Keep them closely covered, and have a perforated wooden spoon tied to each jar, all metal being injurious; they should be well secured from the air. Large jars should seldom be opened. Small ones for the different pickles in use should be kept for common supply, into which all that are not eaten may be returned, and the tops closely covered.
Acids dissolve the lead that is in the tinning of saucepans. When it is necessary to boil vinegar, put it in a stone jar on the stove. Pickles should never be put into glazed jars, as salt and vinegar penetrate the glaze, which is poisonous. Prepare vegetables for pickling in the following manner: Cauliflower should be cut in branches; young French beans whole; cucumbers, choose the least seedy sort, cut them in slices or quarters if not too large; all must be salted, drained and dried in the sun, then pour over them boiling vinegar, and in twelve hours drain; no salt must be used. Put the spice, garlic, a quarter of a pound of mustard seed, and as much vinegar as you think enough for the quantity you are to pickle into a large stone jar, and one ounce of turmeric, to be ready by the time the vegetables shall be dried; when they are ready observe the following directions: put some of them into a stone jar, and pour over one quart of boiling vinegar; next day take out the vegetables, and when drained put them into a large stock jar, and pour the boiling vinegar over the vegetables: let them stand a night: to every gallon of vinegar put two ounces of ground mustard, mixing by degrees with a little of the vinegar boiling hot; the vinegar must be scalded first and left to get cold, before adding the spice; let the jar be tight. This pickle will not be ready for a year; but a small jar can be made in a fortnight in this way: scald the cauliflower in water, after salting and drying as above, but without the preparative vinegar, then pour the vinegar that has the spice and garlic in it boiling hot over it. If at any time the vegetables have swelled properly, boiling the pickle and pouring it over them hot will plump them.
TO PICKLE WALNUTS.—Let them be gathered fresh, before the kernel is formed in them, and soak them for nine days in strong salt and water; take them out and put them in the sun for three days, after which take some vinegar that has been boiled with whole ginger, whole allspice and whole peppers; let the vinegar be poured over them warm; they will be ready in four months.
TO PICKLE NASTURTIUMS.—Let them be in salt water three days, with a little alum; then take them out of the water and pour boiling vinegar over them, with whole allspice, ginger and pepper; let them be put in bottles; they can be mixed with other pickles.
TO PICKLE PEACHES.—Take a quarter of a pound of sugar to one pint of vinegar and scald the peaches, they should not be quite ripe; put them with some mace, allspice, cloves and nutmeg; when boiled take out the spice, and put the peaches in a jar; observe that the vinegar covers them, and put them away in a dry cool place. Pears and plums can be pickled the same way.
DUTCH CUCUMBERS.—Choose them rather small, but they must be very fresh and firm; let them be well washed and placed in a barrel that will hold water; cover them with water that has been boiled with salt, and been well skimmed and left to cool; then pour the water over the cucumbers, with some red peppers, grape vine leaves and dill seed, between each layer; be careful not to put too much salt in, as the longer they stand the more will the salt penetrate through; it is the best way to boil the pickle, as it will keep much longer; they can be ready for use in three weeks; they must be well covered, not too heavy pressed, as it is apt to mash the pickles.
RED CABBAGE.—Choose fine firm cabbages, trim off the outside leaves, quarter the cabbage, take out the large stalks, slice the quarters into a pan, and sprinkle salt between each layers, not too much, or it will spoil the color; let it remain till next day, then shake it well, that the brine may run off; put it in jars, cover with good vinegar, black pepper and allspice, of each an ounce, pounded ginger, half an ounce of salt to every quart of vinegar, and some cayenne pepper.
ONIONS.—The best for pickling are the small, silver skinned; make a brine and put them into it hot; let them remain one or two days, and drain them quite dry; put them into clean jars, and cover them with hot pickle. To every quart of onions put one ounce of sliced horseradish, black pepper, allspice, salt, with or without mustard seed. Cover them well with the pickle or they will not keep good.
TO PICKLE LEMONS.—Make a brine sufficiently strong to float an egg on top; then choose some lemons with smooth skins, perforate them with a silver fork, and put them in the brine; cover close; if the sun is hot let them remain for a week, or put them on the range for a week, but do not allow them to boil.
