The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

Pick the cucumbers early in the morning, the smallest are the best, about three inches long; put a layer of salt in bottom of crock or cask and a layer of cucumbers, and then salt, and so on till it is full. Put a little water in at first, after that it makes its own brine. In the fall pour off this brine and wash them nicely. Scald a brine strong enough to bear up an egg; let it get very cold then pour it on. Cover the top with a double cloth and cover this with salt; the brine must cover it all. Take off the cloth and rinse it every two weeks to prevent any scum from rising, as it eats in and turns them soft. There must always be a double cloth on pickles whether in brine or vinegar, and rinsed off every two weeks, or they will soon mold. When you wish to put them in vinegar, take out what you wish and soak them three or four days in soft water; change it every day till they are freshened enough; then put them in cold vinegar; add a few peppers, ginger root and horseradish if you wish. They will be ready to eat in a week. It is better to put them in glass jars. Nasturtiums are a The Queen Cook Book 229 pleasant addition. Pick them with the steams on; they are ornamental. Add them to any pickle you wish. Always use a granite or porcelain-lined kettle for all pickles or fruits; indeed, I think' they are the nicest for soups and all cooking. As pickles of all kinds are indigestible eat sparingly, as a relish only. Spiced Sweet Pickles. Sweet pickles should be rich and not cooked soft; can put in one-half ounce of ginger root if one likes it. Always prepare pickles in a porcelain-lined or granite kettle; use wooden spoon. If you wish your cucumbers green, put them into cold vinegar in a granite kettle, stand them over a moderate fire, and heat slowly until they become green. Pears, quinces and plums are pickled in the same mannf»r as peaches. Mangoes. Use young or small musk or nutmeg melons or cantaloupe (which is a delicate variety of musk melon), wash and rub the melons well, cut out one section, scrape out the inside and wipe it out with a cloth, tie each section on to its own melon. Lay the mangoes in a good brine for three days, then drain off the brine, rinse it all off, and freshen in pure warm water for twenty-four hours (green them as cucumbers if you wish). Then fill each one with four string beans, two small cucumbers, a gherkin, a small tomato, just to fill them; then put in one tablespoon of the following mixture to each one. S30 The Queen Cook Book 4 tablespoons English 2 teaspoons mace mustard seed 2 teaspoons ginger 4 tablespoons grated i dozen pepper-corns horseradish i teaspoon celery-seed I teaspoon mustard i cup brown sugar 6 nasturtiums Put the section on, sew it in with coarse thread, and pack in a deep stone jar; pour scalding vinegar (the sugar vinegar is the richest) over them, repeat this process three times more at intervals of two days, then put a double cloth over them a plate and a weight to keep them under the vinegar. These are fine and will keep for months. Watch them closely. Sweet Pickle of Watermelon Rind. Take firm thick rind, scrape the inside, pare ofif the green, cut in small pieces one inch wide and two long; boil in water until clear and a straw will pierce them; drain well, dry with a napkin, place in a jar; pour over the following, boiling hot, three days in succession: for ten pounds of melon rind take four pounds of brown sugar, one quart best vinegar, one ounce of whole mace, one ounce whole cinnamon, half ounce of whole cloves; put the spices in a thin bag and boil in the vinegar, but not left in with the pickle, as it discolors the melon; put in a jar, having them fully covered with syrup; add more vinegar if needed. Spiced Cantaloupe.