one onion, cut fine, two tablespoonfuls of salt and three
tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Boil until quite thick; then take from
the fire and strain it through a sieve, working it until it is all
through but the seeds. Put it back on the stove, and add two
tablespoonfuls of mustard, one of allspice, one of black pepper and
one of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, half a teaspoonful
of cayenne pepper, one grated nutmeg, one pint of good vinegar; boil
it until it will just run from the mouth of a bottle. It should be
watched, stirred often, that it does not burn. If sealed tight while
_hot_, in large-mouthed bottles, it will keep good for years.
TOMATO CATSUP. No. 2.
Cook one gallon of choice ripe tomatoes; strain them, and cook again
until they become quite thick. About fifteen minutes before taking up
put into them a small level teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, one
tablespoonful of mustard seed, half a tablespoonful of whole cloves,
one tablespoonful of whole allspice, all tied in a thin muslin bag. At
the same time, add one heaping tablespoonful of sugar, and one
teacupful of best vinegar and salt to suit the taste. Seal up
air-tight, either in bottles or jugs. This is a valuable Southern
recipe.
GREEN TOMATO CATSUP.
One peck of green tomatoes and two large onions sliced. Place them in
layers, sprinkling salt between; let them stand twenty-four hours and
then drain them. Add a quarter of a pound of mustard seed, one ounce
allspice, one ounce cloves, one ounce ground mustard, one ounce ground
ginger, two tablespoonfuls black pepper, two teaspoonfuls celery seed,
a quarter of a pound of brown sugar. Put all in preserving-pan, cover
with vinegar and boil two hours; then strain through a sieve and
bottle for use.
WALNUT CATSUP.
One hundred walnuts, six ounces of shallots, one head of garlic, half
a pound of salt, two quarts of vinegar, two ounces of anchovies, two
ounces of pepper, a quarter of an ounce of mace, half an ounce of
cloves; beat in a large mortar a hundred green walnuts until they are
thoroughly broken; then put them into a jar with six ounces of
shallots cut into pieces, a head of garlic, two quarts of vinegar and
the half pound of salt; let them stand for a fortnight, stirring them
twice a day. Strain off the liquor, put into a stewpan with the
anchovies, whole pepper, half an ounce of cloves and a quarter of an
ounce of mace; boil it half an hour, skimming it well. Strain it off,
and, when cold, pour it clear from any sediment into small bottles,
cork it down closely and store it in a dry place. The sediment can be
used for flavoring sauces.
OYSTER CATSUP.
One pint of oyster meats, one teacupful of sherry, a tablespoonful of
salt, a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, the same of powdered mace, a
gill of cider vinegar.
Procure the oysters very fresh and open sufficient to fill a pint
measure; save the liquor and scald the oysters in it with the sherry;
strain the oysters and chop them fine with the salt, cayenne and mace,
until reduced to a pulp; then add it to the liquor in which they were
scalded; boil it again five minutes and skim well; rub the whole
through a sieve, and, when cold, bottle and cork closely. The corks
should be sealed.
MUSHROOM CATSUP.
Use the larger kind known as umbrellas or "flaps." They must be very
fresh and not gathered in very wet weather, or the catsup will be less
apt to keep. Wash and cut them in two to four pieces, and place them
in a wide, flat jar or crock in layers, sprinkling each layer with
salt, and let them stand for twenty-four hours; take them out and
press out the juice, when bottle and cork; put the mushrooms back
again, and in another twenty-four hours press them again; bottle and
cork; repeat this for the third time, and then mix together all the
juice extracted; add to it pepper, allspice, one or more cloves
according to quantity, pounded together; boil the whole, and skim as
long as any scum rises; bottle when cool; put in each bottle two
cloves and a pepper-corn. Cork and seal, put in a dry place, and it
will keep for years.
GOOSEBERRY CATSUP.
Ten pounds of fruit gathered just before ripening, five pounds of
sugar, one quart of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls each of ground black
pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Boil the fruit in vinegar until reduced
to a pulp, then add sugar and the other seasoning. Seal it hot.
Grape catsup is made in the same manner.
CUCUMBER CATSUP.
Take cucumbers suitable for the table; peel and grate them, salt a
little, and put in a bag to drain over night; in the morning season to
taste with salt, pepper and vinegar, put in small jars and seal tight
for fall or winter use.
CURRANT CATSUP.
Four pounds of currants, two pounds of sugar, one pint of vinegar, one
teaspoonful of cloves, a tablespoonful of cinnamon, pepper and
allspice. Boil in a porcelain saucepan until thoroughly cooked. Strain
through a sieve all but the skins; boil down until just thick enough
to run freely from the mouth of a bottle when cold. Cork and set
aside.
