Slice a large head of garlick, and put it into a widemouthed bottle, with half an ounce of Cayenne, two teaspoonfuls of real soy, two of walnut catsup, four anchovies chopped, a pint of vinegar, of cochineal enough to give the colour of lavender drops. Let it stand six weeks, then strain off quite clear, and keep in small bottles, sealed up.
Wipe six lemons: cut each into eight pieces: put on them a pound of salt, six large cloves of garlick, two ounces of horseradish, sliced thin; likewise of cloves, mace, nutmeg, and Cayenne, a quarter of an ounce each, and two ounces of flour of mustard; to these put two quarts of vinegar: boil a quarter of an hour in a well tinned saucepan, or which is better, do it in a strong jar, in a kettle of boiling water, or set the jar on the hot hearth till done. Set the jar by, and stir it daily for six weeks. Keep the jar close covered. Put into small bottles.
Split six or eight shalots: put them into a quart bottle: fill it up with vinegar: stop it; and in a month it will be fit for use.
Take a dozen of anchovies, chop them, and without the bone, but with some of their own liquor strained: add them to sixteen large spoonfuls of water: boil gently till dissolved, which will be in a few minutes. When cold, strain and bottle it.
Take the largest broad mushrooms, break them into an earthen pan, strew salt over, and stir them now and then for three days. Then let them stand for twelve, till there is a thick scum over. Strain, and boil the liquor with Jamaica and black peppers, mace, ginger, a clove or two, and some mustardseed. When cold, bottle it, and tie a bladder over the cork. In three months boil it again with some fresh spice, and it will then keep a twelvemonth.
Take a stewpan full of the large flap mushrooms, that are not wormeaten, and the skins and fringe of those you have picked; throw a handful of salt among them, and set them by a slow fire. They will produce a great deal of liquor, which you must strain; and put to it four ounces of shalots, two cloves of garlick, a good deal of pepper, ginger, mace, cloves, and a few bayleaves. Boil and skim very well. When cold, cork close. In two months boil it up again, with a little fresh spice, and a stick of horseradish, and it will then keep the year; which mushroom catsup rarely does, if not boiled a second time.
Boil a gallon of the expressed juice of walnuts when they are tender, and skim it well: then put in two pounds of anchovies, bones and liquor, ditto of shalots, one ounce of cloves, ditto of mace, ditto of pepper, and one clove of garlick. Let all simmer till the shalots sink; then put the liquor into a pan till cold. Bottle, and divide the spice to each. Cork closely, and tie a bladder over.
It will keep twenty years, and is not good the first. Be very careful to express the juice at home; for it is rarely unadulterated, if bought.
Some people make liquor of the outside shell when the nut is ripe; but neither the flavour nor colour is then so fine.
Open the cockles: scald them in their own liquor: add a little water when the liquor settles, if you have not enough: strain through a cloth, then season with every savory spice; and if for brown sauce, add port wine, anchovies, and garlick; if for white, omit these, and put a glass of sherry wine, lemonjuice and peel, mace, nutmeg, and white pepper. If for brown, burn a bit of sugar for colouring.
It is better to have cockles enough, than to add water; and they are cheap.
Wash half a peck of large mushrooms while quite fresh, and free them from grit and dirt with flannel. Scrape out the black part clean, and do not use any that are wormeaten: put them into a stewpan over the fire without water, with two large onions, some cloves, a quarter of an ounce of mace, and two spoonfuls of white pepper, all in powder. Simmer and shake them till all the liquor be dried up, but be careful they do not burn. Lay them on tins or sieves in a slow oven, till they are dry enough to beat to powder; then put the powder in small bottles, corked and tied closely, and keep in a dry place.
A teaspoonful will give a very fine flavour to any soup or gravy, or any sauce; and it is to be added just before serving, and one boil given to it after it is put in.
Wipe them clean; and of the large take out the brown, and peel off the skin. Lay them on paper to dry in a cool oven, and keep them in paper bags in a dry place. When used, simmer them in the gravy, and they will swell to near their former size. To simmer them in their own liquor till it dry up into them, shaking the pan, then drying on tin plates, is a good way, with spice or not, as above, before made into powder.
Tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place, or in paper.
To every gallon of water, put two pounds of the very coarsest sugar: boil and skim thoroughly; then put one quart of cold water for every gallon of hot. When cool, put into it a toast spread with yeast. Stir it nine days; then barrel, and set it in a place where the sun will lie on it, with a bit of slate on the bunghole.
When sufficiently sour, it may be bottled: or may be used from the cask, with a wooden spigot and faucet.
Boil spring water; and when cold, put to every three quarts, a quart of bruised ripe gooseberries in a large tub. Let them remain sixty hours, stirring often: then strain through a hair bag, and to each gallon of liquor add a pound of the coarsest sugar. Put it into a barrel, and a toast and yeast, cover the bunghole with a bit of slate, &c. as above. The greater quantity of sugar and fruit, the stronger the vinegar.
After making raisin wine, when the fruit has been strained, lay it on a heap to heat: then to every hundred weight put fifteen gallons of water. Set the cask, and put yeast, &c. as before.
As vinegar is so necessary an article in a family, and one on which so great a profit is made, a barrel or two might always be kept preparing, according to what suited. If the raisins of wine were ready, that kind might be made: if a great plenty of gooseberries made them cheap, that sort; or if neither, then the sugar vinegar, so that the cask may not be left empty, and grow musty.
Mix in the finest powder, one ounce of ginger; of cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and Jamaica pepper, half an ounce of each; ten cloves, and six ounces of salt. Keep it in a bottle. It is an agreeable addition to any brown sauces or soups.
Spice in powder, kept in small bottles, close stopped, goes much further than when used whole. It must be dried before pounded; and should be done in quantities that may be wanted in three or four months. Nutmeg need not be done; but the others should be kept in separate bottles, with a little label on each.
Beat to powder four ounces of doubly refined sugar: put it into a very nice iron fryingpan, with one ounce of fine fresh butter: mix it well over a clear fire, and when it begins to froth, hold it up higher. When of a very fine dark brown, pour in a small quantity of a pint of port wine; and the whole by very slow degrees, stirring all the time. Put to the above half an ounce of Jamaica, and the same of black pepper, six cloves of shalots peeled, three blades of mace bruised, three spoonfuls of mushroom, and the same of walnut catsup, some salt, and the finely pared rind of a lemon. Boil gently fifteen minutes; pour it into a bason till cold; take off the scum, and bottle for use.
Salt them well, and let the salt drain from them. In twenty four hours wipe them dry, but do not wash them. Mix four ounces of common salt, an ounce of bay salt, an ounce of saltpetre, a quarter of an ounce of sal prunel, and half a teaspoonful of cochineal, all in the finest powder. Sprinkle it among three quarts of the fish, and pack them in two stone jars. Keep in a cold place, fastened down with a bladder.
These are pleasant on bread and butter: but have the best for sauce.
Pour on them beef brine.
Add fresh vinegar, that has been scalded, and become cold; and tie them close, to keep out the air.
Mix the best Durham flour of mustard by degrees, with boiling water, to a proper thickness, rubbing it perfectly smooth: add a little salt, and keep it in a small jar, close covered; and put only as much into the glass as will be used soon; which should be wiped daily round the edges.
Mix the mustard with new milk by degrees, to be quite smooth, and add a little raw cream. It is much softer this way, is not bitter, and will keep well.
The patent mustard is by many preferred, and it is perhaps as cheap, being always ready: and if the pots are returned, three pence is allowed for each.
A teaspoonful of sugar to half a pint of mustard, is a great improvement, and softens it.