Evening star., 1901-08-10
Table and Kitchen.
Practical Suggestiohs About what to
Eat and How to Prepare Food.

| Next to her preserve1closet does the care
| full housewife view with pride and satisfac-
tion her goodIy supply of pickles and
spice and such things nice'H at the end of
4 the summer season. ~
1t is questionable economy for the city
housekeeper to spend time and labor in
| this way for obvious reasons. Many have
not the convenient space for even a few
| dozen Jars of preserves and pickles, espe-
| cially If they are 'f1atIdwellers" One great
objection, however, issthat 1t is difficult to
| get green vegetables in the best condition
! for picking in city markets. 1t is there
! fore wiser for the housekeeper under such
| circumstances to depend on first-class
| "store goods" If she desires these acces-
sories for her table.
There are however, some certain kinds
| of pickles such as cold catsups and yari-
Gus pepper sauces and relishes made from
| tomatoes, ripe and green, and from cab
| bage and corn, that may be made at home
| at less expense than to buy the same quail
| ity of goods in the winter Mixed pickles
| are the most difficult to put I'D at home
| for care and attention must be given in
| obtaining the different vegetables at lust
| the proper time and keeping them until
| all needed materials are gathered together
The WholesOmeness of Pickles.
1t is too generally admitted that pickles
are not wholesome to attempt to question
the point even in favor of few that may
be less harmful than others. So long as
people will consume such products it is
necessary to lessen the harm as much as
possible by warning against certain dam
gerous customs observed in the picking
process. In the first place, use only the
best cider vinegar unless you can make
your own fruit vinegars. Pickles must be
boiled in earthen, granite or porcelain
vessels; never in tin or copper, as the
solvent action of the strong acid in vine
gar upon poisonous metal will produce
poison that will find its way into the
pickles. Aluminium and copper vessels are
to be avoided if one has any regard for
health. Beware of the beautiful green
pickles that look so invitingly fresh These
are often coored with sulphate of "copper"
which is a deadly poison, or are cooked in
copper or brass vessels which produce the
same result, even if in lesser degree
In making your own pickles you can
avoid all dangers arising from use of
harmful materials and cooking in improper
manner, even If you cannot make the
pickles more digestible.
The Vinegar.
We have said that the quality of vinegar
has much to do with the keeping as well
as the quality of the pickles. Always use
strong vinegar, as heating weakens it.
The vinegar should be scalding hot when
poured over the pickles. Raw vinegar does
not keep we'll and becomes ropy The vine
gar should be two or three inches above
the top of the pickles in the jars. OF
course, this refers to whole pickles of all
kinds When vegetables are parboiIed they
absorb the vinegar more readily, but they
lose their crispness. After parboilng throw
into cold water; then drain and let get
cold before adding the hot vinegar.
Sweet Pickle for PIuIns, Peaches or
Tomatoes
Take four quarts Of cider vinegar, five
pounds of sugar, quarter of pound of
cinnamon, two ounces of cloves, to seven
pounds of fruit Boil the sugar and vim
egar together and skim; add the spices
and boil up at once and pour over the fruit.
Pour off the vinegar and scald twice more
during the day and then cover close. A
less expensive way isito take four pounds
of sugar to eight pounds of fruit two
ounces of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves,
one teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful
allspice. &C. .
Picked Gherklns.
Take 200 to 300 small, unripe cucumbers,
wipe them thoroughly, lay them on a dish
and salt well, and let them Iemain eight or
nine hours; then drain, lay them in jar,
and pour enough boiling vinegar over them
to cover them. Place near the fire, covered
with grapevine leaves. If they do not be-
COME Suilcle1llly green pour OIL the vinegar,
reboil and pour over the cucumbers and
cover with fresh ieaves; continue to do this
until they become as green you wish
Then pour off the vinegar once more, and
to one gallon add six small red peppers, two
sticks cinnamon, two tablespoonfuls whole
allspice. two tablespoonfuls Of cloves. Boil
up and pour over the pickles and cover
closely.
Picked Cucumbers.
Take 300 small cucumbers, and take
one quart of salt dissolved in the water.
Cover and let stand forty-eight hours. Then
drain and wipe hem carefully. Put them
in large jar, with one large onion stuck
full of cloves, one green pepper a small
root Of horseradish cut in strips and two or
three bay leaves. Boil vinegar enough to
cover them we'll Take piece of muslin
six inches square and fill with mixture of
whole cloves, ailspice. stick cinnamon,
mace, white mustard seed and pepper
corns; tie with a stout twine and boil in
the vinegar for ten minutes, then pour over
be distributed in smaller bags and placed
here and there among the pickles.
Melon MangOes (MuskmeIOn Pickles).
Use the very small, unripe muskmelons,
| and cut an oval piece out of one side; re-
move seeds with a teaspoon and fill In with
stuffing of chopped cabbage, onion, scraped
horseradish, mustard seed, nasturtiums,
celery seed, whole pepper, little ground
| cinnamon and cloves, and salt to taste.
Put in the piece of melon and tie firmly in
place and put into jars; cover with boiling,
slightly salted vinegar, and let stand twen-
ty-four hours. Do this three times, let
ting them stand where they will keep hot
for half an hour the last time. Then. when
cold. cover with fresh vinegar and strew
few bits of horseradish over the top to
keep from molding. Green peppers, cucum-
bers ard green tomato mangoes may be
hlled In the same way These vegetables
should first be soaked (after seeds are
taken OUT In a brine made Of clear. cold
water and salt strong enough to hold up
an egg.
India Relish.
TWO quarts of chopped green tomatoes:
two quarts of chopped ripe cucumbers;
scant cup of salt; let stand twenty-four
hours and drain in coarse, thin muslin. Put
two quarts of good vinegar on to boil; add
level tablespoonful Of pepper, IL of mus
| tard. one level tablespoonful allspice, 1k
OF cloves and 11a of cinnamon; when vine
gar Is boiling put in the tomatoes and GU
cumbers, four chopped white onions and
four green peppers chopped fine. Let boil
for 20 minutes.
Sweet Picked Peaches.