Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

Carefully wash half a dozen beets without breaking the skin or trimming off the roots or stalks ; put them over the fire in enough boiling water to cover them, and boil them steadily until they are tender enough to yield when pressed between the fingers ; then rub off the skins with a wet towel, and slice the beets ; put over the fire a pint of vinegar, a tablespoonful each of whole cloves and peppercorns, a blade of mace, a small stick of cinnamon, and a pound of brown sugar; stir all these ingredients until the sugar is melted and the pickle is scalding hot ; then pour it over the beets, and let them cool ; after they are cool, they will be ready for use. PICKLED ONIONS. As these are the most wholesome pickles that can be made, care should be given to their preparation. Choose them small, of even size, and perfectly round. Peel them without cutting the tops and roots so closely as to break them apart; as fast as they are peeled, drop them into strongly salted cold water, and let them stand in it for twenty-four hours. Then drain them on sieves, dry each one with a cloth, and drop them into glass jars. As soon as one jar is filled, put in all the cold vinegar it will hold, pour it out again, and measure it, allowing as much more vinegar for every jar; heat the vinegar scalding hot, with whole cloves, cinnamon, mace, and peppercorns, using about a level tablespoonful of mixed spice for each quart jar of onions ; let the vinegar cool, and then pour it into the jars, dividing the spice among them. Cover the jars from the dust. On the second and third days, pour out the vinegar, scald it again, and when cold pour it again over the onions. The third day, seal the jars securely from the air. GRATED CUCUMBER PICKLE. In the season of fresh cucumbers, use them, first peeling them ; in winter, use salted or pickled cucumbers. Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater, and if the fresh vegetable is used, squeeze out nearly all of the juice ; season the pulp RELISHES {HORS-D'CEUVRES). 263 highly with salt and pepper, and pack it into glass jars; pour strong cold vinegar in, quite filling the jars, and then seal them air-tight. Use after about a week. The character of the pickle can be varied by adding to the grated cucumber one-fourth its quantity of grated green peppers, without the seeds, or of white onions peeled and grated. SPICED GHERKINS. Use small gherkins. Wash them in cold water, and cover them with cold .brine strong enough to float an egg, for three days ; then drain them ; line a preserving-kettle with green grape-leaves ; put the gherkins into it in layers with more leaves, and cover them with leaves ; sprinkle a little pulverized alum between the layers (a piece of alum the size of a small grain of corn will be enough for each pound of gherkins) ; pour into the kettle just enough cold water to cover the top layer of leaves, spread a clean cloth over the top of the kettle, and put on the cover, placing a weight on it to keep it in place ; put the kettle on the back of the stove, where its contents will heat gradually, and let them steam, without boiling, for three hours ; then lay the gherkins in cold water for an hour : if one treatment does not green the gherkins sufficiently, repeat it.