An excellent imitation may be made by any dextrous person who wishes to
excel in this branch. The cucumbers for this pickling must be gathered
as soon as they have attained full growth, and the larger the better,
but they must not be ripe or of a light yellow colour. Cut out a piece
from the side of each and put them aside, take out nicely the seeds,
and put both the cucumbers and the pieces which were taken from them
into a pickle of two pounds of salt to a gallon of water, with half an
ounce of saltpetre and one ounce of sal prunelle, so let them lie ten
or twelve days, and until they come to a yellow colour; then put them
in a pan with alternate layers of vine leaves, and dissolve half an
ounce of alum in the brine they were pickled in, pour it upon them in
the pan, which set upon a fire not too brisk, and let the cucumbers be
subjected to a scalding process for about four hours, being attentive
all the time that the pickle does not reach the boiling point. They
should now be of a nice green colour. Set them on a sieve to drain, and
then insert into each cucumber
One stick of fresh horseradish
Mustard seed ½ oz.
Four cloves of garlic
Peppercorns ½ oz.
Replace the pieces of the fruit you cut out, and attach them by a
needle and green silk. Make then the following pickle, by boiling for
ten minutes:
White-wine vinegar 6½ qts.
Black peppercorns 3 oz.
Mustard seed 6 oz.
Garlic 2 oz.
Shalots 1 oz.
Mace 1½ oz.
Cloves 2 oz.
Long pepper 3 oz.
Lay the mangoes in a deep straight-sided jar, and pour the pickle when
cold upon them, covering completely, and an inch above at least, then
make secure with bladder and leather. These will require three or four
months at least before fit for use.