Take the whitest and closest full-grown cauliflowers; cut off the thick
stalk, and split the blossom or flower part into eight or ten pieces.
Spread them on a large dish, sprinkle them with salt, and let them
stand twenty-four hours. Then wash off the salt, drain them, put them
into a broad flat jar or pan, scald them with salt and water, (allowing
a quarter of a pound of salt to a quart of water,) cover them closely
and let them stand in the brine till next day. Afterwards drain them
in a hair sieve, and spread them on a cloth in a warm place to dry
for a day and a night. Then put them carefully, piece by piece, into
clean broad jars and pour over them a pickle which has been prepared
as follows:--Mix together three ounces of coriander seed, three ounces
of turmeric, one ounce of mustard seed, and one ounce of ginger. Pound
the whole in a mortar to a fine powder. Put it into three quarts of
the very best cider vinegar, set it by the side of the fire in a
stone jar, and let it infuse three days. These are the proportions,
but the quantity of the whole pickle must depend on the quantity of
cauliflower, which must be kept well covered by the liquid. Pour it
over the cauliflower, and secure the jars closely from the air.
You may pickle brocoli in the same manner. Also the green tops of
asparagus.