MUSTARD PICKLE.—Take a quarter of a pound of turmeric, one ounce of mace, one of cloves, one pound of English mustard, two gallons of the best vinegar, and one pint of mustard seed; mix all smoothly together, and let it come to a boil. When it is cold, put it in a jar and keep it stirred; put some cabbage in salt water for three days, then lay it in the sun for three days, turn it often, and pour boiling water over it; then wring it out in a clean towel, and it is ready for the above pickle. The spires should be ground and put in a bag.
SWEET PICKLE.—To six pounds of brown sugar put two gallons of the best vinegar, and spice to taste; boil all together for ten minutes, then set it to cool; fill the jars with the vegetables or fruits to be pickled and pour over the vinegar. When cool, if there should be a white scum on the top; boil the vinegar again, and add a little more sugar. When cold add it to the jar again. Peaches or any kind of fruit are nice pickled in this way.
TOMATO SAUCE.—Take a gallon of tomatoes, a quart of apple vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of ground black pepper, two of salt, two of English mustard, a spoonful of spices, onion, if preferred, or garlic, one teaspoonful of cayenne pepper; boil slowly for six hours, stir it frequently, then skim it and bottle. Boil it in a porcelain stewpan, as copper or brass stewpans would be dangerous.
PEPPER KETCHUP.—Take two quarts of red or green pepper pods, and split them; boil in enough water to cover them; stir and break them while boiling; strain them through a colander first, then through a sieve. To two quarts of the pulp add one quart of vinegar, two or three spears of garlic, if liked, an onion minced fine, a tablespoonful of salt, one of cloves, and one of allspice. Boil for two hours; if it is too thick put in more vinegar. If you use red pods it makes a fine red ketchup.
CUCUMBER KETCHUP.—Grate three dozen large cucumbers and twelve white onions, put three handfuls of salt over them; they must be prepared the day before, and in the morning lay them to drain; soak a cupful and a half of mustard seed, then drain them and add to the cucumbers two spoonfuls of whole pepper; put them in a jar, cover with vinegar, and cork tight. Keep in a dry place.
CHOW.—Grate two sticks of horseradish, and add a spoonful of turmeric, two tablespoonfuls of celery seed, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, and three tablespoonfuls of mustard seed; cover it with sufficient vinegar; pack it in wide mouthed bottles, and cork it tight. November is the proper month to make it.
TO STEW MUSHROOMS.—You must be careful to become acquainted with the different sorts of things called by this name, as the death of many people has been caused by inexperienced persons carelessly using the poisonous kinds. The eatable mushrooms first appear very small, and of a round form, on a little stock; they grow very fast, and the upper part and stalk are white, as the size increases the under part gradually opens, and shows a fungy fur of a very fine salmon color, which continues more or less till the mushroom has gained some size, and then turns to a dark brown. These marks should be attended to, and likewise if the skin can be easily parted from the edges and middle. Those that have a white or yellow fur should be avoided, though many of them have the same smell, but not so strong, as the proper sort.
The large buttons are best, and the small tops while the fur is still red. Rub them with salt and a bit of flannel; cut out the fur and take off the skin from the others, sprinkle them with salt, and put into a stewpan with some pepper corns; simmer slowly till done; then put a small bit of butter, some flour, and two spoonfuls of cream. Give them one boil, and serve with sippets of bread.
KALE.—Cut out the stalks, and put the leaves to boil in boiling water and salt; when they are nearly done, pour off the water and cover with fresh; when soft enough, take them up and put them in a saucepan with a little butter and browned flour; stir it quickly and serve hot.
CABBAGE.—Wash it well under the hydrant; be particular there are no worms hidden under the leaves; let the water be boiling, put the cabbage in, and let it boil for three-quarters of an hour, with a good handful of salt. When you wash it, put a good lump of salt in the water, it will clear the worms off; dish it up with a strainer; let the water be drained off; cut the cabbage across several times with a knife. If boiled with meat it needs no other gravy, but if boiled by itself a sauce can be made to throw over it. The English people eat it as it is taken out of the water.
