The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-08-19
alsefmI aud Curious.
PICKLES AND pICKLING.

/ Ii y
Vinegar should be strong and good if one d.
sires to attain perfection in picking. Cider win
egar is the best article for the purpose that cal
be obtained. Beer vinegar ranks next, but whit
vinegar or chemists vinegar shonld not be used
! The addition of alum, to harden the pickles, i
not any Improvement on them an article o
| diet, althoughit may improve the erispness o
| the condition. Salt injnres the life of vinegar
and but decreases its agreeable properties.
Picked oNIoNs-Peel off the outer skin Of
small onions, boil them until clear or half cooked
| in salt and water and throw them while smoking
hot into jar of cold vinegar, spced as for beans
GREEN BEASs.-iather small, tender snap
beans, and boil until little soft, in salt water
Drain them ont with a skinner, and put them
into cold vinegar. If desired, you can boil somt
spices in little vinegar and add To 1t.
PIcKLED NAsTURTIUMs-.Gather the seeds
while green, and drop them into glass Jar hlled
with cold vinegar. When full scald them IN the
jar. Cover tightly, and nse in week if desired
Spices to taste can be aided. f"E 80 %.
VESSELS FOR MAKING AND KEEPISG.-A pOrce-
lain-ined kettle is the best for making all Kinds
of pickles which require cooking. Brass. copper
tin should not he used, rs the vinegar Will act
upon the metal. But, if necessity requires their
use, great cleanliness mnst be observed, and they
must be sconred to the acme of brightness before
putting in the vinegar. Wooden or silver spoons,
forks or knives should lie employed i'll preparing
all kinds of pickles. Glazed jars on the inside
must never he used to hold acid pickles, because
they produce a poisonous effect upon the vim
egar. Large-mOnthed glass bottles are decidedly
the best for small quantities; while wooden fir
kins can be taken for large amounts.
MANGOEs.-Gather small, unripe muskmelOns,
and cut a narrow, lengthwise piece, two or three
inches long, out of one of the side ribs. Scrape
ont the inside pulp and seeds with spoon, and
let the melons lie in salt and water (not very
strong) for two days. Then fill up the inside
with small bean pods radish-seed pods, two or
three sticks of cinnamon, four or five whole
cloves, a small pepper or a few peppereorns,
small tomatoes and onions, tiny black or white
mustard seed. Replace the piece taken from the
side, and tie it closely around with Irvine. Place
the mangOes in the jars where they are to remain,
and pour boiling vinegar enough to cover them
into it. In a fortnight they will be ready for
use.
PICKED PEACHEs.-Select fruit full grown
but little unripe, and take off the down by
pouring hot water over them, and then wiping
them in a soft cloth. To one peck of peaches
take one gallon of vinegar, three pounds of sugar.
one ounce of stick cinnamon, and put three or
four cloves into each peach. Or the spices can
he tied up in q cloth and boiled in the syrup.
Put the fruit into jars, and turn the syrup over
it boiling hot, having taken care to skim it very
carefnlly-boiling it with the sugar for twenty
minutes Cover closely, and set in a cool place
for three or four days. Then cover and keep in
a cool, dry closet Some persons add the beaten
whites of three eggs to clarity the sugar-if
white sugar, this is needless Pears and plums
can be picked in the same way.
PICKLED TOMAToEs.-Sliee thin one peck of
green tomatoes into a wooden bowl, and stir in
to them four five heaping tablespoonful of
salt. Let them remain one night. Next NOR
ming pour off the liquor that has gathered; turn
over them enough vinegar fully TO cover the
whole. To each quart of vinegar used add one
heaping tablespoonful of ground pepper cloves
and allspice also, two ounces of white mustard
seed, and two onions, chopped fine. Put the
whole mixture, after stirring well together, into
a porcelain kettle, and let it boil inst two min
utes. Keep closely covered, and add tU o or three
roots of horse-radsh, sliced lengthwise, to the
top of the pickles. This will prevent all pickles
from modiug. In week it will be fit for the
table,