APPLE CATSUP.
Peel and quarter a dozen sound, tart apples; stew them until soft in
as little water as possible, then pass them through a sieve. To a
quart of the sifted apple, add a teacupful of sugar, one teaspoonful
of pepper, one of cloves, one of mustard, two of cinnamon, and two
medium-sized onions, chopped _very_ fine. Stir all together, adding a
tablespoonful of salt and a pint of vinegar. Place over the fire and
boil one hour, and bottle while hot; seal very tight. It should be
about as thick as tomato catsup, so that it will just run from the
bottle.
CELERY VINEGAR.
A quart of fresh celery, chopped fine, or a quarter of a pound of
celery seed; one quart of best vinegar; one tablespoonful of salt, and
one of white sugar. Put the celery or seed into a jar, heat the
vinegar, sugar and salt; pour it boiling hot over the celery, let it
cool, cover it tightly and set away. In two weeks strain and bottle.
SPICED VINEGAR.
Take one quart of cider vinegar, put into it half an ounce of celery
seed, one-third of an ounce of dried mint, one-third of an ounce of
dried parsley, one garlic, three small onions, three whole cloves, a
teaspoonful of whole pepper-corns, a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg,
salt to taste and a tablespoonful of sugar; add a tablespoonful of
good brandy. Put all into a jar, and cover it well; let it stand for
three weeks, then strain and bottle it well. Useful for flavoring
salad and other dishes.
PICKLES.
Pickles should never be put into vessels of brass, copper or tin, as
the action of the acid on such metals often results in poisoning the
pickles. Porcelain or granite-ware is the best for such purposes.
Vinegar that is used for pickling should be the best cider or
white-wine, and should never be boiled more than five or six minutes,
as it reduces its strength. In putting away pickles, use stone or
glass jars; the glazing on common earthenware is rendered injurious by
the action of the vinegar. When the jar is nearly filled with the
pickles, the vinegar should completely cover them, and if there is any
appearance of their not doing well, turn off the vinegar, cover with
fresh vinegar and spices. Alum in small quantities is useful in
making them firm and crisp. In using ground spices, tie them up in
muslin bags.
To green pickles, put green grape-vine leaves or green cabbage leaves
between them when heating. Another way is to heat them in strong
ginger tea. Pickles should be kept closely covered, put into glass
jars and sealed tightly.
"Turmeric" is India saffron, and is used very much in pickling as a
coloring.
A piece of horse-radish put into a jar of pickles will keep the
vinegar from losing its strength, and the pickles will keep sound much
longer, especially tomato pickles.
CUCUMBER PICKLES.
Select the medium, small-sized cucumbers. For one bushel make a brine
that will bear up an egg; heat it boiling hot and pour it over the
cucumbers; let them stand twenty-four hours, then wipe them dry; heat
some vinegar boiling hot and pour over them, standing again
twenty-four hours. Now change the vinegar, putting on fresh vinegar,
adding one quart of brown sugar, a pint of white mustard seed, a small
handful of whole cloves, the same of cinnamon sticks, a piece of alum
the size of an egg, half a cup of celery seed; heat it all boiling hot
and pour over the cucumbers.
SLICED CUCUMBER PICKLE.
Take one gallon of medium-sized cucumbers, put them into a jar or
pail. Put into enough _boiling_ water to cover them a small handful of
salt, turn it over them and cover closely; repeat this three mornings,
and the fourth morning scald enough cider vinegar to cover them,
putting into it a piece of alum as large as a walnut, a teacup of
horse-radish root cut up fine; then tie up in a small muslin bag, one
teaspoonful of mustard, one of ground cloves, and one of cinnamon.
Slice up the cucumbers half of an inch thick, place them in glass jars
and pour the scalding vinegar over them. Seal tight and they will keep
good a year or more.
_Mrs. Lydia C. Wright, South Vernon, Vermont._
CUCUMBER PICKLES. (For Winter Use.)
A good way to put down cucumbers, a few at a time:--
When gathered from the vines, wash, and put in a firkin or half barrel
layers or cucumbers and rock-salt alternately, enough salt to make
sufficient brine to cover them, no water; cover with a cloth; keep
them under the brine with a heavy board; take off the cloth, and rinse
it every time you put in fresh cucumbers, as a scum will rise and
settle upon it. Use plenty of salt and it will keep a year. To prepare
pickles for use, soak in hot water, and keep in a warm place until
they are fresh enough, then pour spiced vinegar over them and let them
stand over night, then pour that off and put on fresh.
