The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-24
PICKLES SWEET AND PICKLES SOUR.

PIChLES SWEEI AMI FlIhhhs SoCh'
In picking, it is always safer to use
porcelain or agate iron-ware kettle; but
if brass utensil Is the only one available,
it should first be we'll secured with salt
and water, and the pickles never be al
lowed to remain in it very long. a good
cider vinegar il, a necessity and it should
be both clear and strong. The frult or
vegetables, too, must be fresh and firm,
for if at all withered the pickles are sure
to be flabby. Take plenty of time to the
work, and when completed either keep
The jars in a, dark place, or else wrap
them in blue or brown paper. If 1t IS
desired to have the pickles very green,
line the kettle with grape leaves, or
sprinkle with powdered alum-the pro-
portion being teaspoonful to gallon
of water-5ut many good housewives do
not consider it necessary to "green" even
their cucumbers, as it adds nothing to
the favor and gives them "shoppy"
look not always desirable. !
For those vegetables that ore to be
laid in salt and water before picking the
old direction ''brine strong enough to
bear up an egg" is as good as any, and
this calls for about one quart of salt to
three gallons of water. Lay plate on
pickles to keep them we'll under the,
yinegay i SCUM eyer appears ea t9p,
turn off the vinegar and wash the pickles
thoroughly. Then boil the vinegar and
skim off all froth, continuing the boiling
as long as the scum rises. Throw back
over the pickles while still hot.
An easy method of putting up the tiny
eucumbers known as gherkins is recon-
mended as follows: Soak them in brine
for forty-eight hours, then TO each one
hundred g6erkins allow an ounce Of mus
tard.seed, an ounce of cloves, table
spoonful OF salt, cupful of sugar, and
two small red peppers. Do the spices
up in thin muslin bags, using two bags
to each hundred pickles. Place the Gu
cumbers in kettle on the stove and
cover them with vinegar. Drop in the
bags of spice, slice the peppers and heat
all together slowly. When scal'ting hot
thew are ready to pack away in stone
lar. but should be examined week or
ten daJs later and any soft ones ex-
tracted. - -
ChoW-chow is always favorito pickle,
and a nice recipe is, one head OF ca1li-
flower separated into tiny sprays; one
quart of sliced cucumbers; one pint of
small onions, cut in half; one quart OF
green tomatoes sliced; four green pep
pers sliced; five pints of vinegar, two
cups of granulated sugar, one teaspoon;
full each of ground cinnamon, cloves
mace and celery seeds, and four table
spoonfuls Of ground mustard. Mix al
tie Condiments together except the mus
tard, and tie them in two small! muslin
bags. Place these and the vegetables in
a preserving kettle and pour over them
the cold vinegar, into which has been
stirred the sugar and mustard. Bring to
the scalding point, boil for half an hour,
and then set away in glass jars or bottles:
One of the most delicious pickles, and
one that seems comparatively little
known, is made Of green tomatoes. TO
one gallon of green tomatoes take SIX
onions, one quart of vinegar, two cups OF
sugar, one tablespoonful each of mustard,
black pepper and salt; two, teaspoonfuls
each of allspicc spd ground cloves. Slice,
but do not peel the tomatoes. Peel and
chop the onions very fine. Put layer
of tomatoes in the kettle and sprinkle with
onion, sugar and spice. Then more to-
matocs, and more sugar, spice, etc., al
ternating, until all are in. Heat slowly
and stew gently for quarters of an
hour after they begin to boil. This pickle
should be put up in small jars, as it does
not keep long after being opened. It is
a most appetizing accompaniment fot
cold meat.
A sweet pickle equal to that made of
citrons, can be concocted from the rinds
of watcrmelons, the portion of that fruit
which is often thrown away. Boil two
pounds of rinds in clear water until quite
tender. Drain them we'll Make syrup
of two pounds of sugar. one quart OF
vinegar, Lalf an ounce of mace, an ounce
of cinnamon, and some roots of ginger
boiled until thick. Pour over the melon
riuds while very hot Drain of the syrup
the next day, heat it again, and again
pour it over boiling hot. Repeat this
for three days in succession, after which
it may be left on and the pickles set
AWAY. They will keep for two years.