New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30
TIE TINY and sour CUCUMBER.

| DIRECTIONS FOR THE BEST PICKLES
Cucumbers are usually the first pickles put up in
| summer. So common is the cucumber pickle that
| to most people a pickle is always one OF cucum
| bers Od-fashoned people were accustomed 10
| take the large and small cucumbers OF the Tune
Unfortunately for picking but this Is no longer
| done by good housekeepers Only the tiny green
cucumbers. which about two or two and nall
| inches long, considered desirable for this
purpose The best gardeners raise special varieties
| of cucumbers. which small in growth and com
| pact and make firm, crisp pickles. The most de-
| sirable salad varieties not usually good Tor
| picking. The West Indian gherkin or burr Gu
| cumber is also raised for our markets This Is
| tiny oval cucumber. rough and full Of spines II
| makes very good pickle "for variety's sake. but
IL does not take the place in any way Of the small
| cucumber When the housewife lives in the coun-
| try and gather the cucumbers from her own
| vines II Is easier and better TO put them down IN
| salt from time to time they ripen on the vines
| Twenty-Five thirty may be freshcned any time
| throughout the fall and winter and put in pickle
When the housewife lives In the city and must
| purchase her supplies from The market 1t Is bet
ter for her to put them in brine for short time
and then pickle the entire quantity at once. The
| first process by which the cucumbcrs are packed
| In salt is very simple Have on hand quantity
of the best Liverpool salt. and each morning after
gathering the cucumbers pack them In layers In a
stout wooden keg kept for the purpose. Put layer
of salt at least half inch thick in the bottom OF
| the keg. and then a layer of the cucumbcrs. Put
layer OF salt about quarter of an inch thick
over these. and when twenty-five or thirty cucum-
hers have been packed in this way add large cup
! OF water. This water will dissolve the salt ana
make brine enough to cover the cucumbers Lay
a stout board and stone over the cucunbers 10 Keep
them under the brine Pick the cucumbers each
morning before the dew Is of them. and put them
| in a keg with salt and add water when necessary
| When the key Is filled cover 1t up close and keep
II IN n cold cellar until winter. when the pickles
| are wanted. BE careful that they are kept con-
! tinually under the brine by weighing them down
| with board and stone. When the pickles are
wanted take out as many as you need ana SOAK
them for three days in cold water changing the
water each day At the end Of this time put them
In n porcelain kettle and cover them WIN vinegar
Add to every quarts OF vinegar telspoonfuI
Of mustard seed half dozen small red peppers a
teaspoonful of black peppers. teaspoonful OF
mace and half cup Of sugar. Let the mixture
boil I'D for two three minutes and tho pickles
are done and are ready for use when they are colo
Or YOU may simply scald the vinegar with the
spices and sugar and throw II boiling not over
the cucumbers. without cooking them at all
piece OF alum the size OF pea dissolved In the
vinegar makes the pickles crisp but they are not
quite as wholesome for this addition. and II is not
necessary II firm cucumbers are used Where GU
cumbers are purchased by the quantity In market
and put up In vinegar they must be soaked IN prime
|
twenty-four hours but this Is hardly sufficient Z"
draw out the strong. rank juices which exist IN
all crude fruits and make IL necessary 10 soak
them in brine to render them palatabe enough l"r
use In the case OF cabbage. green tomatoes ana
many other vegetables lsed for pickles press Is
used to draw out these rank juices but this Is not
necessary in the Of cucumbers If the brine Is
made strong enough bear up a potato II VIII
require about pound of salt 10 gallon OF cola
water Let the pickles stand In the brine for three
DAYS Some housekccrcrs heat the brine and throw
| IL scalding hot the pickles but this tends 10
soften them and Is OF special advantage rs the
| rankness is fully taken out by strong cold brine
After the pickles have soaked in the brine for tire"
| DAYS wash them and test them by tasting them
| and II they too salt freshen them IN coid
| water for one two hours In any event, WASH
| the pickles very thoroughly in clear cold water
| 10 remove all traces Of brine Prepare a sIiced
| vinegar by adding 20 quarts Of vinegar tea
SPOONFUL Of whole mustard seed a teaspoonfui OF
whole black peppers. teasu"oniul oi mace ana
half "A dozen small red peppers. The red peppers
used in cucumber pickles are the small caIslcuHs'
which NAV be purchased at any drugstore. IN
ounce OF green ginger l. sometimes added to
this spiced vinegar Boil all the spices In the vine
gar for at least ten minutes Then add the GU
cumbers let the vinegar boil up once and put th'n
away They are ready for use in three or four
DAYS but are better in "A month. They VIII Keep
all winter.
AZ there have been several inquiries as TO the
nature Of green ginger. used in picking and pre-
serving 1t is well to say that this is not the drled
pinger-root OF the drugstorcs. though that Is some
times substituted II is the fresh root which
| Is brought from jamaica and the West Indies late
in the summer and early in tn" fan and which
generally retails at the grocers and especially AT
| the West India fruit stores. at about - cents a
| round The root is frequently boiled ana pre-,
| served IL Is the root used for the preserved
| ginger which from India and emma ana
| for the crystaliZcd and candicd Fingers oil COM
| mercc. MI. ..,
| sometimes be purchased. sound and good AT -
| cents "A hundred. when Their" Is abunlan"" III
| market but they more likely To cost " cents
| The country housewife. who puts down hcr 'u-
| cimber pickles from hc vine qIt"n adds niue
All from the herb-bcd To the vinegar. and she Is
| quite certain 10 throw few roots OF horse
| radish we'll washed and scraped The horscradiSh
is a very valuable addition b"calIse II helps I" Keep
| the pickles sweet and sound. Though pickles ar"
| moi likely spoil they should always u" KEPT III
| a cold place. If they Kept IN too warm u pia' y
they are apt be- attacked hy small fly. familiar
| In the autumn. and though mad" Of "a" sir"he'S'
| and best vinegar they may be infeat'd WIN
| stantly 1t would not be advisabl" for any one
| who must purchase her supply Of cucumbers from
! Inc market attempt the salt process. Dny GU
| rumbers fresh from the vine can be put up sue
! cessiulIy in this way. Ill
| Nartymias odd vegetables which arc raised
Nv some gardeners for pieces. and they are an
aycellent addition 10 the winter stock. The pI',T
creen pods. with their curling tips look Iuite
| Picturesque the table. They prepared III
VERY way exactly like cucumbers.
THE LIFE