Pickles should always be done in the very best cider or wine vinegar, as the chemical preparations known by the name of vinegar soften the pickles, besides being very injurious to the stomach.

Stone or glass jars are the best for keeping pickles, which should be always completely covered with vinegar. When they are first put into the jars they require attention for a day or two, to keep them filled up, as the vinegar sinks in the jar, or is imbibed by the pickles.

220. Pickled Peppers

If you would prefer your peppers less pungent, cut an opening in the top of the pepper, and take out half the seeds.

Lay them for two weeks in salt and water which will bear an egg. Be careful to keep them covered with the brine. Put a board over them to keep them under the salt and water, and take off the scum as it rises.

If they are not yellow at the end of two weeks, let them remain in the brine a little longer.

When yellow take them out, wash them, and put 10 them in a kettle with cold water - cover the top with leaves - place them near the lire, let them get hot, but do not permit them to simmer. When they are greened in this manner, take them out, drain them, place them in your jars, and pour cold spiced vinegar over them.

If you wish to stuff them, chop some cabbage very fine, season it highly with mace, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard seed - stuff the peppers with this preparation, and tie a thread round each one to keep the stuffing in.

223. Pickled Onions

Choose small white onions, peel them, and throw a few at a time in a pan of boiling salt and water; as soon as they look clear take them out carefully, and place them on a sieve to dry; then put in more, and so on, till all are cooked. When they are cold, put them in jars, and pour spiced vinegar over them.

To each quart of the vinegar, put one table spoonful of whole allspice, half a table spoonful of pepper grains, three or four small pieces of mace, half a dozen cloves, and a table spoonful of mustard seed. Boil all these spices in the vinegar, and pour it, boiling hot, over the pickles.

224. Pickled Eggs

Boil some eggs hard; take off the shells, put them into a jar, and cover them with cold vinegar.

225. Chow Chow

Three cabbages, Twenty-five peppers,

Half a pint of mustard seed,

Three sticks of horse-radish, chipped.

Cut the cabbages as for slaw; chop the peppers very fine. Put in a jar a layer of cabbage, a very little salt, then a layer of peppers, sprinkle over this some horse-radish and mustard seed, and so on, till all is in, then fill up the jars with cold vinegar, in every quart of which dissolve two ounces of sugar.

This is very good with hot or cold meat.

226. Pickled Walnuts

Rub your walnuts well with a coarse towel, and lay them for two weeks in salt and water strong enough to float an egg.

Drain them, and put them in your kettle, with fresh water enough to cover them, and let them stand twelve hours, where they will keep hot, but not boil.

To one hundred walnuts take one gallon of the best vinegar, one ounce of pepper, one ounce of cloves, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of nutmeg, four ounces of ginger. Break the ginger and nutmegs in pieces, bruise the pepper a little, and put the spices into the vinegar just before it boils. Let it boil five minutes; pour it out, cover it closely, and stand it away to get cold.

Place the walnuts in your jars, and strew over them about four ounces of mustard seed, pounded and sifted, then pour the spiced vinegar over and cover them closely.