Melons should not be much more than half-grown; cucumbers full grown,
but not overgrown. Cut off the top, but leave it hanging by a bit of
rind, which is to serve as a hinge to a box-lid; with a marrow-spoon
scoop out all the seeds, and fill the fruit with equal parts of
mustard seed, ground pepper, and ginger, or flour of mustard instead
of the seed, and two or three cloves of garlic. The lid which encloses
the spice may be sewed down or tied, by running a white thread through
the cucumber and through the lid, then, after tying it together, cut
off the ends. The pickle may be prepared with the spices directed for
cucumbers, or with the following, which bears a nearer resemblance to
the Indian method:--To each quart of vinegar put salt, flour of
mustard, curry powder, bruised ginger, turmeric, half an ounce of
each, cayenne pepper one drachm, all rubbed together with a large
glassful of salad oil; shalots two ounces, and garlic half an ounce,
sliced; steep the spice in the vinegar as before directed, and put the
vegetables into it hot.
1664. Brocoli or Cauliflowers.
Choose such as are firm, and of full size; cut away all the leaves,
and pare the stalk; pull away the flowers by bunches, steep in brine
two days, then drain them, wipe them dry, and put them into hot
pickle; or merely infuse for three days three ounces of curry powder
in every quart of vinegar.
1665. Walnuts.
Be particular in obtaining them exactly at the proper season; if they
go beyond the middle of July, there is danger of their becoming hard
and woody. Steep them a week in brine. If they are wanted to be soon
ready for use, prick them with a pin, or run a larding-pin several
times through them; but if they are not wanted in haste, this method
had better be left alone. Put them into a kettle of brine, and give
them a gentle simmer, then drain them on a sieve, and lay them on fish
drainers (or what is equally good, the cover of a wicker hamper), in
an airy place, until they become black; then make a pickle of vinegar,
adding to every quart, black pepper one ounce, ginger; shalots, salt,
and mustard seed, one ounce each. Most pickle vinegar, when the
vegetables are used, may be turned to use, walnut pickle in
particular; boil it up, allowing to each quart, four or six anchovies
chopped small, and a large tablespoonful of shalots, also chopped. Let
it stand a few days, till it is quite clear, then pour off and bottle.
It is an excellent store sauce for hashes, fish, and various other
purposes.
1666. Beetroots.
Boil or bake them gently until they are nearly done; according to the
size of the root they will require from an hour and a half to two
hours; drain them, and when they begin to cool, peel and cut in slices
half an inch thick, then put them into a pickle composed of black
pepper and allspice, of each one ounce; ginger pounded, horseradish
sliced, and salt, of each half an ounce to every quart of vinegar,
steeped. Two capsicums may be added to a quart, or one drachm of
cayenne.
1667. Artichokes.
Gather young artichokes as soon as formed; throw them into boiling
brine, and let them boil two minutes; drain them; when cold and dry,
put them in jars, and cover with vinegar, prepared as method the
third, but the only spices employed should be ginger, mace, and nutmeg.
1668. Artichoke Bottoms.
Select full-grown artichokes and boil them; not so much as for eating,
but just until the leaves can be pulled; remove them and the choke; in
taking off the stalk, be careful not to break it off so as to bring
away any of the bottom; it would be better to pare them with a silver
knife, and leave half an inch of tender stalk coming to a point; when
cold, add vinegar and spice, the same as for artichokes.
