pour boiling salt and water made strong upon them, and cover them up;
next day, cut a slit from the stem to the blossom end, and take out the
seeds carefully--return them to the brine, and let them remain in it
eight days; then put them in strong vinegar for a fortnight, wipe the
insides with a soft cloth, stuff them and tie them, pack them in a pot
with the slit uppermost; strew some of the stuffing over each layer, and
keep them covered with the best vinegar.
* * * * *
TO MAKE THE STUFFING FOR FORTY MELONS.
Wash a pound of white race ginger very clean; pour boiling water on it,
and let it stand twenty-four hours; slice it thin, and dry it; one pound
of horse-radish scraped and dried, one pound of mustard seed washed and
dried, one pound of chopped onion, one ounce of mace, one of nutmeg
pounded fine, two ounces of turmeric, and a handful of whole black
pepper; make these ingredients into a paste, with a quarter of a pound
of mustard, and a large cup full of sweet oil; put a clove of garlic
into each mango.
* * * * *
TO MAKE YELLOW PICKLE.
Put all the articles intended for the yellow pickle in a pot, and pour
on them boiling salt and water--let them stand forty-eight hours, take
advantage of a clear hot day, press the water from the articles, and lay
them to dry in full sunshine, on a table covered with a thick soft
cloth, with the corners pinned securely, that they may not blow up over
the things--the cloth absorbs the moisture; and by turning them
frequently on a dry place, they become white, and receive the colour of
the turmeric more readily--one day of clear sunshine is enough to
prepare them for the first vinegar. When dried, put them in a pot of
plain cold vinegar, with a little turmeric in it--let them remain in it
two weeks to draw off the water from them, and to make them plump--then
put them in a clean pot, and pour on the vinegar, prepared by the
following directions--this is the most economical and best way of
keeping them--mix the turmeric very smoothly, before you add it to your
pickles.
* * * * *
TO MAKE GREEN PICKLES.
Put the articles you intend to pickle, in a pot--and cover them with
boiling salt and water: put a thick cloth on the top, and then a plate
that will fit it--let it stand till the next morning, then pour off the
salt and water, boil it again, and cover them as before; do this until
your pickles are a good green--then put them in plain cold vinegar, with
some turmeric in it; and at the end of a fortnight, put them up, as you
do the yellow pickle.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE VINEGAR FOR GREEN OR YELLOW PICKLE.
One pound of ginger sliced and dried, one of horse-radish scraped and
dried, one of mustard seed washed and dried, one ounce long pepper, an
ounce of mace, and one of nutmegs finely pounded; put all these
ingredients in a pot, pour two gallons of strong vinegar on, and let it
stand twelve months, stirring it very frequently. When this vinegar is
used for the pickles, put two gallons more vinegar, with some mace and
nutmegs, and keep it for another year. When the prepared vinegar is
poured from the ingredients, do it very carefully, that it may be quite
clear. Pickles keep much better when the vinegar is not boiled. Should
the green pickles at any time lose their colour, it may be restored by
adding a little more turmeric. All pickles are best, when one or two
years old.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ONIONS.
Get white onions that are not too large, cut the stem close to the root
with a sharp knife, put them in a pot, pour on boiling salt and water to
cover them, stop the pot closely, let them stand a fortnight, changing
the salt and water every three days; they must be stirred daily, or
those that float will become soft; at the end of this time, take off the
skin and outer shell, put them in plain cold vinegar with a little
turmeric. If the vinegar be not very pale, the onion will not be of a
good colour.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE NASTERTIUMS.
Gather the berries when full grown but young, put them in a pot, pour
boiling salt and water on, and let them stand three or four days; then
drain off the water, and cover them with cold vinegar; add a few blades
of mace, and whole grains of black pepper.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE RADISH PODS.
Cut them in nice bunches as soon as they are fully formed; they must be
young and tender--pour boiling salt and water on them, cover with a
thick cloth, and pewter plate, to keep in the steam; repeat this every
day till they are a good green; then put them in cold vinegar, with mace
and whole pepper; mix a little turmeric, with a small portion of oil,
and stir it into the vinegar; it will make the pods of a more lively
green. They are very pretty for garnishing meats.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ENGLISH WALNUTS.
