Virginia Cookery-book

Prepare a strong brine, in which you can keep your pickles as long as you choose ; wipe the cucumbers well after taking them out of the brine, and let them soak a few days in weak vinegar to extract the salt and water ; then cut the cucumbers in slices half an inch thick. For two gallons of pickle have ready laid in some convenient place, and well combined, two ounces of allspice, half an ounce of cloves, one ounce of mace, one ounce of black pepper, half an ounce of Cayenne, a gill of celery-seed, and a pint of chopped onion. In a stone jar put a layer of cucumbers, a layer of these seasonings, and strew brown sugar over ; repeat this until your jar is filled to within three inches of the top; cover with strong vinegar; tie up the jar very securely and set it in an iron pot of cold water coming two-thirds up its sides ; let the water boil around until you can run a straw through the pieces of cucumber. N.B. — You may vary the flavoring, if you fancy, thus: ' two ounces each of cloves, mace, nutmeg, pepper, and mustard-seed ; allow about three pounds of sugar to a twogallon jar. Ripe Tomato Pickle. Gather fine ripe tomatoes and lay them in salt-water for one night ; then chop a good quantity of onions, and pack them away with the whole tomatoes in a jar ; layers of tomatoes and onions, with a plenty of pepper, salt, and allspice beaten fine and sprinkled over each layer. When the jar is full add the vinegar (sweetened or not, as you like), and tie it up close. Green Tomato Pickle, No. 1. Gather all the green tomatoes off the vines in the fall when frost seems imminent. They will keep good for some time spread on boards or shelves. Some of them will ripen, and the rest may be made into delightful pickles and catsups. To half a bushel of tomatoes put five table-spoonfuls of mustard-seed, beaten up fine (or powdered mustard), five gills of mustard -seed whole, two table-spoonfuls of ground pepper, two table-spoonfuls of allspice, two table-spoonfuls of cloves, one gill of salt, three pints of chopped onion, four pounds of brown sugar, two gallons of vinegar, or just enough to completely cover the pickle ; less may do ; boil until tolerably tender and transparent. The tomatoes should be cut into thin slices the day before you are ready for pickling, and sprinkled through and through with salt, only not too heavily. In the morning pour off all the liquor that will drain from them, and then proceed as directed above. Green Tomato Pickle, No. 2. Take one peck of tomatoes out into slices ; sprinkle with salt for one day ; strain through a colander. Make ready four onions sliced in the same way, four ounces of white mustard - seed, one ounce of cloves, one ounce of ground ginger, one ounce of black pepper, half an ounce of allspice, two ounces of ground mustard mixed as for the dinner-table. Mix the spice and the onions together ; have your kettle ready ; put in a layer of tomatoes and one of spice alternately ; then cover them with vinegar and let them simmer until the tomatoes look clear. They may be used at once. Onion Pickle. Take large white onions, and pour over them boiling saltwater ; let them stand so three days ; then pour off the brine and add fresh boiling brine, letting it remain other three days ; then take one gallon of vinegar, adding two ounces of turmeric in a thin muslin bag. Scald the vinegar a few moments, and pour over the onions boiling hot. Cover close, and let them stand ten days or two weeks ; then take out and drop into your seasoned vinegar. Walnut Pioklb.