The household (of the Detroit free press)

One peck green tomatoes, one dozen sliced onions ; sprinkle well with salt and let them stand until next day, then drain them. Use the following as spices : One small box mustard, half an ounce black pepper, one ounce of whole cloves, and one of white mustard seed. Alternate layers of tomatoes, onions and spices ; cover with vinegar. Wet the mustard before putting it in. Boil the whole twenty minutes. RIPE TOMATO PICKLES. Take smooth, ripe tomatoes and wash clean in cold water ; prick them with a coarse needle ; lay compactly in a stone jar until full ; then take sufficient pure cider vinegar to cover ; heat until boiling, then turn over the tomatoes ; have ready a piece of foolscap or smooth brown paper, turn the white of an egg on it, and see that every part of the paper is covered with the egg ; put it in the jar (egg side down), and pinch the edges close and cover with paper tied on tight. When cool, put away in a cool, dark place. CHOPPED TOMATO PICKLE. Chop green tomatoes up fine ; to about three quarts add a scant cup of salt put in alternate layers in a stone jar and let them stand over night ; then drain off the water that has accumulated ; cover them nearly or quite with vinegar, add half an ounce of whole cloves, half an ounce of celery seed and about half a dozen small onions, chopped ; put the whole over the stove and let it come to a scald but not boil. They are ready for use when cold. TO KEEP TOMATOES WHOLE. Fill a large stone jar with ripe tomatoes, then add a few whole cloves and a little sugar ; cover them well with one-half cold vinegar and half water ; place a piece of flannel over the jar well down in the vinegar, then tie down with paper. In this way tomatoes can be kept a year. Should mildew collect on the flannel it will not hurt them in the least. PICKLED TURNIPS. Wash them clean before boiling ; do not pare them. If the rind is broken the juice escapes. When cooked take off the outside, slice them like beets and pour hot spiced vinegar over them. They are to be eaten while newly cooked and warm, and are as good as pickled beets. WATER MELON RIND PICKLES. Pare them ; cut up the inside rind in small squares ; then boil in weak ginger water until tender ; make a syrup of sugar and vinegar spiced with cloves and cinnamon, and pour on hot three successive mornings. Musk melon rinds may be pickled in the same way. There are various ways of deciding about the age of poultry. If the bottom of the breast bone, which extends down between the legs, is soft, and gives easily, it is a sign of youth ; if stiff, the poultry is old. If young, the legs are lighter, and the feet do not look so hard, stiff and worn. There is more deception in geese than in any other kind of poultry. The above remarks are applied to them ; but there are other signs more infallible. In a young goose, the cavity under the wings is very tender ; it is a bad sign if you cannot, with very little trouble, push your finger directly into the flesh. There is another means by which you may decide whether a goose be tender, if it be frozen or not. Pass the head of a pin along the breast, or sides, and if the goose be young, the skin will rip, like fine paper under a knife.