500 small cucumbers (if large ones are used a smaller number will be required), 3 gallons of vinegar, 8 quarts of salt, 6 ounces of alum, 2 ounces of allspice, ¼ pound of black pepper, 1 ounce cloves, horse-radish cut in strips, sugar according to the strength of the vinegar. Put the cucumbers and horse-radish in alternate layers in a large stone jar. Throw the salt over them and cover with boiling water. Let stand twenty-four hours in this brine, then pour off and rinse in cold water. Boil the spices and vinegar and pour over them. In two weeks they will be ready for use. Delicious hard pickles that are not affected by age or climate.

Best Cucumber Pickles

Take a five-gallon jar, put in a layer of green grape leaves, then a layer of green grapes picked from the stem, then a layer of cucumbers. Repeat this operation until the crock is full; then add cinnamon, allspice, ginger and red peppers; cover with pure soft water. Tie a cloth on the jar and let it stand nine days. Then add a cupful of sugar, or more if needed. Excellent.

Cucumber Pickles (Mixed)

Wash and drain them; put in a jar with alternate layers of green tomatoes and common-sized green peppers; cover with a boiling-hot brine made in the proportion of 1 pint of coarse salt to 1 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 horse-radish, before pouring on the vinegar. The mustard pickle is excellent also.

Cucumber And Apple Pickles

Put a layer of cucumbers in a barrel, then a layer of crushed apples, and so on alternately until the barrel is full. Place a heavy weight on the pickles. If the juice does not cover, put in a little rain water.

Cucumber Pickles (Mustard)

Take 300 small cucumbers, 1 dozen large green peppers, sliced; 8 large heads of cauliflower, divided as much as possible; 3 quarts of small onions, 2 quarts of sliced green tomatoes. Cover with a boiling brine; let stand over night and then drain in a colander for five hours. Boil the cauliflower and onions five minutes in a little vinegar. After this place in jars and pour over them the following seasoning: 1 gallon of vinegar, ½ pound of celery seed, ½ pound of whole allspice, ½ pound of whole black pepper. Tie the spices in a cloth and boil in the vinegar for some time. Remove these, then add 1 pound of sugar, ½ pound of mustard; mix smooth with a little vinegar. Let boil fifteen minutes, stirring constantly. 1 quart of string beans cut in pieces may be added to the other ingredients. Pour over the whole of the liquid, boiling hot. The pickles may be canned. Add 2 or 3 bay leaves before pouring on the vinegar, if desired.

How To Freshen Cucumber Pickles

For those who follow the old method of putting down pickles in salt, and freshening for use, some rapid means of freshening is desirable. Place a few in a jar, cover with boiling water and let cool. Repeat this operation three times. Then cover with plain vinegar boiling hot, or with the spiced vinegar, this also should be boiling when turned on. The sweetened vinegar left from sweet tomato pickles may be heated and poured boiling hot over cucumber pickles, and will be found very nice, or the mustard pickle quite as good.

Fall Pickles

Take fresh cucumbers, put in brine three or four days, take out and soak over night in warm water. Scald them up in vinegar, enough to cover. Drain, pack in a jar, and pour over them boiling hot vinegar spiced to suit. Put a few roots of horse-radish, sliced, among them. Tie up. They will keep a long time if made late. If the vinegar used in the first scalding is still sour, it may be used in scalding up another lot.

Ripe Cucumber Pickles

Take large, ripe cucumbers; pare, remove the seeds, cut lengthwise, and soak over night in salt and water. Drain and boil ten minutes in vinegar and water, half and half, and let stay in this twenty-four hours. Drain once more, and for each 7 pounds of the fruit, make a syrup of 1 pound of sugar, 1 pint of vinegar, and cloves, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg, ¼ ounce of each. Tie the spices in a thin cloth. Boil together until the cucumbers are tender and put in jars. Scald the syrup as often as necessary and pour over them, which, if late in the season, will be very seldom.