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Vinegar, Pickles, and Pickling: Melons

To Pickle Melons and Mangoes.- Prepare as for large cucumbers, cutting off the top and stuffing the inside with the same mixture. Or pickle as for gherkins. First steep in strong brine for a week or more, then freshen in clear water and pickle in pure vinegar or spiced pickling liquid, as preferred. - Sweet Pickles Cucumbers and Melons. Prepare as for gherkins by steeping in strong brine for a week or more. Quarter them, take out the seed and pulp, freshen in clear water for three or four days, and cover with a sirup prepared of sugar, ginger, and lemon as follows:

Dip 1 pound of loaf sugar lump by lump in clear, soft water and place dripping wet in a porcelain saucepan.

Stir in ounce of bruised ginger and boil to the thread, stirring in the juice and grated rind of one lemon.

Pour over the melons cold.

To Green Pickles. - If fresh grapevine leaves are obtainable, line a kettle with these and pack into it the cucumbers, etc., in alternate layers with vine leaves, and put a thick layer of vine leaves on top. In addition, sprinkle powdered alum, if desired, among the layers and over the top. Fill up the kettle with cold water and cook or steam the contents over a slow fire for two hours, or until the color is satisfactory. Drain off the hot water through a colander, immerse the vegetables immediately in iced water, and let stand for an hour or more to harden. Then pack in a VINEGAR, PICKLES, AND PICKLING suitable vessel and pour scalding hot pickling liquid over them.

Or the vine leaves may be used without the alum and will assist in giving a fine green color to the pickles.

MIXED PICKLES To make cheap mixed pickles have at hand a keg containing vinegar and put into it from time to time odds and ends of vegetables, as small green beans, young cucumbers, small onions, radish pods, bits of cauliflower, and the like, adding vinegar from time to keep the vegetables covered.

Thus any odd vegetables can be preserved without expense except for the vinegar, spice, etc., and with very little trouble. When the keg is nearly full place the contents in a suitable kettle with vine leaves and boil them about two hours.

Drain off the hot vinegar, immerse the vegetables in cold water for an hour or more to harden, add spices to the vinegar, boil for five minutes, drain the vegetables thoroughly, place them in a suitable keg or jar and pour the scalding hot pickling liquid over them.

Or take any assortment of succulent vegetables, as small French beans of uniform size, small select gherkins 2 or 3 inches long, small cucumbers sliced, and prepare them as for ordinary cucumber pickles. Prepare separately such vegetables as broccoli, cauliflower stripped into branches, small pickling onions peeled, small red peppers, capsicums, radish pods, small fruit, white and red cabbage, celery, nasturtium seeds and the like by steeping for a short time, say two or three days, in brine and slightly freshening them. Now pack the gherkins and sliced cucumbers with the other vegetables in wide-mouthed glass bottles or jars in such a way as to show the greatest variety of color and display the contents to the best advantage. Much of the attractiveness and consequent salability of mixed pickles is due to skillful packing. Cover with any of the above spiced liquids recommended for cucumber pickles. Or prepare a special pickle containing turmeric, which will improve the color. For each gallon of vinegar mix 4 ounces of ginger, 4 ounces of turmeric, 2 ounces of white pepper, 2 ounces of chili pepper, 2 ounces of allspice, 1 ounce of garlic, ounce of shallots, pound of bay salt. Bruise together in a mortar and boil in the vinegar not to exceed five minutes.

Pour this liquid scalding hot over the vegetables and when cold slice in pound of horse-radish and stir in 1 pound of mustard seed.

Or for each gallon of vinegar mix 3 ounces of bay salt, ½ pound of mustard, 2 ounces of turmeric, 3 ounces of ginger, 1 ounce of cloves, ounce of black pepper, Cayenne, or paprika to taste. Bruise the spices in a mortar, mix all together and boil in the vinegar not more than five minutes.

Mustard Pickles. -Steep in a weak brine for twenty-four hours about 2 quarts of gherkins, 1 quart of pickling onions, 2 quarts of small green tomatoes, 1 small cabbage head chopped fine, or one large cauliflower pulled into branches with 3 or 4 green peppers and boil. Then stir together in a mixing bowl 1 cup of flour, 6 tablespoonfuls of mustard, 1 heaping teaspoonful of turmeric, 1 quart of sugar. Rub up with a little cold vinegar and stir in the additional vinegar to make 2 quarts in all. Cook over a brisk fire, stirring constantly until it thickens. Pour over the pickles scalding hot and seal.

Cut into small pieces 1 quart of large green cucumbers, 1 quart of very small gherkins, 2 inches in length or less, 1 quart of white button onions, 1 quart of green tomatoes sliced and cut in cubes, 1 large cauliflower pulled into tiny flowerets, and 4 peppers sliced and cut into cubes.

Do not chop the ingredients, but cut into cubes or chunks to inch in thickness. Soak for twenty-four hours in a weak brine of about 1 cupful of salt in a gallon of water.

Place the whole on the fire, bring to a boil and pour into a colander to drain. Mix together in a bowl 6 tablespoonfuls of ground mustard, 1 of turmeric, 1 cupful of flour, 1 cupful of brown sugar, mix dry, rub into a smooth cream with a little vinegar, and dilute with additional vinegar, 2 quarts being used in all. Pour the mixture into a preserving kettle and let it boil until it thickens, then stir in the pickles, let them boil up. Pour into suitable cans or jars, and soul.

Or for sweet chowchow, cut into inch cubes 2 dozen small cucumbers, 6 green peppers, or 3 green and 3 red peppers, and 2 quarts of green tomatoes. Add 2 quarts of small button onions, 2 heads of cauliflower picked into pieces. Place these in a preserving kettle, and pour over them a sauce composed as follows:

Mix together in a bowl 4 teaspoonfuls of celery seed, 1 cupful of mustard, ounce of turmeric, 4 cupfuls of sugar. Rub to a smooth paste with a little of the vinegar and dilute with the remainder of the vinegar, using 2 quarts in all. Pour over the strained pickles, bring them to a boil, pour out and seal.

India Pickle. - Chop together 1 peck of green tomatoes, 1 small head of cabbage, 6 or 8 large green peppers and 8 large onions. Mix and cover with vinegar and boil until they are tender. Salt to taste. Drain in a colander. Add a dressing composed of pound of mustard with 2 tablespoonfuls of curry powder stirred to the consistency of cream with vinegar. Mix well and seal in glass jars or wide-mouthed bottles.

Spanish Peppers. - Steep in brine for three days dozen good-sized cucumbers. On the second day slice dozen onions and chop fine peck of green tomatoes and 2 heads of cabbage. Sprinkle these with salt and let stand overnight. Now drain the cucumbers from the brine, cut in slices, place all in a preserving kettle and cover with vinegar. Add 2 ounces of white mustard seed, ounce of celery seed, 1 heaping tablespoonful of turmeric, cup of mustard, I pound of brown sugar. Mix and simmer with gentle heat for half an hour. Pour into wide-mouthed glass bottles or jars, seal, and keep in a cool place.