1669. Mushrooms.
Choose small white mushrooms; they should be of but one night's
growth. Cut off the roots, and rub the mushrooms clean with a bit of
flannel and salt; put them in a jar, allowing to every quart of
mushrooms one ounce of salt, one ounce of ginger, half an ounce of
whole pepper, eight blades of mace, a bay-leaf, a strip of lemon rind,
and a wineglassful of sherry; cover the jar close, and let it stand on
the hob or on a stove, so as to be thoroughly heated, and on the point
of boiling. Let it remain thus a day or two, till the liquor is
absorbed by the mushrooms and spices; then cover them with hot
vinegar, close them again, and stand till it just comes to a boil;
then take them away from the fire. When they are quite cold, divide
the mushrooms and spice into wide-mouthed bottles, fill them up with
the vinegar, and tie them over. In a week's time, if the vinegar has
shrunk so as not entirely to cover the mushrooms, add cold vinegar. At
the top of each bottle put a teaspoonful of salad or almond oil; cork
close, and dip in bottle resin.
1670. Samphire.
On the sea coast this is merely preserved in water, or equal parts of
sea-water and vinegar; but as it is sometimes sent fresh as a present
to inland parts, the best way of managing it under such circumstances
is to steep it two days in brine, then drain and put it in a stone jar
covered with vinegar, and having a lid, over which put thick paste of
flour and water, and set it in a very cool oven all night, or in a
warmer oven till it nearly but not quite boils. Then let it stand on
a warm hob for half an hour, and allow it to become quite cold before
the paste is removed; then add cold vinegar, if any more is required,
and secure as other pickles.
1671. Indian Pickle.
The vegetables to be employed for this favourite pickle are small hard
knots of white cabbage, sliced; cauliflowers or brocoli in flakes;
long carrots, not larger than a finger, or large carrots sliced (the
former are far preferable); gherkins, French beans, small button
onions, white turnip radishes half grown, radish-pods, shalots, young
hard apples; green peaches, before the stones begin to form; vegetable
marrow, not larger than a hen's egg; small green melons, celery,
shoots of green elder, horseradish, nasturtiums, capsicums, and
garlic.
As all these vegetables do not come in season together, the best
method is to prepare a large jar of pickle at such time of the year as
most of the things may be obtained, and add the others as they come in
season. Thus the pickle will be nearly a year in making, and ought to
stand another year before using, when, if properly managed, it will be
excellent, but it will keep and continue to improve for years.
For preparing the several vegetables, the same directions may be
observed as for pickling them separately, only following this general
rule--that, if possible, boiling is to be avoided, and soaking in
brine to be preferred. Be very particular that every ingredient is
perfectly dry before it is put into the jar, and that the jar is very
closely tied down every time that it is opened for the addition of
fresh vegetables. Neither mushrooms, walnuts, nor red cabbage are to
be admitted.
_For the pickle:_--To a gallon of the best white wine vinegar add salt
three ounces, flour of mustard half a pound, turmeric two ounces,
white ginger sliced three ounces, cloves one ounce, mace, black
pepper, long pepper, white pepper, half an ounce each, cayenne two
drachms, shalots peeled four ounces, garlic peeled two ounces; steep
the spice in vinegar on the hob or trivet for two or three days. The
mustard and turmeric must be rubbed smooth with a little cold vinegar,
and stirred into the rest when as near boiling as possible. Such
vegetables as are ready may be put in; when cayenne, nasturtiums, or
any other vegetables mentioned in the first method of pickling (_par_.
1656) come in season, put them in the pickle as they are; for the
preparation of vegetables mentioned in the second method (_par_.
1657), use a small quantity of hot vinegar without spice; when cold,
pour it off, and put the vegetables into the general jar.
If the vegetables are greened in vinegar, as French beans and
gherkins, this will not be so necessary, but the adoption of this
process will tend to improve all. Onions had better not be wetted at
all; but if it be desirous not to have the full flavour, both onions,
shalots, and garlic may be sprinkled with salt in a cullender, to draw
off all the strong juice; let them lie two or three hours. The elder,
apples, peaches, and so forth, should be greened as gherkins. The
roots, radishes, carrots, celery, are only soaked in brine and dried.
Half a pint of salad oil is sometimes added. It should be rubbed up in
a bowl with the flour of mustard and turmeric.--It is not essential to
Indian pickle to have every variety of vegetable here mentioned; but
all these are admissible, and the greater the variety the more the
pickle is approved.