GREEN TOMATO PICKLES. (Sweet.)
One peck of green tomatoes, sliced the day before you are ready for
pickling, sprinkling them through and through with salt, not _too_
heavily; in the morning drain off the liquor that will drain from
them. Have a dozen good-sized onions rather coarsely sliced; take a
suitable kettle and put in a layer of the sliced tomatoes, then of
onions, and between each layer sprinkle the following spices: Six
_red_ peppers chopped coarsely, one cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of
ground allspice, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, a teaspoonful
of cloves, one tablespoonful of mustard. Turn over three pints of good
vinegar, or enough to completely cover them; boil until tender. This
is a choice recipe.
If the flavor of onions is objectionable, the pickle is equally as
good without them.
GREEN TOMATO PICKLES. (Sour.)
Wash and slice, without peeling, one peck of sound green tomatoes, put
them into a jar in layers with a slight sprinkling of salt between.
This may be done over night; in the morning drain off the liquor that
has accumulated. Have two dozen medium-sized onions peeled and sliced,
also six red peppers chopped fine. Make some spiced vinegar by boiling
for half an hour a quart of cider vinegar with whole spices in it. Now
take a porcelain kettle and place in it some of the sliced tomatoes,
then some of the sliced onions; shake in some black pepper and some of
the chopped red peppers; pour over some of the spiced vinegar; then
repeat with the tomatoes, onions, etc., until the kettle is full;
cover with cold, pure cider vinegar and cook until tender, but not too
soft. Turn into a jar well covered and set in a cool place.
PICKLED MUSHROOMS.
Sufficient vinegar to cover the mushrooms; to each quart of mushrooms
two blades pounded mace, one ounce ground pepper, salt to taste.
Choose some nice young button mushrooms for pickling and rub off the
skin with a piece of flannel and salt, and cut off the stalks; if very
large, take out the red inside, and reject the black ones, as they are
too old. Put them in a stewpan, sprinkle salt over them, with pounded
mace and pepper in the above proportion; shake them well over a clear
fire until the liquor flows and keep them there until it is all dried
up again; then add as much vinegar as will cover them; just let it
simmer for one minute and store it away in stone jars for use. When
cold tie down with bladder and keep in a dry place; they will remain
good for a length of time, and are generally considered excellent for
flavoring stews and other dishes.
PICKLED CABBAGE. (Purple.)
Cut a sound cabbage into quarters, spread it on a large flat platter
or dish and sprinkle thickly with salt; set it in a cool place for
twenty-four hours; then drain off the brine, wipe it dry and lay it in
the sun two hours, and cover with cold vinegar for twelve hours.
Prepare a pickle by seasoning enough vinegar to cover the cabbage with
equal quantities of mace, allspice, cinnamon and black pepper, a cup
of sugar to every gallon of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of celery seed
to every pint. Pack the cabbage in a stone jar; boil the vinegar and
spices five minutes and pour on hot. Cover and set away in a cool, dry
place. It will be good in a month. A few slices of beetroot improves
the color.
PICKLED WHITE CABBAGE.
This recipe recommends itself as of a delightful flavor yet easily
made, and a convenient substitute for the old-fashioned, tedious
method of pickling the same vegetable. Take a peck of quartered
cabbage, put a layer of cabbage and one of salt, let it remain over
night; in the morning squeeze them and put them on the fire, with four
chopped onions covered with vinegar; boil for half an hour, then add
one ounce of turmeric, one gill of black pepper, one gill of celery
seed, a few cloves, one tablespoonful of allspice, a few pieces of
ginger, half an ounce of mace, and two pounds of brown sugar. Let it
boil half an hour longer, and when cold it is fit for use. Four
tablespoonfuls of made mustard should be added with the other
ingredients.
PICKLED CAULIFLOWER.
Break the heads into small pieces and boil ten or fifteen minutes in
salt and water; remove from the water and drain carefully. When cold,
place in a jar, and pour over it hot vinegar, in which has been
scalded a liberal supply of whole cloves, pepper, allspice and white
mustard. Tie the spices in a bag, and, on removing the vinegar from
the fire, stir into each quart of it two teaspoonfuls of French
mustard, and half a cup of white sugar. Cover tightly and be sure to
have the vinegar cover the pickle.
PICKLED GREEN PEPPERS.
Take two dozen large, green, bell peppers, extract the seeds by
cutting a slit in the side (so as to leave them whole). Make a strong
brine and pour over them; let them stand twenty-four hours. Take them
out of the brine, and soak them in water for a day and a night; now
turn off this water and scald some vinegar, in which put a small piece
of alum, and pour over them, letting them stand three days. Prepare a
stuffing of two hard heads of white cabbage, chopped fine, seasoned
slightly with salt and a cup of white mustard seed; mix it well and
stuff the peppers hard and full; stitch up, place them in a stone jar,
and pour over spiced vinegar scalding hot. Cover tightly.
