When making pickles use good, sharp vinegar, or the pickles will be
insipid. Keep them from the air and see that they are well covered
with the vinegar. Boil in a porcelain kettle ; never in brass or metal.
Parboil the pickles first, then let them get perfectly cold, and pour on
the scalding hot vinegar. A small lump of alum dissolved and added
to the vinegar when scalding the first time makes them crisp and
green. To make them sharp and crisp they should be parboiled
in one vinegar, and then a second vinegar poured over them when ready
to put in the crock. Keep in a dry, cool place, either in stone or glass.
If put away in stone jars, put a plate or saucer over them so as to keep
the pickles under vinegar. If white specks appear on the vinegar, drain
off and scald, adding a handful of sugar to each gallon of vinegar.
Most people prefer their pickles highly spiced ; cloves and cinnamon
put in bags are good for this, also bits of horseradish and red or green
peppers. The horseradish helps to preserve the life of the vinegar, but
if it will after this persist in losing its strength, pour off the old and
570 PICKLES.
replace by new, poured over the pickles scalding hot. Ginger is the
most healthy of all spices, cloves are the strongest, after these allspice
and cinnamon. Proportion these or the pickles will be black in color
and too hot for the palate. Mustard seed is also an improvement.
Never put up pickles in anything that has held grease, or do not let
them freeze ; if they do they will be entirely spoiled.
Sweet pickles may be made of any fruit that can be preserved, includ-
ing the rind of ripe cucumbers or melons. The proportions of sugar to
vinegar is three pints to a quart. Make into a syrup and pour over the
ripe fruit. With some fruits it is necessary that they may be scalded
or steamed ; with others it is not. Very ripe peaches or plums do not
need steaming, but pears, apples, cucumber and melon rinds are better
steamed and the hot vinegar syrup afterward poured over them. With
these it is also necessary the spices should be put in bags or the fruit
will be much discolored. Crabapples make particularly good pickles,
though many seem to think only of making them into jelly Or preserves.
In making pickles use none but the best cider vinegar. The vinegar
should always be two inches or more above the vegetables, as it is sure
to shrink, and if the vegetables are not thoroughly immersed in pickle
they will not keep. They should be examined every month or two and
soft pieces removed. If there is much tendency to soften, it is advisable
to strain off the vinegar, add to each gallon a cup of sugar, boil it and
return it to the pickle jar while hot. The occasional addition of a little
sugar keeps pickles good and improves them. Spices in pickles should
be used whole, slightly bruised, but preferably not ground ; if ground
they should be tied up in thin muslin bags. Most pickles, if well kept,
improve with age by the vinegar losing its raw taste and the flavor of
the spices improving and blending.
Page 472
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
When making pickles use good, sharp vinegar, or the pickles will be insipid. Keep them from the air and see that they are well covered with the vinegar. Boil in a porcelain kettle ; never in brass or metal. Parboil the pickles first, then let them get perfectly cold, and pour on the scalding hot vinegar. A small lump of alum dissolved and added to the vinegar when scalding the first time makes them crisp and green. To make them sharp and crisp they should be parboiled in one vinegar, and then a second vinegar poured over them when ready to put in the crock. Keep in a dry, cool place, either in stone or glass. If put away in stone jars, put a plate or saucer over them so as to keep the pickles under vinegar. If white specks appear on the vinegar, drain off and scald, adding a handful of sugar to each gallon of vinegar.
Most people prefer their pickles highly spiced ; cloves and cinnamon put in bags are good for this, also bits of horseradish and red or green peppers. The horseradish helps to preserve the life of the vinegar, but if it will after this persist in losing its strength, pour off the old and
replace by new, poured over the pickles scalding hot. Ginger is the most healthy of all spices, cloves are the strongest, after these allspice and cinnamon. Proportion these or the pickles will be black in color and too hot for the palate. Mustard seed is also an improvement. Never put up pickles in anything that has held grease, or do not let them freeze ; if they do they will be entirely spoiled.
Sweet pickles may be made of any fruit that can be preserved, including the rind of ripe cucumbers or melons. The proportions of sugar to vinegar is three pints to a quart. Make into a syrup and pour over the ripe fruit. With some fruits it is necessary that they may be scalded or steamed ; with others it is not. Very ripe peaches or plums do not need steaming, but pears, apples, cucumber and melon rinds are better steamed and the hot vinegar syrup afterward poured over them. With these it is also necessary the spices should be put in bags or the fruit will be much discolored. Crabapples make particularly good pickles, though many seem to think only of making them into jelly Or preserves.
In making pickles use none but the best cider vinegar. The vinegar should always be two inches or more above the vegetables, as it is sure to shrink, and if the vegetables are not thoroughly immersed in pickle they will not keep. They should be examined every month or two and soft pieces removed. If there is much tendency to soften, it is advisable to strain off the vinegar, add to each gallon a cup of sugar, boil it and return it to the pickle jar while hot. The occasional addition of a little sugar keeps pickles good and improves them. Spices in pickles should be used whole, slightly bruised, but preferably not ground ; if ground they should be tied up in thin muslin bags. Most pickles, if well kept, improve with age by the vinegar losing its raw taste and the flavor of the spices improving and blending.