Mix in equal quantities some small cucumbers, sliced green tomatoes, cauliflower picked into small flowerets and small button-onions. Put them in a large vessel, cover with strongly-salted water and let them steep for twenty-four hours. Then drain the brine from the pickles, scald it and dissolve in it a piece of alum the size of a nutmeg. Pour the boiling brine over the pickles. When cold strain the brine off and prepare as many quarts of vinegar as there are quarts of brine. To each quart of vinegar allow one breakfast cupful of brown sugar, one teacupful of flour and four ounces of ground mustard. Boil the sugar and vinegar. Mix the flour and mustard smooth with a very little water, then stir the boiling vinegar gradually into it. When quite smooth pour it over the pickles. When cold tie stout paper over the jar.

Mustard Pickles

This name is given to a variety of pickles containing mustard. Several recipes of this kind will be found among those here given.

Piccalilli

Bruise four ounces of mustard-seed, put it into a saucepan with three pints of vinegar and boil it, remove from the fire and let it get cold. Cut four ounces of ginger into slices, separate four ounces of garlic into cloves, put them into a jar with one-half ounce each of turmeric and whole pepper and a little saffron. Strain the vinegar, boil it up again and pour it while boiling over the contents of the jar, then cover the jar close and leave it till the vinegar is cold. Prepare whatever vegetables may have been selected for the pickle, wash them well, rub them over with salt and dry them in the sun for a day or two. When ready put the vegetables in the vinegar, cover and tie the jar over with parchment and put it in a dry store-cupboard. In about six weeks the pickles will be ready for use.

Green Nectarine Pickles

Put a thin layer of salt on a dish, over this put a layer of green nectarines, then salt and more fruit, and continue in this way until as much fruit is used as is desired. Cover over with a thick coating of salt and let it remain for four or five days. Carefully take out the fruit, wipe dry and place in the sun for two or three days, turning frequently; then pack away in jars. Have ready a mixture sufficient to cover the fruit composed of one ounce each of white ginger, red peppers, allspice and cloves, one-half ounce of sugar, one shallot and six green peppers to each quart of vinegar. Let the vinegar boil for ten to fifteen minutes, remove from the fire, add and dissolve in it a very small quantity of alum, which will help to make the fruit crisp; when cold pour this over the fruit, then cover the jars and put away for use.

Spanish Pickles

Pull in pieces the flower of a small head of cauliflower and cut in pieces about one inch long eighteen large white cucumbers. If the cucumbers are fresh let them steep in brine for twenty-four hours; but if they have been kept in brine soak them for three days in pure cold water before cutting them up. Put the pieces of cucumber and cauliflower over the fire, cover with water, add a little salt and let them simmer gently for twenty minutes. Cut twelve small onions in quarters, put them in a little fresh milk and water over the fire, add a little salt and let them cook till just tender, but not soft. Steep four green peppers in weak brine for twelve or fourteen hours. Let all drain till next day, then put them into a pan with one-half ounce each of light-colored turmeric, celery seed rolled and white mustard, two ounces of the best English table-mustard and one saltspoonful of prepared corn starch, blended with a little vinegar and eight ounces of loaf sugar. Add sufficient vinegar to cover and let it boil till it begins to thicken. Let it cool a little and then put it in glass jars with glass tops.