GREEN PEPPER MANGOES.
Select firm, sound, green peppers, and add a few red ones as they are
ornamental and look well upon the table. With a sharp knife remove the
top, take out the seed, soak over night in salt water, then fill with
chopped cabbage and green tomatoes, seasoned with salt, mustard seed
and ground cloves. Sew on the top. Boil vinegar sufficient to cover
them, with a cup of brown sugar, and pour over the mangoes. Do this
three mornings, then seal.
CHOWCHOW. (Superior English Recipe.)
This excellent pickle is seldom made at home, as we can get the
imported article so much better than it can be made from the usual
recipes. This we vouch for being as near the genuine article as can
be made: One quart of young, tiny cucumbers, not over two inches
long, two quarts of _very_ small white onions, two quarts of tender
string beans, each one cut in halves, three quarts of green tomatoes,
sliced and chopped very coarsely, two fresh heads of cauliflower, cut
into small pieces, or two heads of white, hard cabbage.
After preparing these articles, put them in a stone jar, mix them
together, sprinkling salt between them sparingly. Let them stand
twenty-four hours, then drain off _all_ the brine that has
accumulated. Now put these vegetables in a preserving kettle over the
fire, sprinkling through them an ounce of turmeric for coloring, six
red peppers, chopped coarsely, four tablespoonfuls of mustard seed,
two of celery seed, two of whole allspice, two of whole cloves, a
coffee cup of sugar, and two-thirds of a teacup of best ground mixed
mustard. Pour on enough of the best cider vinegar to cover the whole
well; cover tightly and simmer all well until it is cooked all through
and seems tender, watching and stirring it often. Put in bottles or
glass jars. It grows better as it grows older, especially if sealed
when hot.
PICKLED ONIONS.
Peel small onions until they are white. Scald them in salt and water
until tender, then take them up, put them into wide-mouthed bottles,
and pour over them hot spiced vinegar; when cold cork them close. Keep
in a dry, dark place. A tablespoonful of sweet oil may be put in the
bottles before the cork. The best sort of onions for pickling are the
small white buttons.
PICKLED MANGOES.
Let the mangoes, or young musk-melons, lie in salt water, strong
enough to bear an egg, for two weeks; then soak them in pure water for
two days, changing the water two or three times; then remove the seeds
and put the mangoes in a kettle, first a layer of grape leaves, then
mangoes, and so on until all are in, covering the top with leaves; add
a lump of alum the size of a hickory nut; pour vinegar over them and
boil them ten or fifteen minutes; remove the leaves and let the
pickles stand in this vinegar for a week; then stuff them with the
following mixture: One pound of ginger soaked in brine for a day or
two, and cut in slices, one ounce of black pepper, one of mace, one of
allspice, one of turmeric, half a pound of garlic, soaked for a day
or two in brine and then dried; one pint grated horse-radish, one of
black mustard seed and one of white mustard seed; bruise all the
spices and mix with a teacup of pure olive oil; to each mango add one
teaspoonful of brown sugar; cut one solid head of cabbage fine; add
one pint of small onions, a few small cucumbers and green tomatoes;
lay them in brine a day and a night, then drain them well and add the
imperfect mangoes chopped fine and the spices; mix thoroughly, stuff
the mangoes and tie them; put them in a stone jar and pour over them
the best cider vinegar; set them in a bright, dry place until they are
canned. In a month add three pounds of brown sugar; if this is not
sufficient, add more until agreeable to taste. This is for four dozen
mangoes.
PICKLE OF RIPE CUCUMBERS.
This is a French recipe and is the most excellent of all the
high-flavored condiments; it is made by _sun-drying_ thirty _old_,
full grown cucumbers, which have first been pared and split, had the
seeds taken out, been salted and let stand twenty-four hours. The sun
should be permitted to _dry_, not simply drain them. When they are
moderately dry, wash them with vinegar and place them in layers in a
jar, alternating them with a layer of horse-radish, mustard seed,
garlic and onions for each layer of cucumbers. Boil in one quart of
vinegar, one ounce of race ginger, half an ounce of allspice and the
same of turmeric; when cool pour this over the cucumbers, tie up
tightly and set away. This pickle requires several months to mature
it, but is delicious when old, keeps admirably, and only a little is
needed as a relish.
PICKLED OYSTERS.
