Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-10-05
A Chapter ON PickIes.

A surfeit of sweets will cloy on any TASTE
and something sharp, sour, and spicy be
gladly welcomed for a change. Hence the de-
mand for pickles
There are pickles and pickles. The only
way to have good ones, about which you
have no fear that their present state was not
brought about by doubtful means, is to over
see the operation of making them yourself
Some way the "home. made pickles" bought
at the store have an unpleasant uncertainty
about them, and too often lack the crisp Spiel
ness possessed by those which undergo the
transformations in our own kitchens, and are
homemade in fact as we'll as in brand and
imagination
If pickles are made rightly, and good ma
terials used, they will keep without further
trouble, and will be in as good condition at
the end of two years as they are a month aft
er they are put up.
Cider or white-wine vinegar should be used,
for If the vinegar is not good the pickles will
not keep. 1t is also important that whatever
kinds of fruit or vegetables are used should
be fresh.
The common way Of putting down cucum-
bers for pickles is to place them in brine as
they are cut from the vines, adding more Gu
cumbers from time to time until the barrel is
full. The brine must be strong, aud the Gu
cumbers held under it by a heavy weight.
Caulihower may be put down in the same
way. To make either into pickles they must
be soaked in water for several days, during
which time the water must be changed twice
each day. They usually keep we'll in brine,
but we think it less trouble to make them in
to pickles at once, and have them ready for
use at any time,
An excellent way TO make cucumber pick.
les, when large quantity is to be taken care
of, is to put them down with sugar. Cut the
cucumbers from the vines while quite small.
For pickles cucumbers should never exceed
three inches in length, and two inches and
two and half inches are long enough. Rinse
them by placing them in a colander and dash
ing cold water over them cover the bottom
of the barrel with layer of sugar half an
inch deep, then put in layer of cucumbers
and cover with sugar, and add alternate lay
ers of cucumbers and of sugar until the bar
rel is full. Put thick layer of sugar over
the top. The sugar and juice from the Gu
cumbers will make vinegar which makes an
excellent pickle. A weight must be put on
top to keep the pickles down, and the barrel
provided with tight wooden lid. In a short
time the pickles will be very sour. When
put down in this way they keep their fresh
green color. They are ready for table use
at any time, and need only to be rinsed off
and have fresh vinegar poured over them
but we think them best with spice added.
Take out two quarts OF pickles, rinse, and
place in jar. Take enough fresh vinegar to
cover them add to it two tablespoonfuls of
salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, one ounce of
ginger root one ounce of mustard, and half
an ounce of mace boil together ten minutes
then pour over the pickles in the jar. They
will be ready for use in ten or twelve hours
The same vinegar may be used for more
pickles.
To put up cucumbers in bottles, put them
first in strong brine for two days; remove
from the brine, and let them stay in cold wa
ter two hours; then put them over the fire
with enough weak vinegar and water to cover
them. Do not let them boil. As soon as they are
tender remove from the vinegar, and put into
bottles. Pour over them strong spiced vinegar
which has been prepared while the cucumbers
were heating. To each quart of vinegar add one
teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pep.
per, one of mustsrd-seed and quarter of an
ounce Of ginger root. Pour over the pickles
in the bottles boiling hot, and seal up immedi.
ately. Green tomatoes, caulihower, beans,
martinoes, green peppers, and nasturtiums
are put up in exactly the same manner. On
ion pickles are made the same way, except
they do not need to be put in brine.
Obewchow pickles call for all kinds of veg
etables and seed pods the garden will furnish
small green tomatoes, cucumbers, beans,
peppers, rsdish pods, onions caulihower,
cabbage, etc. There should not be enough
onions to flavor the pickles strongly. Cut the
larger vegetables into small pieces, and put
all in jar pour over them boiling salt and
water let them stand until cold then put in
bag and drain overnight After draining
pour over them boiling vinegar let them
stand until cold then pour off the vinegar
put in on the stove add one teaspoonful of
salt and ore of pepper to each quart of vine
gar For the same quantity of vinegar take
one-quarter of pound of mustard, one-half
a cupful of sugar, and One-quarter of cupful
of flour. Mix the mustard, -four, and sugar
well together dry then mix smooth with
little cold vinegar; pour into the boiling vim
egar and cook five minutes. Pack the pick.
les in bottles, but not too tightly and pour
the vinegar over them hot. Cork and seal up.
Pickles put up in this manner will keep for
years.
A good mixed pickle is made by chopping
green tomatoes, ripe cucumbers from which
the seeds have been removed, and green pep
pers. They should be chopped until no piece
is larger than pea, and but small quantity
at time, or part will be reduced to a pulp
before all ID fine enough. Add one cupful of
salt to each gallon of pickle mix well, then
put in bag and drain overnight, or six to
eight hours To enough vinegar to cover
gallon of pickle add one ounce of cloves, one
ounce of mace, and boil twenty minutes
strain out the spice, add two teaspoonfuls of
ground pepper, and four of ground mustard,
stir WELL then pour while hot over the pickle.
Green tomatoes make good sweet pickle
Take one peck of green tomatoes, slice them,
place in an earthen vessel sprinkle handful
of salt over them, and cover with boiling wa
ter Let them stand four hours drain off the
salt water, put them on in clear water, let