Perforate fresh gathered cucumbers, with a needle, or fork, put them
into a stone jar, and pour over them boiling hot vinegar. Season with
salt, pimento, long pepper, and ginger. These substances should be
simmered with the vinegar for a few minutes.
To this pickle is sometimes intentionally given a lively green colour,
by copper, and numerous fatal consequences are known to have ensued from
the use of such a practice.[36]
[36] Treatise on the Adulteration of Food and Culinary Poisons,
1821.--“Poisonous Pickles.”
If pickled cucumber, or any other kind of vegetable pickle, be wanted of
a lively green colour, it may readily be effected by soaking them when
ready prepared, for a few minutes, first in tincture of turmeric, and
then in a diluted solution of the colouring matter of indigo, dissolved
in water.[37] This method of straining the pickle is perfectly harmless.
[37] This substance is called, at the colour-shops, intense (not
liquid blue, which is quite a different preparation of Indigo,) blue.
Samphire, French beans, tomatoes, capsicum pods, nasturtium and raddish
pods, may be pickled in the same manner.