PICKLES.
India.
Lay a pound of white ginger in water one night: then scrape, slice, and lay it in salt in a pan till the other ingredients shall be ready.
Peel, slice, and salt a pound of garlick three days; then put it in the sun to dry. Salt and dry long pepper in the same way.
Prepare various sorts of vegetables thus:
Quarter small white cabbages: salt three days: squeeze and set them in the sun to dry.
Cauliflowers cut in their branches: take off the green from radishes: cut celery in three inch lengths: ditto French beans whole, likewise the shoots of alder, which will look like bamboo. Apples and cucumbers, choose of the least seedy sort; cut them in slices, or quarters, if not too large. All must be salted, drained, and dried in the sun, except the latter; over which you must pour boiling vinegar, and, in twelve hours, drain them, but no salt must be used.
Put the spice, garlick, a quarter of a pound of mustardseed, and as much vinegar as you think enough for the quantity you are to pickle, into a large stonejar, and one ounce of turmeric to be ready against the vegetables shall be dried. When they are ready, observe the following directions: put some of them into a two quart stonejar, and pour over them one quart of boiling vinegar: next day take out those vegetables, and when drained, put them into a large stock jar, and boiling the vinegar, pour it over some more of the vegetables; let them lie a night, and do as above. Thus proceed till you have cleansed each set from the dust which must inevitably fall on them by being so long in doing: then, to every gallon of vinegar, put two ounces of flour of mustard, mixing, by degrees, with a little of it boiling hot. The whole of the vinegar should have been previously scalded, but left to be cool before put to the spice. Stop the jar tight.
This pickle will not be ready for a year; but you may make a small jar for eating in a fortnight, by only giving them one scald in water, after salting and drying as above, but without the preparative vinegar; then pour the vinegar that has the spice and garlick, boiling hot over. If at any time it be found that the vegetables have not swelled properly, boiling the pickle, and pouring it over them hot, will plump them.
English Bamboo, to Pickle.
Cut the large young shoots of alder, which put out in the middle of May, (the middle stalks are most tender) peel off the outward peel, or skin, and lay them in salt and water, very strong, one night. Dry them piece by piece in a cloth. Have in readiness a pickle thus made and boiled. To a quart of vinegar put an ounce of white pepper, an ounce of sliced ginger, a little mace and pimento, and pour boiling on the alder shoots, in a stonejar: stop close, and set by the fire two hours, turning the jar often, to keep scalding hot. If not green when cold, strain, off the liquor, and pour boiling hot again; keeping it hot as before. Or, if you intend to make Indian pickle, the above shoots are a great improvement to it: in which case you need only pour boiling vinegar and mustardseed on them; and keep them till your jar of pickles shall be ready to receive them.
Melon Mangoes.
There is a particular sort for this purpose which the gardeners know. Cut a square small piece out of one side, and through that take out the seeds, and mix with them mustard seeds and shred garlick; stuff the melon as full as the space will allow, and replace the square piece. Bind it up with a small new packthread. Boil a good quantity of vinegar, to allow for wasting, with peppers, salt, ginger, and pour boiling hot over the mangoes four successive days; the last, put flour of mustard, and scraped horseradish into the vinegar just as it boils up. Stop close. Observe that there is plenty of vinegar. All pickles are spoiled if not well covered. Mangoes should be done soon after they are gathered.
Pickled Onions.
In the month of September, choose the small white round onions, take off the brown skin; have ready a very nice tin stewpan of boiling water; throw in as many onions as will cover the top. As soon as they look clear on the outside, take them up as quick as possible with a slice, and lay them on a clean cloth, cover them close with another, and scald some more, and so on. Let them lie to be cold, then put them in a jar, or glass widemouth bottle, and pour over them the best white wine vinegar, just hot, but not boiling. When cold, cover them.
Cucumbers and Onions sliced.
Cut them in slices, and sprinkle salt over them: next day drain them for five or six hours, then put them into a jar, and pour boiling vinegar over them, keeping in a warm place. The slices should be thick. Repeat the boiling vinegar, and stop instantly; and so on till green.
Pickled sliced Cucumbers, another way.
Slice large unpared cucumbers, an inch thick; slice onions, and put both into a broad pan: strew a good deal of salt among them. In twenty four hours drain them, and then lay them on a cloth to dry. Put them in small stonejars, and pour in the strongest plain vinegar, boiling hot: stop the jars close. Next day boil it again, and pour over, and thus thrice; the last time add whole white pepper, and a little ginger. Keep close covered.
Young Cucumbers.
Choose nice young gherkins; spread them on dishes; salt them, and let them lie a week: drain them, and, putting them in a jar, pour boiling vinegar over them. Set them near the fire, covered with plenty of vineleaves. If they do not become a tolerable good green, pour the vinegar into another jar, set it over the hot hearth, and when it boils, pour it over them again, covering with fresh leaves; and thus do till they are of as good a colour as you wish: but as it is now known, that the very fine green pickles are made so by using brass or bell metal vessels, which, when vinegar is put into them, become highly poisonous, few people like to eat them.
Note. Acids dissolve the lead in the tinning of saucepans. Pickles should never be kept in glazed jars, but in stone or glass; and vinegar, or any acids, should be boiled, by putting them in jars of stone, over a hot hearth, or in a kettle of water.
To Pickle Walnuts.
When they will bear a pin to go into them, put on them a brine of salt and water boiled, and strong enough to bear an egg, being quite cold first. It must be well skimmed while boiling. Let them soak twelve days, then drain them, and pour over them in the jar a pickle of the best white wine vinegar, with a good quantity of pepper, pimento, ginger, mace, cloves, mustardseed, and horseradish; all boiled together, but cold. To every hundred of walnuts, put six spoonfuls of mustardseed, and two or three heads of garlick, or shalot; but the latter is least strong.
Thus done, they will be good for several years, if kept close covered. The air will soften them. They will not be fit to eat under six months.
The pickle will serve as good catsup, when the walnuts are used.
Nasturtions, for Capers.
Keep them a few days after they are gathered; then pour boiling vinegar over them, and when cold, cover.
They will not be fit to eat for some months; but are then finely flavoured, and by many preferred to capers.
An excellent way to Pickle Mushrooms, to preserve the flavour.
Buttons must be rubbed with a bit of flannel and salt; and from the larger, take out the red inside, for when they are black they will not do, being too old. Throw a little salt over, and put them into a stewpan, with some mace, and pepper. As the liquor comes out, shake them well, and keep them over a gentle fire till all of it be dried into them again; then put as much vinegar into the pan as will cover them; give it one warm, and turn all into a glass or stonejar. They will keep two years, and are delicious.
Red Cabbage.
Slice it into a colander, and sprinkle each layer with salt; let it drain two days, then put it into a jar, and pour boiling vinegar enough to cover, and put a few slices of red beet root. Observe to choose the purple red cabbage. Those who like the flavour of spice, will boil it with the vinegar. Cauliflower, cut in branches, and thrown in after being salted, will look of a beautiful red.