In making pickles use none but the best cider vinegar, and boil in a porcelain kettle. Never use metal kettles. A lump of alum the size of a small nutmeg to a gallon of cucumbers, dissolved and added to the vinegar when scalding the pickles the first time renders them crisp and tender. Do not use too much, because it is injurious; follow directions carefully. Keep pickles in a dry, cool cellar in glass or a stone jar. Look at them frequently and remove all soft ones. If white specks appear in the vinegar, drain off and scald. Add a liberal handful of sugar to each gallon and pour over the pickles again. A little ground horseradish added to the vinegar will help preserve it. The nicest way to put up pickles is to bottle them, sealing while hot, and keeping in a cool, dark place. Never put pickles in a vessel that has had any kind of grease in it and never let them freeze. The brine for pickles should be strong enough to bear an egg; make it in proportions of a heaping pint of coarse salt to one gallon of water. Use coarse salt and test the pickles before putting vinegar on. If not salt enough, add salt to the brine and allow them to stand until they have acquired the proper flavor; if too salty, cover with weak vinegar, let stand two or three days, drain, adding strong vinegar, either hot or cold, according to recipes, and finish as directed. One way to green pickles is to use cabbage leaves, covering bottom, sides and top of kettle. It is necessary to use very strong vinegar when heating it, as heating weakens it, and it should only be brought to the boiling point and then used at once. Keep the pickles from the air, and see that the vinegar is at least two inches above the top of the pickles in the jar. A dry wooden spoon should be used in handling and is the only utensil that should touch pickles in the jar.

Spiced Currants

Seven pounds currants, three tablespoons cinnamon, five pounds brown sugar, three tablespoons cloves, one pint vinegar; pick over currants, wash and stem; put in preserving kettle, add vinegar, sugar and spices tied in bag; heat to boiling point, then cook slowly about one and one-half hours. Fill jars and keep for winter use to serve with cold meats.

Spiced Vinegar For Pickles

One gallon of vinegar, one pound of sugar, one table-spoon allspice, one tablespoon black pepper, one tablespoon cinnamon, three tablespoons mustard seed, three tablespoons celery seed, two tablespoons salt, one tablespoon mace, three onions chopped fine, one teacup grated horseradish.

Mixed Pickles

Wash and drain pickles; put in a jar with alternate layers of green tomatoes and green peppers. Cover with boiling hot brine made in the proportion of one pint of coarse salt to one gallon of water. Let stand twenty-four hours. Drain, rinse in cold water and pour over them "spiced vinegar." Have this boiling hot. Add a few roots of sliced horseradish before pouring on the vinegar.

Pickled Pears

(Special Recipe)

To each six pounds of pears allow a pint of cider- or wine- vinegar, three pounds of sugar and a teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and ginger (in thin bag). Let sugar, vinegar and spices boil up and place in the resulting syrup the peeled pears, a few at a time. Cook until tender; place pears in a crock; pour over them the vinegar and let stand three days. Pour off the syrup and boil it down; then pour over the pears again (having placed the pears in jars), remove spice bag and seal. If tartness is desired, part of the sugar may be omitted.