The home cook book

Select a fine ripe melon ; pare off the outer green rind and red core. Cut into inch squares, and place in a preserving kettle with two teaspoons of salt for each gallon of rinds. Nearly cover with water and boil until tender. Drain in a colander; then proceed as directed for "Sweet Peach Pickles." HOME-MADE CATSUPS The various catsups are highly appreciated by the good cook, who not only employs them for the purpose of imparting an agreeable flavor to meats and other solid foods at table, but also as a piquant seasoning for soups, gravies, meat sauces, hashes, stews, and similar dishes. To buy these condiments ready prepared and of a desirable quality one must needs pay a fancy price ; but when manufactured at home, their cost is insignificant. Use only perfect fruit for catsups ; cook in a porcelain kettle ; bottle in glass or stone. To prevent mould, do not fill the bottles quite to the top with catsup, but fill up with hot vinegar. CUCUMBER CATSUP Peel and chop three dozen cucumbers and half as many onions very fine. Add one teacup of mustard-seed, a quarter of a teacup of black pepper, and one ounce each of cloves and allspice. Mix well and cover with vinegar. CURRANT CATSUP Cook together until thick six quarts of currant- juice and five pounds of sugar. Then add one quart of vinegar, three tablespoons of cinnamon, two of allspice, one each of cloves, nutmeg and salt, and half an ounce of cayenne. Boil twenty minutes, bottle and seal. GOOSEBERRY CATSUP Scald, mash and put through a colander nine pounds of ripe fruit. Add five pounds of sugar, three tablespoons of cinnamon, and half a tablespoon each of cloves and allspice. Boil twenty minutes, add one quart of cold vinegar, bottle, and seal without delay. RIPE GRAPE CATSUP Make ripe grape catsup by the same formula as "Gooseberry Catsup." MUSHROOM CATSUP Wipe, but do not wash, freshly gathered mushrooms; put in layers in an earthen dish, sprinkling each layer with salt. Cover with a damp cloth of several thicknesses, let stand in a warm place thirty-six hours, then mash and strain. To each quart of juice add one ounce of peppercorns. Boil thirty minutes. Add one ounce each of whole cloves and allspice, half an ounce of ginger-root, and one blade of mace. Simmer fifteen minutes. When cold, strain and bottle. TOMATO CATSUP Wipe with a damp cloth and core one bushel of fine ripe tomatoes. Place over the fire with three pints of water, two handfuls of peach leaves and a dozen onions cut fine. Boil two hours, strain, add half a gallon of vinegar, two ounces each of ground allspice, black pepper and mustard, one ounce of ground cloves, two grated nutmegs, two pounds of brown sugar, and one pint of salt. Boil two hours longer, stirring constantly. Bottle cold. RED TOMATO CATSUP Mash very ripe tomatoes to a pulp, put them in an earthen jar, cover, and stir them twice each day. They will ferment. After three days, rub them through a sieve and put the part that goes through the sieve to cook in a porcelain-lined pot. Let it boil till of a creamy thickness. To each gallon of cooking pulp add half a pound of sugar, half a cup of salt, one teaspoon of cayenne, and half a pint of vinegar. Boil fifteen minutes, fill the bottles while hot, and seal tight.