The walnuts should be gathered when the nut is so young that you can run
a pin into it easily; pour boiling salt and water on, and let them be
covered with it nine days, changing it every third day--take them out,
and put them on dishes in the air for a few minutes, taking care to turn
them over; this will make them black much sooner--put them in a pot,
strew over some whole pepper, cloves, a little garlic, mustard seed, and
horse-radish scraped and dried; cover them with strong cold vinegar.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE PEPPERS.
Gather the large bell pepper when quite young, leave the seeds in and
the stem on, cut a slit in one side between the large veins, to let the
water in; pour boiling salt and waler on, changing it every day for
three weeks--you must keep them closely stopped; if at the end of this
time, they be a good green, put them in pots, and cover them with cold
vinegar and a little turmeric; those that are not sufficiently green,
must be continued under the same process till they are so. Be careful
not to cut through the large veins, as the heat will instantly diffuse
itself through the pod.
* * * * *
TO MAKE WALNUT CATSUP.
Gather the walnuts as for pickling, and keep them in salt and water the
same time; then pound them in a marble mortar--to every dozen walnuts,
put a quart of vinegar; stir them well every day for a week, then put
them in a bag, and press all the liquor through; to each quart, put a
tea-spoonful of pounded cloves, and one of mace, with six cloves of
garlic--boil it fifteen or twenty minutes, and bottle it.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE GREEN NECTARINES OR APRICOTS.
Gather them while the shell is soft--green them with salt and water as
before directed; when a good green, soak them in plain vinegar for a
fortnight, and put them in the yellow pickle pot.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ASPARAGUS.
Pour boiling salt and water on, and cover them close--next day, take
them out, dry them, and after standing in vinegar, put them with the
yellow pickle.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS ON PICKLING.
The vessels for keeping pickles should be made of stone ware, straight
from the bottom to the top, with stone covers to them; when the mouth is
very wide, the pickles may be taken out without breaking them The motive
for keeping all pickles in plain vinegar, previous to putting them in
the prepared pot, is to draw off the water with which they are
saturated, that they may not weaken the vinegar of the pot. Pickles keep
much better when the vinegar is not boiled.
* * * * *
CORDIALS, &c.
GINGER WINE.
To three gallons of water, put three pounds of sugar, and four ounces of
race ginger, washed in many waters to cleanse it; boil them together for
one hour, and strain it through a sieve; when lukewarm, put it in a cask
with three lemons cut in slices, and two gills of beer yeast; shake it
well, and stop the cask very tight; let it stand a week to ferment; and
if not clear enough to bottle, it must remain until it becomes so; it
will be fit to drink in ten days after bottling.
* * * * *
ORGEAT.
_A Necessary Refreshment at all Parties._
Boil two quarts of milk with a stick of cinnamon and let it stand to be
quite cold, first taking out the cinnamon; blanch four ounces of the
best sweet almonds, pound them in a marble mortar with a little
rose-water; mix them well with the milk, sweeten it to your taste, and
let it boil a few minutes only, lest the almonds should be oily; strain
it through a very fine sieve till quite smooth, and free from the
almonds, serve it up either cold or lukewarm, in glasses with handles.
* * * * *
CHERRY SHRUB.
Gather ripe morello cherries, pick them from the stalk, and put them in
an earthen pot, which must be set into an iron pot of water; make the
water boil, but take care that none of it gets into the cherries; when
the juice is extracted, pour it into a bag made of tolerably thick
cloth, which will permit the juice to pass, but not the pulp of your
cherries; sweeten it to your taste, and when it becomes perfectly clear,
bottle it--put a gill of brandy into each bottle, before you pour in the
juice--cover the corks with rosin. It will keep all summer, in a dry
cool place, and is delicious mixed with water.
* * * * *
CURRANT WINE.
