The Rural cook book

Ripe Cucumber Pickles. — Peel and cut ripe cucumbers in rings, sprinkle salt on them and let remain over night. Drain off, and cover with hot spiced vinegar. Salting Cucumbers for Winter. — Secure a small keg and if you have cucumbers in your garden gather every other day. Place a layer of coarse salt—ice cream salt—in the bottom of the keg, add a cup of water and cover with the cucumbers you have gathered and washed; sprinkle over salt to cover. Repeat this as you gather cucumbers from day to day, not, however, adding any more water, as the salt should make sufficient brine. If there should not be brine to cover them you may add a little, cautiously. There should always be a layer of salt in the bottom of the keg undissolved. When you have gathered all the cucumbers you wish put two or three fresh horseradish leaves on the top, and if you wish you may place a stone on the top to keep the encumbers under the brine. When desired to_ make pickles take from the brine as many as you wish into a stone jar and cover them with boiling water; let them stand 24 hours; drain and cover again with boiling water; let stand till next day. If you desire them very fresh you may repeat this the third time. It is not always necessary. Then pour off the water and drain well. To every three quarts of cucumbers take one quart of best cider vinegar. To each gallon of vinegar take one teaspoonful each of whole cloves, allspice, peppercorns, mace, celery seed and two teaspoonfuls of mustard seed. Tie these in a little muslin or cheesecloth bag. (The spices, if scattered through the cucumbers, turn them dark.) Add to vinegar two pieces of ginger-root an inch long and two tiny red pepper pods, same size. Boil vinegar with spices for one minute 'and pour over the cucumbers. If not enough vinegar to cover, add more boiling hot to fill jar. These need not be sealed. Place a horseradish leaf on the top of jar; are ready for use in a few days. Will keep indefinitely. Small cucumber pickles are prepared as follows: Wash and wipe; place in jars, an<l cover with boiling brine, strong enough to bear an egg. let stand 24 hours; pour off the brine, wipe, and place in clean jars. Cover with hot vinegar, spiced in the proportion of one onion, 12 whole cloves, one ounce of mustard seed and three blades of mace to 100 cucumbers. They will be ready to use in two weeks. Sour Cucumber Pickles. — Dissolve one pint of salt in one gallon of vinegar; wash the cucumbers and pour over them some boiling water, let stand five or ten minutes, then pack closely in cans, pour over the salted vinegar and seal. The friend who sends this recipe says the pickles are very crisp and nice, and will keep as long as you will let Spiced Cucumber Pickles. — Prepare vinegar for pickles as follows: One gallon vinegar, four ounces salt, two ounces cloves, two ounces cinnamon, one ounce allspice, one ounce ginger root, one ounce yellow mustard seed, one ounce celery seed, small piece of alum. Scald all together. This will keep for years. Wash the cucumbers and drain until dry, then put them into the vinegar at any time after it is cold. If the vinegar is very sharp add a little water to it before scalding the ingredients together, or the pickles will shrivel. Sweet Cucumber Pickles. — Let the cucumbers stand in salt water three days. Heat the brine once or twice and pour over them. Drain; put in a jar and pour over them hot vinegar with cloves and cinnamon in a bag; two-thirds cupful sugar to quart of vinegar; put in plenty of horseradish and this will keep sealed or open. Put in a little alum to make them brittle.