FOR pickling, the fruit, or leaves, or bulbs should be in perfect
condition and thoroughly cleaned. Strong vinegar of good quality should
be used, and the spices should be fresh and good. The mixing and
heating of the vinegar is best performed in unglazed stoneware vessels;
if these are unavailable, enamelled iron pans should be used. Pickling
consists in preserving fruits or other vegetable products in spiced
vinegar, the details of the process differing slightly according to the
product to be pickled. To make the spiced vinegar, place in a stoneware
or enamelled boiling-pan a quart of strong vinegar, from half an ounce
to four ounces of black peppercorns, a couple of ounces of crushed
ginger, and from two to eight ounces of mustard seed. Boil this mixture
for four minutes. If liked, any or all of the following spices may
be added to, and boiled with, the vinegar, in addition to those just
named: from one to four blades of mace, from two to ten cloves, from
four to eight allspice, and from two to eight grains of cayenne pepper.
_Implements._—Unglazed stone jars are of all vessels the most suitable
for the containing of pickles, both by virtue of their chemical
composition, and on account of their pleasant wholesome look. Glass
bottles are next best for the purpose. In any case, the great thing
to be remembered is that no metallic substance must be allowed to come
into contact with the pickle or with the vinegar which is to be used.
Wooden spoons alone should be used for mixing. For closing the mouths
of the jars or bottles, corks should be employed, and further security
from contact with the air should be ensured by covering the corked
mouths with tinfoil, bladder, or parchment-paper. It is desirable that
the vessels be furnished with mouths of smaller size than is usually
the case, as the larger the mouth the greater the risk of contamination
by exposure to the air.
[Illustration: OLD DISTILLING FURNACES AND STILLS.
(_From the title page of the first volume of Brunschwig’s “Liber de
Arte Distillandi,” 1500._)]
_To pickle Red Cabbage._—Cut the cabbages into shreds, place them in
a large jar with plenty of salt well intermingled. Leave them alone
for two days, then pour off the liquid, dry the cabbage for a few
hours in the air, pack it in the pickling jars to about an inch from
the opening, and pour sufficient cold spiced vinegar to fill each jar
completely, interspersing some of the spices among the cabbage. Cork
and seal at once.
_To pickle Shallots._—Peel the shallots, and place them in a large
jar with plenty of salt well intermingled. In two days pour off the
liquid, and dry the shallots in the air for a few hours. Then pack them
in the pickling jars, and pour boiling spiced vinegar to fill each
jar completely, interspersing some of the spices among the shallots.
Cork and seal whilst hot. If the vinegar be poured off in a week,
reboiled, and returned to the jars, the pickle will keep much longer.
_To pickle Walnuts._—Take walnuts gathered about July, when still young
and soft enough to be pierced by a pin, and place them in a large jar,
with plenty of salt well interspersed and covering. In eight days
pour off the liquid, and wipe and then dry the nuts in the air for a
few hours. Pierce each walnut with a stout needle, place them in the
pickling jars, and pour boiling spiced vinegar on them so as to fill
the jars. Cover with corks, and each week for three weeks pour off the
vinegar, reboil it, and fill up the jars with boiling spiced vinegar.
Then finally cork and seal.
_To pickle Gherkins._—Place the gherkins in a large jar with plenty of
salt over and among them. In six days pour off the liquid and add a
little water to it, so that it may be a brine strong enough that an egg
will float thereon. Boil this liquid and pour it over the gherkins. In
twenty-four hours pour off the liquid, wipe and dry the gherkins in the
air, place them in the pickling jars, and fill the latter with boiling
spiced vinegar. Cork and seal. If the vinegar be poured off in a week,
reboiled, and again placed in the jars, the pickle will keep much
longer.
_To make a Green Tomato Pickle._—Take a gallon of green tomatoes and a
quart of onions; slice them and cover them with salt. In twenty-four
hours pour off the liquid, and slowly boil for about an hour the
tomatoes and onions in a quart of spiced vinegar, to which a pound of
sugar and a tea-spoonful of celery seed have been added. When tender,
take the mixture off the fire, bottle, cork, and seal.
_To make a Ripe Tomato Pickle._—Substitute ripe tomatoes for the
tomatoes and onions in the last recipe. Halve the quantity of vinegar,
and omit the celery seed.
_To pickle Plums._—Prick four pounds of plums and place them in a
fire-proof stoneware pan with two and a half pounds of sugar. Carefully
bring to the boil, and add two-thirds of a pint of spiced vinegar. Boil
for a few minutes, take out the plums, cool them, and place them in the
pickle-jars. Boil up the liquid again, and pour it whilst boiling over
the plums so as to fill the jars. Cork and seal at once.
_To pickle Samphire._—Gather samphire whilst it is green, about August,
break it into sprigs, place in a jar, and add abundance of salt over
and amongst the sprigs. In two days pour off the liquid, and dry the
samphire for a few hours in the air. Pack it in jars, pour boiling
unspiced vinegar over it so as to fill the jars, and boil in the oven
until the samphire is green and crisp, and at once remove. Cork and
seal.
_To make Nasturtium Pickle._—Place some green nasturtium seeds in a
weak solution of salt for three days. Then soak them in cold water for
twelve hours. Strain and place them in small jars, and pour boiling
vinegar over them.
_Some other Pickles._—Young pea pods, young French bean pods,
cauliflower, unripe gooseberries, and umbels of elderberry flowers
gathered before they expand, barberries (Mrs. Glasse recommends that a
little sprig of boiled fennel be placed at the top of each jar before
sealing), and sliced boiled beetroot, are pickled as directed for red
cabbage.
Unripe, but fully grown radish pods, are pickled as directed for
gherkins.
Onions and young mushrooms (which should be rubbed with salt but not
peeled) are pickled as directed for shallots.
Small apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and damsons may be used to make
sweet pickles as directed for plums. But apples, pears, peaches, and
apricots require to be peeled before being pickled.
_To make Sauerkraut._—Take a dozen fine, hard-hearted, white cabbages,
remove the outer leaves, and shred the hearts into small shreds. Place
these shreds into a large tub, and over each layer sprinkle a little
salt (about six pounds in all). Press the layers of cabbage firmly
down, and, when the tub is full, sprinkle salt over the top of the heap
of cabbage. On this place a piece of linen, and a wooden cover on the
linen. Weigh down the cover by means of a large stone or other weight.
The cover must accurately fit the tub, and slide down within the
staves. The tub should then be placed in a warm room till fermentation
has begun. Wash and replace the linen cover every fortnight. In three
weeks the sauerkraut will be fit for use, though it will keep good for
more than a year.