GATHER jerkins not too large, lay them in a strong brine of salt and water for three days, then wipe them dry, and put them into stone jars.

Then put a sufficient quant.i.ty of vinegar to cover them into a preserving pan, add plenty of whole ginger and black pepper, a middling quant.i.ty of mace, allspice and cloves, some slices of horseradish, peeled onions, eschallots, and a small quant.i.ty of garlick. Let the ingredients boil for ten minutes, and pour them with the liquor over the cuc.u.mbers; cover the jars with cabbage leaves and a plate, set them in a warm place, the next day drain the liquor from them, boil it, and pour over them again, and if on the third day they are not green enough, boil the vinegar again, pour it over, and when cold tie bladder and white leather over the jars, and set them in a dry place.

N. B. In the same manner may be done walnuts, love apples, barberries, capsic.u.ms, french beans, nasturtiums, and small pickling melons peeled very thin and cut into quarters.

_Rules to be observed in Pickling._

IT is recommended that the best common vinegar be in general used for pickling, and that it be put into a well-cleaned copper or bra.s.s-preserving pan just before it is to be put over the fire, and when it boils not to remain in the pan.

There can be no occasion of the many arts that are used in order to preserve the ingredients green, if the vegetables are gathered fresh, on a dry day, when in season, and the process followed that has been recommended.

Further directions could be given that might be attended with greater expence, but which would scarcely answer a better purpose, excepting only to those who are in the habit of extensive practice.

_To pickle Onions._

PEEL small b.u.t.ton onions into milk and water, in which put plenty of salt; set it over a fire, and when it boils strain the onions, wipe them dry, and put them into gla.s.ses. Have ready cold white wine vinegar, in which whole white pepper, ginger, mace, and slices of horseradish have been boiled. Pour it over the onions, and cover them with bladder and leather.

_To pickle Mushrooms._

TAKE a sufficient quant.i.ty of double distilled white wine vinegar to cover the mushrooms; add to it whole white pepper, ginger, mace, peeled eschallots, and a small quant.i.ty of garlick if approved; boil all together ten minutes and let it stand till cold. Then peel fresh forced b.u.t.ton mushrooms into water, wash them clean, strain, and put them into a stewpan. To a quart of mushrooms add the juice of a lemon and a table spoonful of salt. Cover the pan close, set it over a fire, and when the liquor is sufficiently drawn from the mushrooms put the whole into gla.s.ses and cover them with the pickle. Tie bladder and white leather over the gla.s.ses.

The general rule has been deviated from of making the pickle for onions and mushrooms with double distilled white wine vinegar, as in this instance it is requisite to preserve them white. It is likewise recommended that they be put into small jars or gla.s.ses for use; for this reason, that, if exposed to the air but for a short s.p.a.ce of time, they will discolour.

_To pickle Beet Roots._

BOIL the roots till three parts done, and cut them into slices of an inch thick. Then take a sufficient quant.i.ty of vinegar to cover them, and add to it whole allspice, a few cloves, mace, black pepper, slices of horseradish, some onions, eschallots, a little pounded ginger, some salt, and a few bay leaves. Boil the ingredients together twenty minutes and strain it, and when the pickle is cold add a little bruised cochineal. Put the slices of beet into jars, add the pickle, put a small quant.i.ty of sweet oil on the top, and tie the jars down close.

N. B. When the beet is wanted for use mix well together sweet oil, mustard, some of the liquor in which the roots were pickled, and a very little sifted sugar. Lay the slices in a deep plate and pour the mixture over.

_To pickle Artichoke Bottoms._

TAKE large fresh and sound artichokes, boil them just enough to take the leaves and choke away, then trim and lay them in salt and water; after which boil (for five minutes) a sufficient quant.i.ty of vinegar to cover them, in which put whole allspice, black pepper, ginger, mace, cloves, eschallots, salt, a few bay leaves, and some slices of horseradish. Drain and wipe dry the bottoms, put them into jars, add the liquor and ingredients to them, and tie them down close. When they are fit for use serve them up in a deep plate with a little of the pickle, oil, and mustard mixed with it.

_To pickle large Cuc.u.mbers._

PEEL them very thin, cut them into halves, throw the seeds away, and lay the cuc.u.mbers in salt for a day. Then wipe them dry, fill them with mustard seed, peeled eschallots, garlick, small slips of horseradish, and mace. After which tie them round with twine, put them into jars, pour over them some boiling liquor made as for india pickle or for jerkins, and cover them down close till fit for use.

_To pickle Red Cabbage._

CUT a fresh light red cabbage into slips, wash it clean, and put it into a pan with plenty of salt for two days. Then boil together for half an hour a sufficient quant.i.ty of vinegar to cover the cabbage, together with bruised black pepper, mace, allspice, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and mustard seed, a middling quant.i.ty of each. Strain the vinegar and ingredients, and let them stand till cold; then add a little bruised cochineal, drain the cabbage on a large sieve till dry, put it into the jars, add the pickle, and tie the jars down close; or the liquor may be poured over the cabbage boiling hot; and when cold, before the jars are tied down, add a little bruised cochineal. This method will make the cabbage sooner fit for use.

N. B. Onions may be peeled and done whole in the same manner, and mixed with red cabbage.

_To pickle Currants._

TO a quart of double distilled white wine vinegar add half a pound of loaf sugar, whole ginger, one ounce of salt, and a pint of red currant juice; boil all together, skim it clean, and let it stand till cold.

