulp into a smaller kettle, and boil twenty minutes. Use as a pickle with cold meats or with boiled fish. A teacupful will flavor a soup. In the old family rule from which this is taken, a pint of brandy is added ten minutes before the catchup is done ; but it is not necessary, though an improvement. Bottle, and keep in a cool, dark place. It keeps for years. CANDIES. Cream Candy. One pound of granulated sugar ; one teacupful of water ; half a teacupful of vinegar. Boil — trying very often after the first ten minutes — till it will harden in cold water. Cool, and pull white. 260 CANDIES. Chocolate Caramels. One cup of sugar ; one cup of milk ; half a cup of molasses ; two ounces of grated chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a very little water ; add the sugar, milk, and molasses, and boil twenty minutes, or until very thick. Pour in buttered pans, and cut in small squares when cool. Molasses Candy. Two cups of molasses, one of brown sugar, a teaspoonful of butter, and a tablespoonful of vinegar. Boil from twenty minutes to half an hour. Pour in a buttered dish, and pull when cool. Nut Candy. Make molasses candy as above. Just before taking it from the fire, add a heaping pint of shelled peanuts or walnuts. Cut in strips before it is quite cold.