Gather full ripe currants on a dry day, pick them from the stalks, and
weigh them; then crush them with your hands, leaving none whole; for
every two pounds of currants put one quart of water; stir all well
together, and let it stand three hours, and strain the liquor through a
sieve; then, for every three pounds of currants, put one pound of
powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is dissolved, boil it, and
keep skimming it, as long as any scum will rise; let it stand sixteen
hours to cool, before you put it in the cask--stop it very close. If the
quantity be twenty gallons, let it stand three weeks before you bottle
it; if it be thirty gallons, it must remain a month; it should be
perfectly clear when drawn off--put a lump of sugar in each bottle, cork
it well, and keep it in a cool place, or it will turn sour. This is a
pleasant and cheap wine--and if properly made, will keep good for many
years. It makes an agreeable beverage for the sick, when mixed with
water.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CHERRY BRANDY.
Get equal quantities of morello and common black cherries; fill your
cask, and pour on (to a ten gallon cask) one gallon of boiling water; in
two or three hours, fill it up with brandy--let it stand a week, then
draw off all, and put another gallon of boiling water, and fill it again
with brandy--at the end of the week, draw the whole off, empty the cask
of the cherries, and pour in your brandy with water, to reduce the
strength; first dissolving one pound of brown sugar in each gallon of
your mixture. If the brandy be very strong, it will bear water enough to
make the cask full.
* * * * *
ROSE BRANDY.
Gather leaves from fragrant roses without bruising, fill a pitcher with
them, and cover them with French brandy; next day, pour off the brandy,
take out the leaves, and fill the pitcher with fresh ones, and return
the brandy; do this till it is strongly impregnated, then bottle it;
keep the pitcher closely covered during the process. It is better than
distilled rose water for cakes, &c.
* * * * *
PEACH CORDIAL.
Gather ripe cling-stone peaches, wipe off the down, cut them to the
stone in several places, and put them in a cask; when filled with
peaches, pour on as much peach brandy as the cask will hold; let it
stand six or eight weeks, then draw it off, put in water until reduced
to the strength of wine; to each gallon of this, add one pound of good
brown sugar--dissolve it, and pour the cordial into a cask just large
enough to hold it--when perfectly clear, it is fit for use.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CORDIAL.
To each quart of ripe red raspberries, put one quart of best French
brandy; let it remain about a week, then strain it through a sieve or
bag, pressing out all the liquid; when you have got as much as you want,
reduce the strength to your taste with water, and put a pound of
powdered loaf sugar to each gallon--let it stand till refined.
Strawberry cordial is made the same way. It destroys the flavour of
these fruits to put them on the fire.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY VINEGAR.
Put a quart of ripe red raspberries in a bowl; pour on them a quart of
strong well flavoured vinegar--let them stand twenty-four hours, strain
them through a bag, put this liquid on another quart, of fresh
raspberries, which strain in the same manner--and then on a third quart:
when this last is prepared, make it very sweet with pounded loaf sugar;
refine and bottle it. It is a delicious beverage mixed with iced water.
* * * * *
MINT CORDIAL.
Pick the mint early in the morning while the dew is on it, and be
careful not to bruise it; pour some water over it, and drain it--put two
handsful into a pitcher, with a quart of French brandy, cover it, and
let it stand till next day; take the mint carefully out, and put in as
much more, which must be taken out next day--do this the third time:
then put three quarts of water to the brandy, and one pound of loaf
sugar powdered; mix it well together--and when perfectly clear, bottle
it.
* * * * *
HYDROMEL, OR MEAD.
Mix your mead in the proportion of thirty-six ounces of honey to four
quarts of warm water; when the honey is completely held in solution,
pour it into a cask. When fermented, and become perfectly clear, bottle
and cork it well. If properly prepared, it is a pleasant and wholesome
drink; and in summer particularly grateful, on account of the large
quantity of carbonic acid gas which it contains. Its goodness, however,
depends greatly on the _time_ of bottling, and other circumstances,
which can only be acquired by practice.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE FOR ARRACK.
Dissolve two scruples flowers of Benzoin, in one quart of good rum.
* * * * *
LEMON CORDIAL.
Cut six fresh lemons in thin slices, put them into a quart and a half of
milk, boil it until the whey is very clear, then pass it through a
sieve; put to this whey, one and a half quarts of French brandy, and
three pounds of powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is
dissolved--let it stand to refine, and bottle it; pare some of the
yellow rind of the lemons very thin, and put a little in each bottle.
* * * * *
GINGER BEER.
