Harper's cook book encyclopædia

chop fine twelve large white onions, sprinkle them with salt, and let them stand two hours ; then drain all, mix, and pour vinegar over them ; next morning pour off all the vinegar, add half a teacupful of pepper, same of allspice in muslin bags ; pour on fresh vinegar, and let them come to a good boil ; then to every gallon of pickle add Y2 lb. of brown sugar, Y2 lb. of white mustard-seed, 1 oz. of cloves, and same of celery -seed. Delicious, and ready to be used in five days, though much improved by longer keeping. Planters’ Pickle. — This pickle has the quality elsewhere spoken of, of keeping so well that a large quantity may be made at once, put into a tight cask with close - fitting top, and will improve with age. To every five gallons of cucumbers put 15 lbs. of brown sugar, 12 ozs. of beaten or ground cinnamon, 3 ozs. of mace, Y2 lb. of black pepper, 4 ozs. of ginger, 2 ozs. of allspice, 1 oz. of cloves, a teacupful of mustard - seed and half a teacupful of made mustard, two table-spoonfuls of salt, a teacupful of celery- seed, Y2 lb. of scraped horseradish, and a quart of onions, sliced thin. Put half of the sugar and spices into a kettle with two quarts of fine cider vinegar, strong but not too sharp, and boil together for half an hour. Put it into a jar to cool. When cold, add six pints more of vinegar, and mix well together. Do not add the other half of the sugar and spices until ten days afterwards. The spices must be ground. When put in the cask, if the vinegar is not sufficient to cover the vegetables, add until this is the case. Raspberry Vinegar. — Mash five quarts of raspberries, black or red, in a large crock, and cover them with genuine cider vinegar. Let them stand in the sun twelve hours, and keep at night in a cool place. Stir several times during the day. Strain ; put five quarts of fresh berries in the jar; pour the strained vinegar Shallot or Garlic Pickle PICKLES, ETC. Tom Thumb Pickle over these ; mash the berries, and let them stand twenty-four hours longer. Strain, measure, and to each quart of the liquid allow one pint of water and 3 ibs. of sugar. Cook, stirring steadily, until the sugar is dissolved, removing the scum as it rises, When it comes to a boil take from the fire, bottle while warm, cork and seal. Shallot or Garlic Pickle. — Steep % lb. of ginger in strong salt and water for five days. At the end of that time cut it into slices and dry it in the sun ; put it into a large stone jar with a gallon of the best whitewine vinegar. Peel I lb. of garlic or shallot, salt it well, and let it stand in the salt for three days. Wipe it and dry it in the sun, then put it into the pickle. Add also to the pickle % lb. of long pepper steeped in salt and water and well dried, i lb. of bruised mustard -seed, and % lb. of turmeric. Shake these ingredients well in the jar, and add anything that it is desirable to pickle as it comes into season, salting and drying it previously in the sun. When completed, the pickle should be kept for a year or two. When that time has expired, it will be found to be excellent. The flavor of shallots or garlic may be obtained by placing them in a bottle of cold vinegar; in a month they will be found to have imparted their flavor to the vinegar.