1672. To Pickle Gherkins.
Put about two hundred and fifty in strong brine, and let them remain
in it three hours. Put them in a sieve to drain, wipe them, and place
them in a jar. For a pickle, best vinegar, one gallon; common salt,
six ounces; allspice, one ounce; mustard seed, one ounce; cloves, half
an ounce; mace, half an ounce; one nutmeg, sliced; a stick of
horseradish, sliced; boil fifteen minutes; skim it well. When cold,
pour it over them, and let stand twenty-four hours, covered up; put
them into a pan over the fire, and let them simmer only until they
attain a green colour. Tie the jars down closely with bladder and
leather.
1673. Pickled Eggs.
If the following pickle were generally known, it would be more
generally used. It is an excellent pickle to be eaten with cold meat,
&c. The eggs should be boiled hard (say ten minutes), and then
divested of their shells; when _quite cold_ put them in jars, and pour
over them vinegar (sufficient to quite _cover_ them), in which has
been previously boiled the usual spices for pickling; tie the jars
down tight with bladder, and keep them till they begin to change
colour.
1674. Pickling, Mems. relating to.
Do not keep pickles in common earthenware, as the glazing contains
lead, and combines with the vinegar. Vinegar for pickling should be
sharp, though not the sharpest kind, as it injures the pickles. If you
use copper, bell-metal, or brass vessels for pickling, never allow the
vinegar to cool in them, as it then is poisonous. Vinegar may be
prepared ready for use for any kind of pickling by adding a
teaspoonful of alum and a teacupful of salt to three gallons of
vinegar, with a bag containing pepper, ginger root, and all the
different spices that are used in pickling. Keep pickles only in wood
or stone ware. Anything that has held grease will spoil pickles. Stir
pickles occasionally, and if there are soft ones take them out, and
scald the vinegar, and pour it hot over the pickles. Keep enough
vinegar in every jar to cover the pickles completely. If it is weak,
take fresh vinegar and pour on hot. Do not boil vinegar or spice above
five minutes.
1675. To Make British Anchovies.
Procure a quantity of sprats, as fresh as possible; do not wash or
wipe them, but just take them as caught, and for every peck of the
fish take two pounds of common salt, a quarter of a pound of bay salt,
four pounds of saltpetre, two ounces of salprunella, and two
pennyworth of cochineal. Pound all these ingredients in a mortar,
mixing them well together. Then take stone jars or small kegs,
according to your quantity of sprats, and place a layer of the fish
and a layer of the mixed ingredients alternately, until the pot is
full; then press hard down, and cover close for six months, when they
will be fit for use.
1676. Aromatic/Moth Repellant.
A very pleasant perfume, and also preventive against moths, may be
made of the following ingredients:--Take of cloves, caraway seeds,
nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and Tonquin beans, of each one ounce; then add
as much Florentine orris root as will equal the other ingredients put
together. Grind the whole well to powder, and then put it in little
bags among your clothes, &c.
1677. Lavender Scent Bag.
Take of lavender flowers, free from stalk, half a pound; dried thyme
and mint, of each half an ounce; ground cloves and caraways, of each a
quarter of an ounce; common salt, dried, one ounce, mix the whole well
together, and put the product into silk or cambric hags. In this way
it will perfume the drawers and linen very nicely.
1678. Lavender Water.
Essence of musk, four drachms; essence of ambergris, four drachms; oil
of cinnamon, ten drops; English lavender, six drachms; oil of
geranium, two drachms; spirit of wine, twenty ounces. To be all mixed
together.
1679. Honey Water.
Rectified spirit, eight ounces; oil of cloves, oil of bergamot, oil of
lavender, of each half a drachm; musk, three grains; yellow sanders
shavings, four drachms. Let it stand for eight days, then add two
ounces each of orange-flower water and rose water.
