CHAPTER XXVI.

PICKLES AND FAMILY SAUCES.

739. ALTHOUGH meat, when cured and dried, is called "pickled," yet in that operation salt alone is employed as brine, while in the pickling of vegetables, of which we are about to treat, the means chiefly used is vinegar.

In the making of all sorts of pickles, salads, and sauces in which vinegar is employed, it is of much importance to have it of the strongest quality, as well as of the best flavour, of which that only which is made from white wine, and usually imported from France, can be called really good. Even when brought from thence, unless purchased from a very respectable oilman, it will probably be adulterated: the fact is, that nothing but the commonest English vinegar, made from molasses and stale small beer, is ever to be found in the shops of the petty dealers. If, therefore, you like a welldressed salad, never buy any other than real Provence or Italian oil, and the best Orleans vinegar. They are certainly dearest in price, but are much the best in quality. If the flavour of chilis, capsicums, tarragon, eschalots, garlic, or any root, is wished to be imparted to the vinegar, it is only necessary to put a portion of either (say 1 oz.) into a bottleful of the liquid; cork it closely, and in a very few weeks it will be found thoroughly impregnated with the peculiar taste; then strain it off, and fill the bottle up again, as it will answer for more than once. The flavour of any herb will also be communicated by boiling it for a short time in the acid; as well as a few fruits, the flavour of which is very delicious when imparted to vinegar.

Pickles should be made at home, as both cheaper and better than if bought at oil-shops, where they are invariably made up with pyroligneous acid-a species of vinegar which, though very strong, has a disagreeable flavour. The pickles should be kept either in bottles, or in stone or unglazed jars, as the vinegar, or even soured vegetables, will corrode the glazing of the jars, which, being made from lead, is poisonous.

Rules to be observed with Pickles.-Avoid as much as possible the use of metal vessels in preparing them. Acids dissolve the lead that is in the tinning of saucepans, and corrode copper and brass; consequently, if kept in such for any length of time, they become highly poisonous. When it is necessary to boil vinegar, do it in a stone jar on a stove.

Use also wooden spoons and forks.

See that the pickles are always completely covered with vinegar; and if any symptoms appear of their becoming mouldy, boil the vinegar again, adding a little more spice. It is a good rule to have two-thirds of the jar filled with pickles and one-third with vinegar; keep them also close stopped, as exposure to the air makes the pickle soft.

In greening pickles, keep them closely covered, so that none of the steam of the vinegar in which they are boiled be allowed to evaporate; and boil them only for a few minutes, or it will take away their strength.

A very small quantity of alum will make them firm and crisp, but too much will spoil them.

TO PICKLE ONIONS.

740.-Silver Sort.-Choose small button onions, as near of a size as possible; throw them into warm water, which will prevent their affecting the eyes so much while peeling them.a As they are peeled, throw them into a strong brine of salt and water, with a small bit of alum; let them remain in this till the next day, then put them on the fire, and boil them in it for a minute. Or, as they are peeled, throw them into milk and water; drain them from this when they are all done, put them into a jar, and pour the brine on them boiling hot; cover them close, and set them aside till the next day; drain, and dry them in a cloth; put them into cold distilled vinegar, with a few blades of bruised ginger, some whole pepper, and, if approved, a little mace and sliced horseradish; keep them always well covered with vinegar; cork the jar close, and put it in a cool dry place.

Full-grown Sort.-Peel and slice large onions, and sprinkle them with salt. To every gallon take about a dozen capsicums, either dry or green, slicing only a part; add a

a A simple way to prevent this is by putting a crust of bread on the point of your knife and occasionally smelling at it.

few cloves, some pepper and allspice, all whole. Put the onions into jars, distribute the spices pretty equally among them, fill up the jars with vinegar, and set them in a pan of cold water over the fire, taking care that they are closely tied down with a bladder: keep a wet cloth over them to prevent the bladder from bursting. In about 1 hour the onions will be soft enough.

Onions and Cucumbers.-To every dozen of cucumbers put 3 large onions; cut both in thick slices, and sprinkle salt over them. Next day drain them for 5 or 6 hours, then put them into a stone jar, pour boiling vinegar over them, and keep them in a warm place. Repeat the boiling vinegar, and stop them up again instantly, and so on till green; the last time put pepper and ginger; keep in stone jars. The vinegar is very good for winter salads.

GARLIC PICKLE.-E. R.

741.-Steep lb. of ginger in strong salt and water for 5 days, then cut it into slices and dry it in the sun; put it into a large stone jar with a gallon of the best white-wine vinegar. Peel 1 lb. of garlic, salt it well, and let it stand in the salt 3 days; wipe it, and dry it in the sun, then put it into the pickle; add also lb. of long pepper steeped in salt and water and well dried, 1 lb. of mustard-seed bruised, and lb. of turmeric. Shake these ingredients well in the jar, and add anything that it is desirable to pickle as it comes into season, salting and drying them previously in the sun. When completed, the pickle should be kept a year or two before it is used.

