Jane Hamilton's recipes

Take eight pounds of cherries; add to them three-quarters of an ounce of cinnamon, the same of cloves, and one ounce of allspice (beaten fine) ; also six pounds of sugar and three-quarters of a quart of strong vinegar. Stone the cherries, put them on with the sugar in a brass skillet, and stew them about half an hour, then add the vinegar and spices and let them stew for about five minutes longer. Pour into a jar, and (84) as soon as cold cover close. Should the cherries not taste sufficiently of vinegar add a half pint of vinegar. The cherries should be stoned before they are weighed. PICKLED CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. To one gallon of vinegar put one and a half pounds of sugar, three lemons sliced, one gill of white mustard seed, one ounce of ginger, half an ounce of cloves, the same of mace, and three-quarters of an ounce of allspice. Beat these spices to a coarse powder, and add two ounces of celery seed bruised, two ounces of horseradish scraped fine, two ounces and a half of garlic. Mix these ingredients in July; put them in a jar and cover very close; set them in the hot sun every day for a month. Wash your cucumbers in cold water, put them in strong salt water for two or three weeks, then wash them again, green them in the usual manner (the greening of pickles and gherkins should always be done in a brass or (85) porcelain-lined vessel), throw them in cold water for a few hours, then put them in vinegar for a fortnight. After that put them in a jar and pour over them the seasoned vinegar. They are ready for use in about two months. Soak the cucumbers in cold water for four or five hours before greening them. ANOTHER WAY OF PICKLING CUCUMBERS AND GHERKINS. Wash the cucumbers and put them in strong salt water for two or three weeks, then proceed with them as directed above for pickling cucumbers. To two gallons of vinegar put a pound and a half of brown sugar, two ounces of allspice, the same of black pepper, four ounces of ginger, two of white mustard seed (all pounded), four ounces of scraped horseradish, four pods of red pepper, and six silver onions. When the spices and vinegar are mixed, put them in a jar and set the jar in the hot sun every '(86) day for a fortnight. Then put the cucumbers in jars, as many in each jar as the vinegar will cover, and pour the vinegar over them. They will be ready for use in about two months. DAMSONS, GERMAN. Take seven pounds of damsons, wipe them dry; take half an ounce of cinnamon, the same of cloves, and one ounce of allspice; beat them very fine, add them to the damsons; take three pounds of sugar and one quart of strong vinegar,pour it on the fire in a brass skillet, let it commence boiling, and immediately pour it on the fruit and spices. Cover the jar close and let stand twenty-four hours, then put the whole on the fire and let it boil seven or eight minutes, when it is done. The fruit may be used in a few weeks. This pickle may also be made by first preserving the damsons and then adding the vinegar and spices. (87) GREEN MANGOES.