Household hints

keep putting it in until the right taste is imparted. Some extremely fastidious cooks peel the peaches, and do not boil them, but pour hot vinegar over them for several mornings ; but I confess that I like them best "cloth and all," as the little girl said. Pears may be put up after this recipe ; they, however, ought to be peeled, the skin is so tough and has no association of down or red cheeks connected with it. Pickled Preserves. — Twelve pounds of fruit, six pounds of sugar, one quart of vinegar, spice to suit your taste ; heat vinegar, sugar, and spice, and turn over the fruit ; repeat this operation for two mornings. Blackberries, cherries, or plums are very nice put up in this way. Chow-chow. — One peck of small cucumbers — the smaller the better — ^half a peck of green tomatoes, half a peck of small onions, two heads of cauliflower. Scatter salt over them and let them stand for twenty-four hours ; then rinse off with cold water, drain them well ; then add a handful of grated or scraped horseradish root, and three heads of celery. Take cold vinegar enough to cover these, and put into it half an ounce each of tumeric (this can be purchased at any drug store), cloves, and cinnamon, one eighth of a pound of ground pepper (black), one eighth of a pound of sugar, half a pound of white mustard seed, half a pound of ground mustard. Boil for fifteen minutes, and pour over the cucumbers, etc. If you have empty chow-chow bottles, seal up in those. After a few weeks it will be ready for use. Cauliflower Pickle. — Prepare the cauliflower by cutting in small pieces, and let it stand over night in a weak brine ; in the morning steam it until tender, then bottle and pour over it hot vinegar, sweetened and spiced to taste. Onions. — Take the smallest white onions you can find, peel them, and if you keep your hands in water while peeling the onions your eyes will not suffer. If very small they 50 no USER OLD HINTS, will not need to be steamed ; let them stand one night in salt and water, and then pour hot vinegar over them for three mornings. If they are not small you may steam them for five minutes, not longer, or, better still, cut them in two or three slices and pour the vinegar over them. Cabbage. — Select a nice, solid head — purple cabbage preferred on account of color — shave it fine, but do not chop it. Season it to suit yourself, and pour cold vinegar over it. Mustard Dressing for Pickles, — To one quart of vinegar take six table-spoonfuls of mustard, half an ounce of tumeric, one cup of sugar, half a cup of flour. Sweet Cucumber Pickles. — Take small green cucumbers, wipe them and put into a jar with salt between the layers ; pour over them boiling water enough to cover them. Repeat this process (they need not be wiped) every third day in a month ; drain in a colander, pour over them hot vinegar and water in which has been dissolved a small piece of alum. Leave them in this for three days, drain again, and cover them with boiling vinegar sweetened and spiced to your taste ; use brown sugar. Add a little alum to the last vinegar. This seems a tedious process, but it takes only a few minutes each day ; and when once done you need not think of your pickles except when you want to use them. Put thtm in jars and keep them in the cellar. Ripe Cucumber Pickle. — Peel and slice the cucumbers in pieces about an inch thick ; remove the seeds ; let them stand all night in cold vinegar ; in the morning drain off this vinegar. Take a gallon of fresh vinegar, four pounds of sugar, a few sticks of cinnamon, and in this mixture boil the pieces of cucumbers ; take out with a skimmer each piece as it becomes clear and put it in a jar or can ; when all are done pour the hot vinegar over them. See that they are covered, as the pieces that are on the top will