TO COOK SPINACH.—Wash it well after it is picked, in a number of waters till clean; it is always best to let the hydrant run over it, as that clears off the sand better; when well cleaned put it in a saucepan with some salt, without water, and cook it till tender, without the cover being on the boiler; for all vegetables, except potatoes, to reish the spinach this way: fry some onions in fat, and chop up the spinach with a handful of flour; then add the onions seasoned with some salt, cayenne pepper and a little nutmeg; return the spinach to the saucepan, and add some good gravy to it; let it cook for half an hour, and dish up with poached eggs.
TO COOK POTATOES.—When nicely peeled and the eyes taken out, put them in a saucepan with water, not quite covered and a handful of salt; let them boil for half an hour; when done strain them, and let them stand over the fire for a couple of minutes, and then put a nice clean cloth over them till ready to dish up. Potatoes should not stand long before being served, as they lose their flavor.
The way to boil all green vegetables: Put them in boiling water, and skim them well, add some salt and a small pieces of soda; be sure not to cover them, as that will preserve the color better, keep them well under the water; half an hour generally suffices.
TO BOIL CORN.—Take some full grown young and tender corn, strip the husks and silk off the ears, leaving one husk on, as it adds to the sweetness and keeps it hot; boil fast for half an hour, until tender, then send hot to the table; to be eaten with butter, if for breakfast.
HOW TO MAKE SUCCOTASH, IN WINTER.—Take some small white beans, soak them over night, and then put them on to boil; when they are half done add the corn, and let them boil till quite tender, then add butter, salt, and pepper.
OYSTER PLANT, OR SALSIFY.—Scrape the root the same as parsnips; boil them till tender, then mash them; add an egg and some powdered crackers. Make them into cakes, and fry them in butter or fat. Send to table while hot.
CABBAGE, (Red or white.)—Take a good piece of brisket, and boil till tender; one hour and a half before it is finished have some nice hard cabbage cut up thin; put it to the stew with some salt, pepper, and whole allspice, with half a pint of vinegar; thicken with a tablespoonful of flour; a little sugar may be added.
Sour krout may be prepared as above, but there need be no vinegar added, unless preferred.
TO STEW ONIONS.—Peel some onions, fry gently of a fine brown, then put them in a stewpan, with some butter, a little water, pepper, and salt; when done, thicken with a little flour; stew for two hours.
TOMATO SAUCE.—Scald and peel them, and put a little water in the saucepan, with a piece of butter, some pepper and salt; stew them well; the more they are stewed the better. Serve cold.
EGG PLANT.—Cut it into slices, about a quarter of an inch thick, and let them soak in cold water and salt for two or three hours, then fry them with egg and flour a nice brown color.
MACARONI, FRIED WITH ONIONS.—Take six eggs, and as much flour as will roll out thin as frimsels, and let them dry, cut as for luxion; boil in boiling water, and then pour them in cold water; fry some onions a nice brown, and make the macaroni hot again; throw the hot onions over the macaroni and serve.
TO BOIL ASPARAGUS.—Have ready a pot of boiling water, with a good handful of salt; boil for twenty minutes, not longer, (as it spoils the flavor;) have ready some nice butter sauce, and place the asparagus on some nice buttered toast in the dish.
Cauliflowers and peas may be cooked in the same manner. Peas may have some fresh mint added.
PEAS.—Young peas require only fifteen minutes to boil; if older a very small bit of carbonate of soda thrown into the water softens them. Season with butter, pepper, salt, and mint, according to taste.
STRINGED BEANS.—If young they will only require fifteen minutes' boiling, but if old half an hour. Season well with either gravy or butter, pepper and salt.
Lima beans may be cooked the same way.
ONIONS.—Boil them in water first, when they are nearly cooked pour off the water and add milk; boil them till done; take them up and serve quite hot, with butter, pepper, and salt.
SQUASHES.—These should be boiled whole, or cut in halves, and mashed without peeling, as the skin is the sweetest part; but if the skin is thick and tough, peel and mash them. Season with pepper, salt and butter.
ARTICHOKES.—The portion eaten is the under side of the artichoke before the flower opens, the head is removed and boiled. It is eaten with a butter sauce.
CAULIFLOWER.—Wrap it up in a cloth, and put it into a saucepan of boiling water; let it parboil, then put it in cold water, until very near the time it is wanted, then boil it for ten minutes, it makes it firmer than when boiled for half an hour. Serve with a sauce.
