Green Tomato Pickles

Select fully-grown green tomatoes just before they begin to open, slice them and put them in layers in large jars, strewing plenty of salt over each layer. Allow them to remain for ten or twelve hours, then put them in a preserving-pan, adding for every five pounds of tomatoes one pound of brown sugar, one-half pound of sliced small onions, two sliced green pepper pods, one teaspoonful each of peppercorns and cloves, half a stick of cinnamon and one-fourth teaspoonful each of cayenne pepper, also one quart of vinegar. Drain the tomatoes, put them in with the above ingredients and allow the whole to simmer gently at the side of the fire. When the tomatoes are tender turn them with the pickling ingredients into jars, leave them cold, and then paste stout paper over the top of each jar. The pickle will be better preserved if the jars are small. Pack them away for use in a cool, dry store-cupboard. This forms an excellent relish for cold meat or cheese.

Walnut Pickles

Put a quantity of the green rinds or outer shells of ripe walnuts into a tub that has a tap, sprinkle them with water and prop the tub up on the side opposite to the tap. Place a vessel under the tap to receive the liquor which will soon begin to drip from it. When a sufficient quantity has passed through add to one gallon of it a stick of horseradish, a bunch of sweet herbs, a couple of bay leaves, a good-sized onion, one-fourth of an ounce each of bruised ginger, allspice and black pepper and two heaping tablespoonfuls of salt. Put it over the fire and let it simmer for twenty minutes; strain and allow it to stand until cold. Then stir it up and put it into bottles, placing an equal quantity of the spices that were boiled in it into each bottle and corking them well.

Potato Yeast

Have in readiness a kettle containing three quarts of boiling water; peel and thoroughly wash three large potatoes and place them into a basin to soak. Next put half a teacupful of flour into a bowl with an equal amount of sugar and a tablespoonful of salt; over these grate the potatoes quickly and stir the whole well with a wooden spoon so that it will not become of a dark color, which it will attain if not done very quickly. Pour a pint of the boiling water over the grater into the bowl, stirring it into the mixture, and add enough more of the boiling water to make the mixture of the consistency of thin starch. Should the preparation refuse to thicken put in a double boiler over the fire and stir it constantly until it does thicken; then pour it through a fine sieve into a bowl and let it cool. When lukewarm all through stir in a breakfast cupful of yeast, place a light covering over the bowl and set in a warm but not hot place and let it remain there until it is light and covered with a white foam. When it commences to rise beat it well and when it has thoroughly risen pour it off into wide-mouthed earthen jars, let it remain for twelve hours, then cover the jars over tightly and put in a cool place. Half a pint or so of the yeast should be put into a glass jar for making the succeeding lot of potato yeast. The jars should always be well shaken before the yeast is used and should be kept in a cool place.