The household (of the Detroit free press)

To strengthen weak vinegar, if in pickles, turn it off, heat it scalding hot, put it on the pickles and when lukewarm put in a small piece of alum the size of a filbert and a brown paper four inches square wet with molasses. If it does not grow sharp in two weeks it is past recovery and must be thrown away. If in winter, freeze it and remove the ice on the surface, for the water alone freezes, leaving the vinegar. To keep up a constant supply of vinegar : Before the barrel is quite out, fill the barrel with one gallon of molasses to every eleven gallons of soft water. This mixture will become good vinegar in about three weeks. If the barrels stand on end, there must be a hole made in the top, protected with gauze to keep out insects. If standing on the side, the bung-hole must be left open and similarly protected. A simple method of pickling is to merely put the articles into cold vinegar. This cold vinegar should be used for those that do not require the addition of spice, and such as do not require to be softened by heat, such as capsicums, chillies, nasturtiums, button onions, radish pods, horseradish, garlic and eschalots. Half fill the jars with best vinegar, fill them up with the vegetables, and tie down immediately with bladder. These are much better if pickled quite fresh and all of a size. The onions should be dropped in the vinegar as fast as peeled ; this secures their color. The horseradish should be scraped a little outside and cut up in rounds half an inch deep. Barberries for garnish ; gather fine full bunches before they are quite ripe, pick away all bits of stalk and leaf and injuried berries and drop them in cold vinegar; they may be kept in salt and water, changing the brine whenever it begins to ferment, but the vinegar is best. To put up cucumbers in brine : Leave at least an inch of stem to cucumbers and wash well in cold water. Make a brine of salt and water strong enough to bear an egg ; put the cucumbers in this as they are gathered each day from the vines. Cut a board so as to fit inside of the barrel ; bore holes here and there through it, and put this board on the cucumbers with a weight sufficient to keep it down. Each day take off the scum which arises. When wanted for use take out what is necessary and soak them two or three days, or until the salt is out of them, and then pour boiling spiced vinegar over them. A red pepper or two is an improvement if one likes hot pickles. To harden them after they are taken out of the brine, take a lump of alum and a horseradish cut in strips ; put this in the vinegar and it will make them hard and crisp. When you wish to make a few cucumber pickles quick, take good cider vinegar ; heat it boiling hot and pour it over them. When cool, they are ready for use. PICKLED SWEET APPLES. Take three pounds of sugar, two quarts of vinegar, one-half ounce of cinnamon, one-half ounce of cloves ; pare the apples, leaving them whole ; boil them in part of the vinegar and sugar until you can put a fork through them ; take them out, heat the remainder of the vinegar and sugar and pour over them. Be careful not to boil them too long or they will break. PICKLED ARTICHOKES.