1680. Honey Soap.
Cut thin two pounds of yellow soap into a double saucepan,
occasionally stirring it till it is melted, which will be in a few
minutes if the water is kept boiling around it, then add a quarter of
a pound of palm oil, a quarter of a pound of honey, three pennyworth
of true oil of cinnamon; let all boil together another six or eight
minutes; pour out and let it stand till next day, it is then fit for
immediate use. If made as directed it will be found to be a very
superior soap.
1681. The Hands.
Take a wineglassful of eau-de-Cologne, and another of lemon juice;
then scrape two cakes of brown windsor soap to a powder, and mix well
in a mould. When hard, it will be an excellent soap for whitening the
hands.
1682 To Whiten the Nails.
Diluted sulphuric acid, two drachms; tincture of myrrh, one drachm;
spring water, four ounces: mix. First cleanse with white soap and then
dip the fingers into the mixture. A delicate hand is one of the chief
points of beauty; and these applications are really effective.
1683. Removing Stains.
Stains may be removed from the hands by washing them in a small
quantity of oil of vitriol and cold water without soap. Salts of lemon
is also efficacious in removing ink-stains from the hands as well as
from linen.
1684. Cold Cream.
i. Oil of almonds, one pound; white wax, four ounces. Melt together
gently in an earthen vessel, and when nearly cold stir in gradually
twelve ounces of rose-water.
ii. White wax and spermaceti, of each half an ounce; oil of almonds,
four ounces; orange-flower water, two ounces Mix as directed for
No. i.
1685. To Soften the Skin and Improve the Complexion.
If flowers of sulphur be mixed in a little milk, and after standing an
hour or two, the milk (without disturbing the sulphur) be rubbed into
the skin, it will keep it soft and make the complexion clear. It is to
be used before washing. The mixture, it must be borne in mind, will
not keep. A little should be prepared over night with evening milk,
and used the next morning, but not afterwards. About a wine-glassful
made for each occasion will suffice.
1686. Eyelashes.
To increase the length and strength of the eyelashes, simply clip the
ends with a pair of scissors about once a month. In eastern countries
mothers perform the operation on their children, both male and female,
when they are mere infants, watching the opportunity whilst they
sleep. The practice never fails to produce the desired effect.
1687. The Teeth.
Dissolve two ounces of borax in three pints of water; before quite
cold, add thereto one teaspoonful of tincture of myrrh, and one
tablespoonful of spirits of camphor: bottle the mixture for use. One
wineglassful of the solution, added to half a pint of tepid water, is
sufficient for each application. This solution, applied daily,
preserves and beautifies the teeth, extirpates tartarous adhesion,
produces a pearl-like whiteness, arrests decay, and induces a healthy
action in the gums.
1688. Camphorated Dentifrice.
Prepared chalk, one pound; camphor, one or two drachms. The camphor
must be finely powdered by moistening it with a little spirit of wine,
and then intimately mixing it with the chalk.
1689. Myrrh Dentifrice.
Powdered cuttlefish, one pound; powdered myrrh, two ounces.
1690. American Tooth Powder.
Coral, cuttlefish bone, dragon's blood, of each eight drachms; burnt
alum and red sanders, of each four drachms; orris root, eight drachms;
cloves and cinnamon, of each half a drachm; vanilla, eleven grains;
rose-wood, half a drachm; rose-pink, eight drachms. All to be finely
powdered and mixed.
1691. Quinine Tooth Powder.
Rose pink, two drachms; precipitated chalk, twelve drachms; carbonate
of magnesia, one drachm; quinine (sulphate), six grains. All to be
well mixed together.
1692 Hair Dye.
To make good hair dye some lime must be first obtained, and reduced to
powder by throwing a little water upon it. The lime must then be mixed
with litharge in the proportion of three parts of lime to one of
litharge. This mixture, when sifted through a fine hair sieve, forms
the most effectual hair dye that has yet been discovered.