Then pick and put some best ripe red currants into gla.s.ses, fill them with the pickle, and cover them down close with bladder and leather.

_To pickle Barberries._

BRUISE and strain ripe barberries, and to a pint of juice add three pints of vinegar, a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, an ounce of salt, and a quarter of an ounce of pounded and sifted ginger. Boil all together, skim it clean, and put bunches of the best ripe barberries into jars, pour the pickle boiling hot over, and let it stand till cold; then add a little bruised cochineal, and tie the jars over close.

N. B. Bunches of currants may be done in like manner.

_Sour Crout._

TAKE large white cabbages when in season, cut them into halves, and then into slips; wash them clean and drain them dry. After which put into a tub a layer of cabbage, then a layer of salt, afterwards a small quant.i.ty of pounded and sifted coriander seeds, and so on alternately; when the tub is nearly full put a weight over to press it well, and set it in a cold dry place covered with a coa.r.s.e cloth. When it is wanted for use put some of the cabbage into boiling water over a fire for five minutes, and strain it. Have ready some pieces of salted bouillie beef (of a quarter of a pound each) nearly boiled enough; likewise some pieces of pickle pork of the same number and weight. Then put them into a stewpan, add the cabbage, fresh b.u.t.ter, a little vinegar, onions sliced very thin, some whole pepper, allspice, and mace, tied in a bit of cloth. Let all stew till tender; then take out the spices, season the cabbage to the palate with cayenne pepper, and serve it up with fried onions (done as per receipt), with fried sausages round the crout.

_Peas Pudding, to be eaten with boiled Pork._

LAY a pint of best split peas into water for half an hour; strain, pick, and put them into a cloth, tie them tight, and boil them gently for three hours. Then put the peas out of the cloth into a stewpan, mash them well with a wooden spoon, add a bit of fresh b.u.t.ter, a little pepper and salt, the yolks of two eggs, and mix all well together. Put the mixture into a clean cloth, tie it up, and let it hang near a fire for half an hour; then turn it out on a dish, and pour melted b.u.t.ter over.

_Currie, or Pepper Water._

CUT a chicken into pieces, blanch and wash it, put it into a small stewpot, add a table spoonful of currie powder, half a pint of veal broth, and simmer them till half done. Then peel and cut into thin slices two good sized onions, fry them with two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter till nearly done and of a brown colour; then add them to the chicken, together with a pint of veal broth, half a bay leaf, the juice of half a lemon, two table spoonfuls of the juice of tamarinds, which are to be dissolved in boiling water and strained. Boil all together till the chicken is nearly done; then take it out, put it into another stewpan, rub the ingredients through a tamis sieve, and add it to the fowl with a table spoonful of flour and water to thicken it. Make it boil, season it well to the palate with cayenne pepper and salt, skim it clean, and serve it up in a bowl.

_Grills and Sauce, which are generally eaten after Dinner._

SEASON some small pieces of ready-dressed fowl or turkey with pepper and salt, and grill them gently till of a nice brown colour. In the mean time put into a stewpan a gill and a half of cullis, an ounce of fresh b.u.t.ter, a table spoonful of mushroom ketchup, the juice of a lemon, and a small bit of the rind, a little cayenne pepper, a tea spoonful of the essence of anchovies, and one eschallot chopped fine. Boil all the ingredients together five minutes, strain the liquor, and serve it up in a sauceboat; the pieces of chicken, &c. on a dish.

_Salme of Woodc.o.c.ks._

TAKE two woodc.o.c.ks half roasted, cut them up neatly, and let the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs with the entrails be pounded in a marble mortar; then put them into a stewpan, add half a pint of cullis, two eschallots chopped, half a gill of red port, and a bit of rind of lemon; season to the palate with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Boil the ingredients ten minutes, and strain the liquor to the carved woodc.o.c.ks, which stew gently till done. Serve them up in a deep dish with sippets of fried bread strewed over.

_To make a Haggess._

TAKE the heart and lights of a sheep, and blanch and chop them; then add a pound of beef suet chopped very fine, crumb of french roll soaked in cream, a little beaten cinnamon, mace, cloves, and nutmeg, half a pint of sweet wine, a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a sufficient quant.i.ty of flour to make it of a proper consistence, a little salt, the yolks of three eggs, and some sheep chitterlings well cleaned and cut into slips. Mix all together, and have ready a sheep's bag nicely cleaned, in which put the mixture; then tie it tight and boil it three hours.

_French Black Puddings._

PICK, wash, and boil, till three parts done, two pounds of grits or rice; then drain it dry, put it into a stewpan with a quart of pigs blood preserved from curdling, with plenty of salt stirred into it when taken from the animal; add to them ground pepper, pounded and sifted mace, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, a small quant.i.ty of each, a gill of cream with a bit of crumb of french bread soaked in it, together with chopped savory, thyme, parsley, and pennyroyal, a little of each. Mix the ingredients over a slow fire for twenty minutes, and when cold put with them plenty of the flay cut into small dice. Have ready the entrails cleaned very nice, fill them with the mixture three parts full, tie the ends, put the puddings into hot water, boil them gently a quarter of an hour; if they are to be eaten directly when done, p.r.i.c.k them with a fork and broil them upon a very clean gridiron for ten minutes: if they are not to be eaten immediately when made, put them on clean straw, and when they are wanted for use put them into boiling water, let them simmer ten minutes, then take them out, and p.r.i.c.k and broil them as above.

N. B. If large puddings they will take longer periods in boiling and broiling.