The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-10-09
PICKLES SWEET AND PICKLES SOUR.

In picking, it is always safer to use a
porcelain or agate iron-ware kettle; but
if brass utensil is the only one available,
it should first be well secured with salt
and water, and the pickles never be al
lowed to remain in it very long. A good
cider vinegar is necessity and it should
be both clear and strong. The fruit or
vegetables, too, must be fresh and firm,
for if at all witliered the pickles are sure
to be labby. Take plenty of time to the
work, and when completed either keep
the jars in dark place, or else wrap
them in blue or brown paper. If it is
desired to have the pickles very green,
line the kettle with grape leaves, or
sprinkle with powdered alum--thc pro-
portion being a teaspoonful to a gallon
of water-but many good housewives do
not consider it necessary to ''green" even
their cucumbers, as it adds nothing to
the flavor and gives them "shoppy"
look not always desirable.
For those vegetables that are 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
vinegar. If scum ever appears on top,
turn off the vinegar aud wash the pickles
thoroughly. Then boil the vinegar aud
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
cucumbers known as gherkins is recon-
mended as follows: Soak them in brine
for forty eight hours, then to each one
hundred gherkins allow an ounce of mus
tard-seed, an ounce of cloves, table
spoonful of salt, q 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 a kettle on the stove and
cover them with vinegar. Drop in the
bags of spice, slice the peppers and heat
all together slowly. When scaLiing hot
they are ready to pack away in stone
lar, but should be examined week or
ten days later and any soft ones ex-
:racted.
Chow-chow is always favorite pickle,
and nice recipe is, one head of cauli-
flower separated into tiny sprays; one
quart of sliced cucumbers; one pint Of
small onions, cut in half; one quart oil
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 all
the condiments together except the MUS
tard, and tic 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 beep
stirred the sugar and mustard. Bring te
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 tcaspoonfuls
each of allspice and ground cloves. Slice,
but do not peel the tomatoes. Peel and
chop the onions very tiuc. Put layer
of tomatoes in the kettle and sprinkle With
onion, sugar and spice. Then more to-
matocs, and more sugar, spice, etc., al
tcrnating, until all are in. Heat slowly
and stew gently for three-quarters of an
hourafter they begin to boil. This pickle
should.bc put up in small jars, as it docs
not keep long after being opened. 1t is
a most appetizing accompaniment for
cold meat.
A sweet pickle equal to that made of
citrons, can be coacocted from tho rinds
of watcrmclons, the portion of that fruit
which is often thrown away. Boil two
pounds of rinds in clear water until quito
tender. Drain them well. Make a syrup
of two pounds of sugar. one qu:.rt of
vinegar, half III ounce of mace, an ounce
of cinnamon, aud some roots of ginger
boiled until thick. Pour over the melon
riuds while very hot. Drain oil 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.
american Ayricultu'ist.