1693. Directions for Application.
Put a quantity of the mixture in a saucer, pour boiling water upon it,
and mix it up with a knife like thick mustard; divide the hair into
thin layers with a comb, and plaster the mixture thickly into the
layers to the roots, and all over the hair. When it is completely
covered with it, lay over it a covering of damp blue or brown paper,
then bind over it, closely, a hankerchief, then put on a night-cap,
over all, and go to bed; in the morning brush out the powder, wash
thoroughly with soap and warm water, then dry, curl, oil, &c. Hair
thus managed will be a permanent and beautiful black.
1694. Hair Dye, usually styled Colombian, Argentine, &c., &c.
Solution No. i., Hydrosulphuret of ammonia, one ounce; solution of
potash, three drachms; distilled or rain water, one ounce (all by
measure). Mix, and put into small bottles, labelling it No. i.
Solution No. ii. Nitrate of silver, one drachm; distilled or rain
water, two ounces. Dissolve and label No. ii.
1695. Directions for Application.
The solution No. i. is first applied to the hair with a tooth brush,
and the application continued for fifteen or twenty minutes. The
solution No. ii. is then brushed over, a comb being used to separate
the hairs, and allow the liquid to come in contact with every part.
Care must be taken that the liquid does not touch the skin, as the
solution No. ii. produces a permanent dark stain on all substances
with which it comes in contact. If the shade is not sufficiently deep,
the operation may be repeated. The hair should be cleansed from
grease before using the dye.
1696. To test Hair Dye.
To try the effect of hair dye upon hair of any colour, cut off a lock
and apply the dye thoroughly as directed above. This will be a
guarantee of success, or will at least guard against failure.
1697. The proper Application of Hair Dyes.
The efficacy of hair dyes depends as much upon their proper
application as upon their chemical composition. If not evenly and
patiently applied, they give rise to a mottled and dirty condition of
the hair. A lady, for instance, attempted to use the lime and litharge
dye, and was horrified on the following morning to find her hair
spotted red and black, almost like the skin of a leopard. The mixture
had not been properly applied.
1698. Compounds to Promote the Growth of Hair.
When the hair falls off, from diminished action of the scalp,
preparations of cantharides often prove useful; they are sold under
various high-sounding titles. The following directions are as good as
any of the more complicated receipts:
[THRIVE BY HONESTY, OR REMAIN POOR.]
1699. Pomade against Baldness.
Beef marrow, soaked in several waters, melted and strained, half a
pound; tincture of cantharides (made by soaking for a week one drachm
of powdered cantharides in one ounce of proof spirit), one ounce; oil
of bergamot, twelve drops.
1700. Erasmus Wilson's Lotion against Baldness.
Eau-de-Cologne, two ounces; tincture of cantharides, two drachms; oil
of lavender or rosemary, of either ten drops. These applications must
be used once or twice a day for a considerable time; but if the scalp
become sore, they must be discontinued for a time, or used at longer
intervals.
1701. Bandoline or Fixature.
Several preparations are used; the following are the best:
i. Mucilage of clean picked Irish moss, made by boiling a quarter of
an ounce of the moss in one quart of water until sufficiently thick,
rectified spirit in the proportion of a teaspoonful to each bottle,
to prevent its being mildewed. The quantity of spirit varies
according to the time it requires to be kept.
ii. Gum tragacanth, one drachm and a half; water, half a pint; proof
spirit (made by mixing equal parts of rectified spirit and water),
three ounces; otto of roses, ten drops; soak for twenty-four hours
and strain. Bergamot may be substituted for the otto of roses.
1702. Excellent Hair Wash.
Take one ounce of borax, half an ounce of camphor; powder these
ingredients fine, and dissolve them in one quart of boiling water;
when cool, the solution will be ready for use; damp the hair
frequently. This wash effectually cleanses, beautifies, and
strengthens the hair, preserves the colour, and prevents early
baldness. The camphor will form into lumps after being dissolved, but
the water will be sufficiently impregnated.
