Rules To Be Observed In Pickling

Procure always the best white wine vinegar. This can only be obtained by dealing with a respectable tradesman upon whom you can depend. Vinegar is so grossly adulterated that it is really a difficulty to obtain it pure.

Orleans vinegar, although the dearest is the best. The success of your pickle depends on the goodness of your vinegar.

Use glass bottles for your pickles; if earthern jars, they must be unglazed, as the vinegar acting upon the glaze produces a mineral poison. Use saucepans lined with earthenware or stone pipkins to boil your vinegar in. If you are compelled to use tin, do not let your vinegar remain in it one moment longer than actually necessary; employ also wooden knives and forks in the preparation of your pickles. Fill your jars three parts full with the articles to be pickled, and then add vinegar up to the neck of the jar or bottle.

When greening, keep the pickles covered down, or the evaporation of the steam will injure the colour; a little nut of alum may be added to crisp the pickles, but it should be very small in proportion to the quantity, or it will give a disagreeable flavour.

1416. Almond, Green, Pickle

Boil vinegar according to the quantity of pickle you want; scum it and put in salt, mace, ginger, Jamaica, and white pepper, put it into a jar and let it stand till cold, then add the almonds cut in half, letting the liquor cover them.

1417. How To Pickle Apple Codlings

Gather the codlings when of the size of a large double walnut; take a pan and make a thick layer of vine leaves at the bottom; put in the codlings and cover them well with vine leaves and spring water, and put them over a slow fire till they are sufficiently tender to pare the skins with ease with a small sharp knife, put them into the same water with vine leaves as before; cover them close, and set the pan at a short distance from the fire until they are of a fine green, then, drain them in a cullender till they are cold; put them into jars with some mace and a clove or two of garlic, according to the quantity of the apples, and cover them with distilled vinegar; pour over mutton fat, and tie them down with a bladder and leather very tight.

1418. Artichokes Pickled

Boil the artichokes till you can pull the leaves off; take out the choke and cut away the stalk, be careful that the knife does not touch the top; throw them into salt and Water, when they have lain an hour take them out and drain them, then put them into glasses or jars, and put a little mace and sliced nutmeg between; fill them with vinegar and spring water, cover your jars close.

1419. Asparagus Pickled

Cut and wash the green heads of the largest asparagus; let them lie two or three hours in cold water; scald them very carefully in salt and water, then lay them on a cloth to cool; make a pickle according to the quantity of your asparagus, of white wine vinegar and bay salt, and boil it. To a gallon of pickle put two nutmegs, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of whole white pepper, and pour the pickle hot over them; cover the jar with a thick cloth, and let it stand a week then boil the pickle, when it has stood another week boil it a third time; when cold cover the jar close.