Broccoli is cooked the same way.
FRITTERS.—Make them the same as for pancakes by dropping a small quantity in the pan, or make them plainer, and put pared apple, sliced and cored, into the batter, and fry some of it with each slice; currants or lemons sliced as thin as paper make an agreeable change. Fritters should be served in a folded napkin, in the dish. Rice can be made the same way, but first boil to a jelly, and then leave to cool.
POTATO FRITTERS.—Boil two large potatoes, grate them very fine, beat four yolks and three whites of eggs, add to the above one large spoonful of cream, another of sweet wine, a squeeze of lemon, a little nutmeg, beat all for at least half an hour, it will be very light; put a great deal of either oil or butter in the pan, and drop a spoonful of the batter at a time in the pan; fry them and serve. To be eaten with the following sauce: a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, a little essence of almonds and some white sugar, warmed together.
APPLE CHARLOTTE.—Cut as many very thin slices of bread as will cover the bottom and line the sides of a baking dish, but rub it thick with butter. Put apples, cut in thin slices, into the dish in layers till full, strewing sugar and bits of butter between; soak as many slices of bread in warm milk as will cover the whole; over which lay a plate and weight, to keep the bread on the apples. Bake slowly for three hours. To a middling sized dish use half a pound of butter for the whole.
BATTER WITH MEAT.—Make the batter with water instead of milk; pour a little into the bottom of the dish; then season a nice shoulder of mutton, put it into the dish, and pour the remainder of the batter over it; bake in a slow oven.
MEAT STEWED WITH CARROTS.—Take a piece of brisket, about four or five pounds, and put it into a stewpan with a quart and a pint of cold water, and six large onions; after it has been skimmed, add a peck of carrots, that have been well scraped, washed and cut into strips, with pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg; let them stew for several hours till tender; when it is nearly done thicken with a tablespoonful of flour and a tablespoonful of coarse brown sugar.
KERTOFFLE CHARLOTTE.—Take a dozen raw potatoes and scrape them on a grater; take some bread crumbs, about a pound, and two eggs well beaten; season with pepper, salt, ginger, nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of fat, and bake in the oven a nice brown.
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.—Strew some pepper on some slices of cold meat; fry them in some drippings of roast meat, with some cold cabbage, chopped small. Then take the beef out of the frying pan, and lay the cabbage in it; sprinkle some pepper and salt over it. Move the pan all the time over the fire. Lay the cabbage in the middle of the dish, and the beef around it.
CELERY STEW.—Take a piece of brisket, about three pounds, and stew it in a pint of water, with some onions, and four or five celery roots, cut up small, add some bread crumbs; thicken with a tablespoonful of flour, some pepper and salt.
ALL VEGETABLES may be stewed with sugar. They must be chopped very fine, and seasoned with some good gravy or fat, pepper, salt, etc., and thickened with a small quantity of flour. Germans prefer them cooked in this way; but the English eat them cooked in water.
TO BOIL POTATOES IN THE SKIN.—Take some good sized ones, wash them well, cut a piece off the top, and take out the eyes; set them on in cold water, with a handful of salt; boil gently for half an hour; strain off good and dry; peel for the table.
MUSTARD FOR THE CASTORS.—Take a tablespoonful of mustard, mix it smooth with a tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of sifted sugar, if liked, six tablespoonfuls of water or vinegar; horseradish is good with it. Do not make more than will last for two days.
TO ROAST COFFEE.—Use either a patent roaster or the Irish mop roaster; to every three pounds of coffee add a little sweet oil, and two teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar; then roast the berries; it makes the flavor of the coffee richer; it is preferable to chicory, although some persons prefer chicory; the quantity is a quarter of a pound of chicory to a pound of coffee.
HOW TO MAKE GOOD COFFEE.—Put four tablespoonfuls of fresh ground coffee in a coffeepot with a strainer, and pour over it four breakfast cupfuls of boiling water, and two cupfuls of boiling milk; boil up for two or three minutes, add a couple of eggshells and half a cupful of cold water; let it settle, and stand by the fire to keep hot for ten minutes.