Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-09-26
Practical Picking.


of ignorance of . few simple rules.
Many put cucumbers In brine, only to
have them spoil, get soft. This 10 caus
ed, not 30 much because Of mold MI
crobes - by the lack of certain germs.
1t ID stated BY good authority that the
pickle factories OF one state have lost
yearly thousand dollars each, just from
cucumbers becoming soft in tho brine,
It seems that the cucumber, unwashed
contains or has, the microbe needful for
Its preservation, and II the cucumbera
are washed too much before brining
this useful factor 10 eliminated. Hence,
in washing, do not use q brush, and II
with your sense Of proper cleanliness
you can be brought to brine your Gu
cumbers unwsshed, the chances are
much greater for their keeping proper.
ties. This 10 OF course, applicable only
to such cucumbers a. are kept In brine
long periods for future picking. Anoth'
or great factor of loss is that the brined
oucumbers are not kept tightly closed.
This is as essential ~ the microbe.
Where one does not put down pickles
on large scale, 1t 10 really better to put
them up either In cans or ~ open val
pickles. We hare used the two follow
ing recipes for many years, and find
them hard to beat.
For open jar cucumber pickles, put
the cucumbers into weak brine to
which has been added a little vinegar
just enough to give 1t an acid taste. To
each 2 quarts Of water used, add c. Of
vinegar and / Q. of coarse salt. 1--WE
have found the dairy and fancy prepared
table salts non-effective in brining Gu
cumbers. Especially is this true Of Gu
cumbers left in the brine.) Wash the Gu
cumbers, and put in the above brine
over night. Next day put into vinegar
prepared as follows: II this vinegar il
spicsd and mixed week or two ahead
of time SO much the better. To gal. oil
cold vinegar add &c. of sugar; this il
merely to feed the vinegar and keep 1,
strong, G. coarse salt, 2 OF. white mus.
1ard seed, 2 OF. ground mustard, 2 Uz
celery seed, OF. stick cinnamon, OF
whole cloves, with soft head removed az
this turns the vinegar dark, IL tbsp
whole blacl pepper. Mix this and put
the pickles, wiped, from the brine in it.
Cover closely and stir occasionally
These pickles keep we'll, and are pecul
iarly fine favored.
We usually use the above rule fol
open cucumber pickles. through the
producing season, as fresh supplies car
be added any time. If vinegar is good
they will be ready to use in from three
to ten days according to the size Of the
cucumbers and the strength of the vine
gar.
To can cucumber pickles. 1t is first
needful to know that the large growing
cucumbers do not lend themselves to
cutting for small pickles when small
One must use the gherkin or the cluster
oucumbers, which are small growing and
are raised for pickles, although IL allow
I'd to grow are all right for table use,
raw. The large growing cucumbers cut
when two to three inches in length fol
small pickles will invariably shrivel and
the pickles be undesirable. Cut the Gu
cumbers at night; they are then as free
from water as at any time. Put into q
weak brine, made in the proportion OF
qts. water to G. coarse salt. Wash the
cucumbers and put in this brine, the
next day remove and drain or wipe
make weak vinegar with a lump OF
alum the size of walnut, put the Gu
cumbers in this and heat to the boiling
point but do not cook at all. Pack
closely into 2 ct. glass cans, while boil
ing hot cover with the following vine
gar. For q 2 qt. can of pickles about 8
c. vinegar will be needed, unless the CO.
cumbers are packed very firmly. To
this vinegar add c. sugar and tbsp
mixed picking spices. Bring to boiling
heat and pour over the cucumbers. Fill
the can to over 10 wing and seal. These
keep years II desired and have . fresh
taste when opened. Sweet cucumber
pickles are brined and heated in weak
vinegar the same az the sour ones; then
the sweet vinegar 10 made: 8 o. vinegar,
Sc. brown sugar, 2 sticks cinnamon
broken up, II cloves, bay leaf. After
packing the hot cucumbers in the glass
can, pour over them boiling sweet vine.
gar. Cans set on vet cloth will not
break with the pouring In of hot liquid
Sweet sliced cucumber pickle, use me.
dium-sized cucumbers sliced with the
skins on. To each quart of sliced Gu.
cumbers add one large onion sliced, one
sweet pepper chopped 6ue. Sprinkle
lightly with salt and let stand in colan
der three hours. Add to the drained
mixture l Q. sugar, tsp. tumeric, q
dozen cloves with soft top picked out, ]
tsp. white mustard seed, ! tbsp. grated
horseradish. Enough vinegar to cover.
Heat to boiling but do not cook, pack
these while hot and seal.
Chunk cucumber pickles. Use medi
um-sized cucumbers. Put into a very
strong brine, q brine strong enough to
hold up an egg 10 sufficiently strong.
Leave the cucum bers in this three days.
Remove from the brine, and cover well
with cold water, and change this each
day for three days. This process is for the
hardening of the oucuwbers, 90 that
they will not cook up mushy. Cut into
inch cubes. Measure and cook slowly
for two hours on back Of stove. A few
grape leaves and piece 0t alum will
help keep the cucumbers green. To
each four quarts of cucum bers az meas.
ursd before cooking, add 8 lbs. OF brown
sugar, 8 pts. vinegar, OF. each of whole
sllspice, cinnamon stick and celery seed.
Boil vinegar and spice ten minutes, pour
hot over cucum GERS, after they are we'll
drained and packed in cans.
We also make q picked beet which
meets with great approval by selecting
small beets about Two inches in diam.
eter. Wash and boil tender, adding salt
to cooking water ten minutes before they
are done. Peel and pack beets in cans.
Have ready sweet vinegar made AZ fol-
lows: To each 2 G. OF strong vinegar
add 2 Q. white sugar and / Q. water. Oue
stick cinnamon broken, II whole cloves
with soft head removed, Q bay leaves.
Bring this to boil aud pour over hot
beets in the cans. These are the best
picked beets we have yet found.
Raw Piccalllli. Chop fine one head Of
cabbage, II green tomatoes, 6 good sized
cucumbers peeled, 9 large onions,
green peppers, and add IL Q. salt. Let
set over night, then drain. Add good
vinegar TO cover and sweeten to taste,
then add 2 tbsp. whole mustard seed,
tbsp. celery seed, or ! Q. celery chopped
fine, 9. grated horseradish. Set IN .
cool place. Will keep = long time.
IL