One gallon of oysters; wash them well in their own liquor; carefully
clear away the particles of shell, then put them into a kettle, strain
the liquor over them, add salt to your taste, let them just come to
the boiling point, or until the edges curl up; then skim them out and
lay in a dish to cool; put a sprig of mace and a little cold pepper
and allow the liquor to boil some time, skimming it now and then so
long as any skum rises. Pour it into a pan and let it cool. When
perfectly cool, add a half pint of strong vinegar, place the oysters
in a jar and pour the liquor over them.
RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLES. (Sweet.)
Pare and seed ripe cucumbers. Slice each cucumber lengthwise into four
pieces, or cut it into fancy shapes, as preferred. Let them stand
twenty-four hours covered with cold vinegar. Drain them; then put them
into fresh vinegar, with two pounds of sugar and one ounce of cassia
buds to one quart of vinegar, and a tablespoonful of salt. Boil all
together twenty minutes. Cover them closely in a jar.
PICCALILLI.
One peck of green tomatoes; eight large onions chopped fine, with one
cup of salt well stirred in. Let it stand over night; in the morning
drain off all the liquor. Now take two quarts of water and one of
vinegar, boil all together twenty minutes. Drain all through a sieve
or colander. Put it back into the kettle again; turn over it two
quarts of vinegar, one pound of sugar, half a pound of white mustard
seed, two tablespoonfuls of ground pepper, two of cinnamon, one of
cloves, two of ginger, one of allspice, and half a teaspoonful of
cayenne pepper. Boil all together fifteen minutes or until tender.
Stir it often to prevent scorching. Seal in glass jars.
A most delicious accompaniment for any kind of meat or fish.
_Mrs. St. Johns._
PICKLED EGGS.
Pickled eggs are very easily prepared and most excellent as an
accompaniment for cold meats. Boil quite hard three dozen eggs, drop
in cold water and remove the shells, and pack them when entirely cold
in a wide-mouthed jar, large enough to let them in or out without
breaking. Take as much vinegar as you think will cover them entirely
and boil it in white pepper, allspice, a little root ginger; pack them
in stone or wide-mouthed glass jars, occasionally putting in a
tablespoonful of white and black mustard seed mixed, a small piece of
race ginger, garlic, if liked, horse-radish ungrated, whole cloves,
and a very little allspice. Slice two of three green peppers, and add
in very small quantities. They will be fit for use in eight or ten
days.
AN ORNAMENTAL PICKLE.
Boil fresh eggs half an hour, then put them in cold water. Boil red
beets until tender, peel and cut in dice form, and cover with vinegar,
spiced; shell the eggs and drop into the pickle jar.
EAST INDIA PICKLE.
Lay in strong brine for two weeks, or until convenient to use them,
small cucumbers, very small common white onions, snap beans, gherkins,
hard white cabbage quartered, plums, peaches, pears, lemons, green
tomatoes and anything else you may wish. When ready, take them out of
the brine and simmer in pure water until tender enough to stick a
straw through--if still too salt, soak in clear water; drain
thoroughly and lay them in vinegar in which is dissolved one ounce of
turmeric to the gallon. For five gallons of pickle, take two ounces of
mace, two of cloves, two of cinnamon, two of allspice, two of celery
seed, a quarter of a pound of white race ginger, cracked fine, half a
pound of white mustard seed, half a pint of small red peppers, quarter
of a pound of grated horse-radish, half a pint of flour mustard, two
ounces of turmeric, half a pint of garlic, if you like; soak in two
gallons of cider vinegar for two weeks, stirring daily. After the
pickles have lain in the turmeric vinegar for a week, take them out
and put in jars or casks, one layer of pickle and one of spice out of
the vinegar, till all is used. If the turmeric vinegar is still good
and strong, add it and the spiced vinegar. If the turmeric vinegar be
much diluted do not use it, but add enough fresh to the spiced to
cover the pickles; put it on the fire with a pound of brown sugar to
each gallon; when boiling, pour over the pickle. Repeat this two or
three times as your taste may direct.
MIXED PICKLES.
Scald in salt water until tender cauliflower heads, small onions,
peppers, cucumbers cut in dice, nasturtiums and green beans; then
drain until dry and pack into wide-mouthed bottles. Boil in each pint
of cider vinegar one tablespoonful of sugar, half a teaspoonful of
salt and two tablespoonfuls of mustard; pour over the pickle and seal
carefully. Other spices may be added if liked.
BLUEBERRY PICKLES.
For blueberry pickles, old jars which have lost their covers, or whose
edges have been broken so that the covers will not fit tightly, serve
an excellent purpose as these pickles _must not_ be kept air-tight.