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Cucumbers, Pickled

If the cucumbers are very young and small they may be pickled whole, if not, they are better cut into thick slices. Sprinkle salt rather plentifully over them, and let them remain twenty-four hours. Drain them from the juice, dry them in a cloth, and pour over them boiling vinegar, with half an ounce of mustard-seed, one ounce of salt, one ounce of long pepper, half a bruised nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne to every quart of vinegar. Cover them closely, and let them remain until next day, when the vinegar must again be boiled and poured over the cucumbers, and this process repeated each day for four days. They should then be covered closely, and care should be taken with these, as with all pickles, that they are thoroughly covered with vinegar. It is best to pickle cucumbers by themselves, as they are apt to become mouldy. If any sign of this appears (and they should be looked at every three or four weeks to ascertain it, and on this account should be kept in a wide-mouthed glass bottle instead of an earthen jar), put them into a fresh dry bottle, boil the vinegar up again, and pour it over them. Time to pickle, one week. Probable cost of cucumbers, 4d. to 6d. each.