Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-14
Table
Kitchen.

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Conducted by Ida Ames Willis.
Marquette Building, Chicago. All rights
reserved by Banning Co. Chicago.
SWEET PICKLES.
Spiced and sweet picked fruits have
superseded the preserved fruits to
very great extent, as a pleasant ming
ling of sweet and sour is more agree
able to the majority of tastes than
either the very acid of sour pickles or
the GLOWING sweetness of the old-fash-
Toned preserves. Much of the success
OF your handiwork in picking lies in
the quality of the vinegar used. Get
only the purest and best. The white
wine variety (if you get it, is the best.
and the second best is the pure strong
cider vinegar.
In regard to spices used, cloves are
the strongest and should not be used
TOO generously; mace comes next, and
a very small quantity of this will be
required; then comes allspice and GIN
namon. Ginger is used in many sweet
pickles, especially of the fruit variety,
and is the most wholesome of all the
spices.
For the work of picking select your
acid. The saucepans and kettles must
be lined with porcelain and it is best TO
use wooden spoons and forks Nne
cheap salad sets will ansWer), large
spoons, large-mouthed tunnels, meas
ures and in fact all the necessary
utensils for the work except the jars
may be obtained in the agate or porce
lain-lined ware. Glass jars best, put
ungIazed earthen ones may be useo
when large quantities of pickles are 10
be preserved and one desires u
economiZe in space on pantry or closet
shelves. IF glass jars are used Keep
themiin dark place, or II TINS ho'
possible slip the thick heavy paper
bags-which come from the grocer IS
over them, or wrap well in newspapers.
If YOU are q "fiat-dweller" and Obliged
to keep your preserves and pickles on
the pantry shelves you can adopt the
idea one good, practical housewife mas
carried out-that of having drop
door" placed on the top shelf, which
can be easily let down to protect the
lars from the light, and may be raised
to remove or admit the jars by having
n bracket arranged for its support or
q hook and loop fastened to the cell
ing Another housewife has SIDING
doors placed on one or two of her pam
try shelves, making a very satisfactory
"nreserye closet" Scalding or par
boiling fruit and vegetables to De
spiced and picked will cause them 70
absorb the vinegar more readily. pu'
they will not be so crisp. All articles
should be perfectly cold and dry. after
parboiling, before putting them III
vinegar Unless strong vinegar is used
the spiced or sweet pickles will be IN
sipid. Never use raw vinegar, rs II Is
apt to become ropy and does not keep
well. Cider vinegar Is never sale u
use unless scalded. But it should no'
be boiled too long. as overwhelming
destroys it's strength, and it should BE-
very strong when poured over the run
the first time; therefore use it as soof
as it comes to the boiling point.
Long boiling gives you a richer col
ored fruit, but robs it of much of the
natural favor. Pears and such fruit us
is likely to harden if placed at once
into a thick syrup should be cooked IL
clear water or q very weahksyrup untl
they are just tender. On the othei
hand, peaches and apples will soften il
placed at first in the rich syrup. Td
extract the Juice and harden them
strew sugar over them and let then
stand over night or at least for several
hours, or better still, cook them for 4
very few minutes in good thick syrup
then lift them out with wire spoon on
SKINNER, lay them on fiat dishes and
place them in the sun for several hours,
then arrange in the jars and pour
the boiling hot syrup over them.
A Good Sweet Pickle.
This formula will answer for most
fruits: Take four quarts of best vine-
gar, five pounds of best brown or coffee
G. sugar, quarter of a pound of stick
cinnamon and two ounces of whole
cloves to seven pounds of fruit. Boil
up and skim we'll before pouring over
the fruit. Most housekeepers re-scalc
the syrup several times before finally
putting away in order to insure against
fermentation.
Sweet Picked PIums.
Select perfect plums, free from all de-
cay, wipe and place in the preserving
kettle, first placing layer of plums,
and over this the best cane sugar, ana
sprinkle over cinnamon and cloves.
continue until all the fruit spices and
sugar are used: then pour over the
vinegar and set in bath of cold water
and cook until the plums are tender but
not broken. The proportions for the
above recipe are eight pounds of plums,
four pounds of sugar. two teaspoon