The Portland daily press., 1882-08-15
Domestic Pickles.

Never under any circumstances use brass,
capper or bell-metal kettles for picking, the
verdigris produced in them by the vinegar
being very poisonous. Porcelain-lined ket-
ties are best for this purpose. Vinegar for
pickles should always be the best cider or
glass Jars for putting away pickles. Have
wooden spoon or fork for the express pur-
pose of taking them out of the jar when you
wont to use them. See that they are always
covered with the vinegar. If you have any
suspicion that they are not keeping well do
them over Immediately with freshly spiced
vinegar. Vinegar for pickles should not boil
over five minutes, as too much boiling takes
away its strength. 1t is an excellent rule TO
have two thirds of the jar filled with pickles
and one-third with vinegar. A very small
quantity of alum is useful to extract the salt
and to make them firm and crisp. In green
ing pickles keep them very closely covered,
SO that none of the steam may escape, as its
retention promotes their greenness and pre-
vents their flavor from evaporating. Ii posi-
BILE ALWAYS use wooden vessel to salt the
pickles in. Never put them up in jars that
have had grease in them; never let them
freeze, and keep them from the air as much
as possible, and have cool, dry place in
which to stere them. When white specks APP
pear in the vinegar drain it from the pickles
of sugar to quart of vinegar. Pieces
horse radish and few cloves will help
preserve the vinegar. When you make
sweet pickles always use the best brown
sugar.
Cherries, barberries, nasturtiums, grapes
and red cabbage are the easiest OF all pick
les to do, as they need only to be perfectly
sound and wiped dry with clean cloth,
then put into jars and cold vinegar poured
How than aOrkQ1 tiphf1V The
The grapes must have sprinkling OF sugar
over each layer of grapes. Some whole Gin
namon, together with one-quarter as much
cloves and allspice, may be added to the vim
egar.
TO PICKLE CUCUMBERs.
Gather the cucumbers with very small
piece of the stems on them, carefully laying
them in basket, so as not to bruise them.
Select very small ones and those that are
free from spots. There are two ways for do
ing cucumbers. The best is to take firkin
or cask of any sort. cover the bottom of it
with salt, and lay in the cucumbers three or
four inches deep, covering them with salt.
Repeat this process until all are in. Pour
over the first layer some water, and this will
form a BRINE for all. Put layer of salt on
the top, and cloth tucked tightly around it,
with board fitted closely on the cloth, and
a large stone or other heavP weight to keep
it in place and to keep the cucumbers under
the brine. They must be put into the brine
as soon as picked from the vines, and they
will keep perfectly good two or threee years.
When wanted for use, take off the weight,
board and cloth very carefully, and do not
be alarmed if there is a thick scum on them.
Wash the covers off, wipe off all the sides of
the cask, and take out the cucumbers into
clean water and wash them. Place them in
a porcelain kettle large enough to hold at
least twice as muce water; change the water
for three days, and keep them where they
will keep hot, bat not boil. Have the water
only 60 hot that you can bear your hand in
it. When they are freshened sufficiently,
draiu them on sieve and put them into the
cask; boil some vinegar for five minutes put
ting into it a thin muslin bag filled with
cloves, mace and mustard seed. Pour this
boiling hot over the pickles, and close very
tightly Immediately. Allow to every two
quarts of vinegar, an ounce of mace, two
dozen cloves and two ounces of mustard
seed. A little horseradish will prevent
white scum from rising on it, and pod or
two of red pepper will add to the flacor; also
pint of brown sugar to every two gallons
of vinegar.
TO PICKLE GREEN PEPPERS.
The peppers should be gathered quite
ypung; the bell pepper is the best for pick
ling. Cut one side of the pepper open so as
not to injure the shell of the pepper. Then
put them into boiling salt and water, chang
ing the water every day for week, keeping
them in warm place by the fire. Stir them
several times day. They first become yell
low and then green. When they are fine
green put them into jar and pour cold vim
ogar over them, adding small piece of alum.
They require no spice. You may stuff the
peppers as you do mangoes.
TO PICKLE ONIONS.
Take very small onions, and witha sharp
knife peal them. Put them in the salt and
water and ldt them stand in the brine six
DAYS, stirring them often, and changing the
sslt and water every two days. See that
they are closely covered. Then put the on