1703. Hair Oils.--Rose Oil.
Olive oil, one pint; otto of roses, five to sixteen drops. Essence of
bergamot, being much cheaper, is commonly used instead of the more
expensive otto of rose.
1704. Red Rose Oil.
The same. The oil coloured before scenting, by steeping in it one
drachm of alkanet root, with a gentle heat, until the desired tint is
produced.
1705. Oil of Roses.
Olive oil, two pints; otto of roses, one drachm; oil of rosemary, one
drachm: mix. It may be coloured red by steeping a little alkanet root
in the oil (with heat) before scenting it.
1706. Pomatums.
For making pomatums, the lard, fat, suet, or marrow used must be
carefully prepared by being melted with as gentle a heat as possible,
skimmed, strained, and cleared from the dregs which are deposited on
standing.
1707. Common Pomatum.
Mutton suet, prepared as above, one pound; lard, three pounds;
carefully melted together, and stirred constantly as it cools, two
ounces of bergamot being added.
1708. Hard Pomatum.
Lard and mutton suet carefully prepared, of each one pound; white wax,
four ounces; essence of bergamot, one ounce.
1709. Castor Oil Pomade.
Castor oil, four ounces; prepared lard, two ounces; white wax, two
drachms; bergamot, two drachms; oil of lavender, twenty drops. Melt
the fat together, and on cooling add the scents, and stir till cold.
1710. Superfluous Hair.
Any remedy is doubtful; many of those commonly used are dangerous. The
safest plan is as follows:--The hairs should be perseveringly plucked
up by the roots, and the skin, having been washed twice a day with
warm soft water, without soap, should be treated with the following
wash, commonly called MILK OF ROSES:
Beat four ounces of sweet almonds in a mortar, and add half an ounce
of white sugar during the process; reduce the whole to a paste by
pounding; then add, in small quantities at a time, eight ounces of
rose water. The emulsion thus formed should be strained through a fine
cloth, and the residue again pounded, while the strained fluid should
be bottled in a large stoppered vial. To the pasty mass in the mortar
add half an ounce of sugar, and eight ounces of rose water, and strain
again. This process must be repeated three times.
To the thirty-two ounces of fluid, add twenty grains of the bichloride
of mercury, dissolved in two ounces of alcohol, and shake the mixture
for five minutes. The fluid should be applied with a towel,
immediately after washing, and the skin gently rubbed with a dry
cloth, till _perfectly_ dry. Wilson, in his work on _Healthy Skin,_
writes as follows:
"Substances are sold by the perfumers called depilatories, which are
represented as having the power of removing hair. But the hair is
not destroyed by these means, the root and that part of the shaft
implanted within the skin still remain, and are ready to shoot up
with increased vigour as soon as the depilatory is withdrawn. The
effect of the depilatory is the same, in this respect, as that of a
razor, and the latter is, unquestionably, the better remedy. It must
not, however, be imagined that depilatories are negative remedies,
and that, if they do no permanent good, they are, at least,
harmless; that is not the fact; they are violent irritants, and
require to be used with the utmost caution."
1711. To Clean Hair Brushes.
As hot water and soap very soon soften the hair, and rubbing completes
its destruction, use soda, dissolved in cold water, instead; soda
having an affinity for grease, it cleans the brush with little
friction. Do not set them near the fire, nor in the sun, to dry, but
after shaking well, set them on the point of the handle in a shady
place.
1712. To Clean Sponge.
Immerse it in cold buttermilk, and soak for a few hours, then wash out
in clean water.
1713. The Young Lady's Toilette.
i. _Self-Knowledge--The Enchanted Mirror._
This curious glass will bring your faults to light,
And make your virtues shine both strong and bright.
ii. _Contentment--Wash to Smooth Wrinkles._