Pour two gallons of boiling water on two pounds brown sugar, one and a
half ounce of cream of tartar, and the same of pounded ginger; stir them
well, and put it in a small cask; when milk warm, put in half a pint of
good yeast, shake the cask well, and stop it close--in twenty-four hours
it will be fit to bottle--cork it very well, and in ten days it will
sparkle like Champaigne--one or two lemons cut in slices and put in,
will improve it much. For economy, you may use molasses instead of
sugar--one quart in place of two pounds. This is a wholesome and
delicious beverage in warm weather.
* * * * *
SPRUCE BEER.
Boil a handful of hops, and twice as much of the chippings of sassafras
root, in ten gallons of water; strain it, and pour in, while hot, one
gallon of molasses, two spoonsful of the essence of spruce, two
spoonsful of powdered ginger, and one of pounded allspice; put it in a
cask--when sufficiently cold, add half a pint of good yeast; stir it
well, stop it close, and when fermented and clear, bottle and cork it
tight.
* * * * *
MOLASSES BEER.
Put five quarts of hops, and five of wheat bran, into fifteen gallons of
water; boil it three or four hours, strain it, and pour it into a cask
with one head taken out; put in five quarts of molasses, stir it till
well mixed, throw a cloth over the barrel; when moderately warm, add a
quart of good yeast, which must be stirred in; then stop it close with a
cloth and board. When it has fermented and become quite clear, bottle
it--the corks should be soaked in boiling water an hour or two, and the
bottles perfectly clean, and well drained.
* * * * *
TO KEEP LEMON-JUICE.
Get lemons quite free from blemish, squeeze them, and strain the juice;
to each pint of it, put a pound of good loaf sugar pounded; stir it
frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved, cover the pitcher
closely, and let it stand till the dregs have subsided, and the syrup is
transparent; have bottles perfectly clean and dry, put a wine glass full
of French brandy into each bottle, fill it with syrup, cork it, and dip
the neck into melted rosin or pitch; keep them in a cool dry cellar--do
not put it on the fire--it will destroy the fine flavour of the juice.
Pour water on the peels of the lemons, let them soak till you can scrape
all the white pulp off, then boil the peel till soft; preserve them with
half their weight of sugar, and keep them for mince pies, cakes, &c.
They are a very good substitute for citron.
* * * * *
SUGAR VINEGAR.
To one measure of sugar, put seven measures of water moderately warm;
dissolve it completely--put it into a cask, stir in yeast in the
proportion of a pint to eight gallons: stop it close, and keep it in a
warm place till sufficiently sour.
* * * * *
HONEY VINEGAR.
To one quart of clear honey, put eight quarts of warm water, mix it well
together: when it has passed through the acetous fermentation, a white
vinegar will be formed, in many respects better than the ordinary
vinegar.
* * * * *
SYRUP OF VINEGAR.
Boil two pounds of sugar with four quarts of vinegar, down to a syrup,
and bottle it. This makes an excellent beverage when mixed with water,
either with or without the addition of brandy. It is nearly equal a
flavour to the syrup of lime juice, when made with superior vinegar.
* * * * *
AROMATIC VINEGAR.
Put a portion of acetate of potash, (sal diureticus,) into a smelling
bottle; mix gradually with it half its weight of sulphuric acid, and add
a few drops of oil of lavender.
* * * * *
VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES.
Take lavender, rosemary, sage, wormwood, rue, and mint, of each a large
handful; put them in a pot of earthen ware, pour on them four quarts of
very strong vinegar, cover the pot closely, and put a board on the top;
keep it in the hottest sun two weeks, then strain and bottle it, putting
in each bottle a clove of garlic. When it has settled in the bottle and
become clear, pour it off gently; do this until you get it all free from
sediment. The proper time to make it is when the herbs are in full
vigour, in June. This vinegar is very refreshing in crowded rooms, in
the apartments of the sick; and is peculiarly grateful, when sprinkled
about the house in damp weather.
* * * * *
LAVENDER WATER.
Put a pint of highly rectified spirits of wine, to one ounce of
essential oil of lavender, and two drachms of ambergris; shake them well
together, and keep it closely stopped.
* * * * *
HUNGARIAN WATER.
