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Walnuts, Pickled

Scald the walnuts, which for pickling must be used before they have a hard shell. This scalding will enable you easily to rub off the skin. Put them into a brine of salt and water strong enough to float an egg. Let them remain three days, then shift them into fresh brine, and let them soak for three days longer. Now shift them once more into fresh brine, and let them soak for four days. They are then fit for the jar. Have ready prepared equal parts of black pepper, Jamaica pepper, allspice, and ginger; a quarter of a pint of cloves, the same quantity of mace, and a pint and a half of white mustard-seed. Beat these ingredients together in a mortar, but do not pound them fine. Put the walnuts into the jar by layers, and over each layer strew some of the mixed seasoning. Then have ready some vinegar boiled with sliced horse-radish and ginger, and cover the walnuts with it. When quite cold, cork and cover it with the jar bladder. This pickle is much improved by the addition of a little garlic and tarragon boiled with the vinegar.

WALNUTS, PICKLED (to be made from the beginning to the middle of July). Be very particular to gather the green walnuts when they are in a proper state for pickling-neither too soon nor too late. If they are too young, they will dissolve in the pickle; if too old, they will resist the action of the vinegar. They ought to be taken before the shells have begun to form; and the test of their fitness is that a large pin can, without difficulty, be pushed through them in every direction. If once the shell can be felt they are no longer fit for pickling. Wipe the walnuts separately with a coarse cloth, put them into an earthen pan, and pour upon them a brine strong enough to float a fresh egg. This brine may be made by boiling six ounces of salt with each quart of water. It should be skimmed carefully, and allowed to get cold before being put to the walnuts. Lay a thin board upon the walnuts to keep them under the brine. Turn them about with a wooden spoon every day, and let them remain for six days; then drain them, and pour fresh brine upon them. Leave them from three to six days longer, drain in a colander, and put them in the sun in a single layer, on a large dish covered with coarse sackcloth. They will turn black in a few hours. Turn them over once or twice, handling them gently. Boil as much vinegar as will entirely cover the walnuts, with spices, in the proportion of two ounces of whole ginger bruised, two ounces of black pepper, four blades of mace, two ounces of mustard-seed, eight cloves stuck into four shallots or small onions, and a tea-spoonful of salt, to half a gallon of vinegar. A dessert-spoonful of scraped horse-radish and one or two capsicums are sometimes added, but they destroy the flavour of the pickle. Boil the vinegar for ten minutes, put the walnuts into unglazed jars or wide-mouthed bottles, and when the vinegar is cool pour it upon them, and divide the spices equally amongst the bottles. When cold, tie them over with moistened bladder or with strong brown paper. As the walnuts soak up the vinegar, boil a little additional vinegar without spices, and when cold pour it upon them. They must be kept entirely covered with the vinegar. They will be ready for use in three months, but will improve with keeping. If wanted for speedy use, pierce each one throughout both ways with a needle, leave them in the brine fully twelve days, and pour the vinegar upon them boiling hot. Time, about a fortnight to make the pickle. Probable cost, walnuts, 1s. 6d. to 2s. per 100.