Shalots may be pickled in the same way; or if put, as we have already stated, in a bottle of cold vinegar, their flavour will be imparted to it in the course of a month.

CUCUMBERS.

742.—If full-grown, the small long sort are the best for pickling. Let them be fresh-gathered; pull off the blossoms, but do not rub them; pour over them a strong brine of salt and water boiling hot, cover them close, and let them stand all night. The next day stir them gently to take off the sand, drain them on a sieve, and dry them on a cloth; make a pickle with the best white-wine vinegar, ginger, pepper (long and round), and a little garlic. When the pickle boils throw in the cu

cumbers, cover them, and make them boil as quickly as possible for 3 or 4 minutes; put them into a jar with the vinegar, and cover them closely; when cold, put in a sprig of dill, the seed downward. They will be exceedingly crisp and green done in this manner; but if they do not appear to be of a fine colour, boil up the pickle the next day, and pour it boiling on the cucumbers.

To pickle Gherkins.-Choose nice young ones, spread them on dishes, salt them, and let them lie a week, with a small bit of alum; then drain them, and, putting them in a jar, pour boiling vinegar over them. Set them near the fire, covered with plenty of vine-leaves; if they do not become a tolerably good green, pour the vinegar into another jar, set it over the hot hearth, and when it becomes too hot to bear your hand, but still not to boil, pour it over them again, covering with fresh leaves; and thus do till they are of as good a colour as you wish. As an additional reason for preparing them at home, it is indeed well known that the very fine green pickles are made so by the dealers using brass or bell-metal vessels, which, when vinegar is put into them, become highly poisonous. If spices be not mixed among the pickle, put into the kettle in a thin muslin bag allspice, mace, and mustard-seed, to every quart of vinegar in the proportion of rather less than oz. each of the former to 1 oz. of the seed.

MUSHROOMS.-E. R.

743.-To pickle Mushrooms White.-Take the very small buttons, clean and rub them with a flannel, then put them into cold distilled vinegar, and allow it to come to a boil very slowly; drain and lay them in a cloth till cold, and then put them into fresh distilled vinegar. If very small they should not be allowed to boil, as so strong a heat might destroy them. It will therefore be sufficient to warm them; and when dried, they may be again put into the vinegar in which they had been originally placed, after it has been cooled. As to spice, a little mace will improve their flavour, but no hot pepper should be used. Those which are red underneath may also be used; but those which are black are too old, and only fit for broiling or to make ketchup.

To pickle Mushrooms Brown.-Choose them older, but see that they be fresh, and of a nearly pink colour underneath;

clean, and sprinkle them with salt, put them in layers, and let them stand for a couple of days; then add some whole pepper, cover them very close, and put them into an oven when bread is baking. That done, take them out, strain off the liquor, into which put cloves, mace, and allspice, and let the whole boil for a little while. While that is doing, put the mushrooms into the stewpan for a short time, then take the whole off the fire, and when perfectly cold pot them, with the addition of a little vinegar.

An excellent way to preserve the flavour of mushrooms when being pickled is to rub them with a bit of flannel and salt, and from the larger take out the red inside: when they are black they will not do, being too old. Throw a little salt over, and put them into a stewpan with some mace; as the liquor comes out, shake them well, and keep them over a gentle fire till all of it be dried into them again; then put as much vinegar into the pan as will cover them, give it one warm, and turn all into a glass or stone jar. They will keep 2 years, and are delicious.

MUSHROOM POWDER.

744.—Wash peck of large mushrooms while quite fresh, and free them from dirt and grit with flannel; scrape out the black part clean, and do not use any that are wormeaten; put them into a stewpan over the fire without water, with 2 large onions, some cloves, oz. of mace, and 2 spoonfuls of white pepper, all in powder; simmer and shake them till all the liquor be dried up, but be careful they do not burn. Lay them on tins or sieves, in a slow oven, till they are dry enough to beat to powder; then put the powder in small bottles corked and tied closely, and keep in a dry place.

A teaspoonful will give a very fine flavour to any soup or gravy, or any sauce. It is to be added just before serving, and 1 boil given to it after it is put in.

TO PICKLE WALNUTS.

745.-Gather the walnuts about the middle of July, and put them in salt and water; prick each with a needle several times; let them stand 2 or 3 days, changing the water every day. Make a brine of salt and water strong enough to bear an egg; it must be quite cold before being used, and be well skimmed while boiling. To every 100 walnuts