One pint spirits of wine, one ounce oil of rosemary, and two drachms
essence of ambergris.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE COSMETIC SOAP FOR WASHING THE HANDS.
Take a pound of castile, or any other nice old soap; scrape it in small
pieces, and put it on the fire with a little water--stir it till it
becomes a smooth paste, pour it into a bowl, and when cold, add some
lavender water, or essence of any kind--beat it with a silver spoon
until well mixed, thicken it with corn meal, and keep it in small pots
closely covered--for the admission of air will soon make the soap hard.
* * * * *
COLOGNE WATER.
Three quarts spirits of wine, six drachms oil of lavender, one drachm
oil of rosemary, three drachms essence of lemon, ten drops oil of
cinnamon--mix them together very well.
* * * * *
SOFT POMATUM.
Get nice sweet lard that has no salt in it--put in any agreeable
perfume, beat it to a cream, and put it in small pots.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SOAP.
Put on the fire any quantity of lye you choose that is strong enough to
bear an egg--to each gallon, add three quarters of a pound of clean
grease: boil it very fast, and stir it frequently--a few hours will
suffice to make it good soap. When you find by cooling a little on a
plate that it is a thick jelly, and no grease appears, put in salt in
the proportion of one pint to three gallons--let it boil a few minutes,
and pour it in tubs to cool--(should the soap be thin, add a little
water to that in the plate, stir it well, and by that means ascertain
how much water is necessary for the whole quantity; very strong lye will
require water to thicken it, after the incorporation is complete; this
must be done before the salt is added.) Next day, cut out the soap, melt
it, and cool it again; this takes out all the lye, and keeps the soap
from shrinking when dried. A strict conformity to these rules, will
banish the lunar bugbear, which has so long annoyed soap makers. Should
cracknels be used, there must be one pound to each gallon. Kitchen
grease should be clarified in a quantity of water, or the salt will
prevent its incorporating with the lye. Soft soap is made in the same
manner, only omitting the salt. It may also be made by putting the lye
and grease together in exact proportions, and placing it under the
influence of a hot sun for eight or ten days, stirring it well four or
five times a day.
* * * * *
TO MAKE STARCH.
Wash a peck of good wheat, and pick it very clean; put it in a tub, and
cover it with water; it must be kept in the sun, and the water changed
every day, or it will smell very offensively. When the wheat becomes
quite soft, it must be well rubbed in the hands, and the husks thrown
into another tub; let this white substance settle, then pour off the
water, put on fresh, stir it up well, and let it subside; do this every
day till the water comes off clear--then pour it off; collect the starch
in a bag, tie it up tight, and set it in the sun a few days; then open
it, and dry the starch on dishes.
* * * * *
TO DRY HERBS.
Gather them on a dry day, just before they begin to blossom; brush off
the dust, cut them in small branches, and dry them quickly in a moderate
oven; pick off the leaves when dry, pound and sift them--bottle them
immediately, and cork them closely. They must be kept in a dry place.
* * * * *
TO CLEAN SILVER UTENSILS.
Dissolve two tea-spoonsful of alum in a quart of moderately strong
lye--stir in a gill of soft soap, and skim off the dross. Wash the
silver clean in hot water, let it remain covered with this mixture for
ten or fifteen minutes, turning it over frequently; then wash it in hot
soap suds, and rub it well with a dry cloth.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BLACKING.
A quarter of a pound of ivory black, two ounces of sugar candy, a
quarter of an ounce of gum tragacanth; pound them all very fine, boil a
bottle of porter, and stir the ingredients in while boiling hot.
* * * * *
TO CLEAN KNIVES AND FORKS.
Wash them in warm water, and wipe them till quite dry; then touch them
lightly over, without smearing the handles, with rotten stone made wet;
let it dry on them, and then rub with a clean cloth until they are
bright. With this mode of cleaning, one set of knives and forks will
serve a family twenty years; they will require the frequent use of a
steel to keep them with a keen edge--but must never be put into very hot
water, lest the handles be injured.
THE END.
Footnotes:
Footnote 1: Shote being a Provincial term, and not a legitimate English
Word, Mrs. R. has taken the liberty of spelling it in a way that conveys
the sound of the pronunciation more clearly than _shoat_, the usual
manner of spelling it.