Utensils for Pickling.—It was for merly customary to make pickles in kettles of brass or bell metal in order to give them a bright green color, and also to add more or less alum for the same purpose. But the action of the acetic acid contained in vinegar upon brass and similar metals is to produce a poisonous compound, es pecially if the pickles are allowed to stand in them until they become cold. The use of alum is also injurious, and for the same reason cheap earth enware, which is frequently glazed with lead, should not be employed.
Many people have a prejudice against deep green pickles found on the market, on account of the fear that poisonous substances may have been used in the manufacture. Hence homemade pickles of a good color and flavor usually find a ready and profitable local market.
To Test Pickles for Copper.—To find out if pickles are poisonous from having been cooked in brass or cop per kettles, chop a sample of the pickle fme, place it in a glass bottle with a few drams of liquid ammonia diluted with about half as much water. Shake thoroughly, and if there are any traces of copper in the pickles the contents will be of a deep blue color.
Vinegar for Pickles.—White-wine or sugar vinegar is perhaps the most suitable for a fine grade of pickles. But any good quality of vinegar that is fully ripened and has been pre viously clarified may be used. The vinegar should be boiled and freed from mother or sediment that would cause the pickles to ferment.
To Clarify Vinegar.— Throw an ounce or so of shredded isinglass into each gallon of vinegar and let stand few days to clear. Strain through cheese cloth.
To Keep Vinegar Free from Mold. —Lay a small bag of thin muslin containing mustard on top of the pickles. If the vinegar has been properly boiled and clarified, it will tend to prevent the formation of mold.
To Strengthen Weak Vinegar.— Pour it off the pickles, bring it to a boil, pour it back over them and add about i teaspoonful of alum and spread over the top layer a piece of brown paper soaked in New Orleans molasses.
Or boil down the vinegar with very gentle heat so as to allow it to lose its surplus water by evaporation.
Or allow it to freeze, and remove the ice before it melts. Acetic acid does not readily freeze. Hence the quan tity of acid in proportion to the bulk of water becomes greater.
Spiced Fickle.—The following reci pes are recommended for pickling liquids for cucumbers and other vege tables, mixed pickles, etc., including mushrooms, onions, walnuts, cucum bers, cauliflowers, samphires, green gooseberries, barberries, radish pods, melons, French beans, tomatoes, lem ons, peaches, garlic, peas, codlins, beet root, and red cabbage without brine and with cold vinegar. The smaller and more delicate vegetables should not be soaked in brine as long as the larger and the coarser sorts, and may in some cases be pickled cold by pouring over them strong pickling vinegar without scalding. Spices for pickles should not be ground, and should be slightly bruised or crushed in a mortar, which may be improvised by using a wooden bowl and a potato masher as a pestle, or the end of a hard piece of wood. When ground spices are used they should be tied up in bags of thin muslin. To rnake spiced pickle add to 1 gallon of vinegar 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of sugar, 1 handful of horse radish, 2 tablespoonfuls of mustard, 1 green pepper.
, Or to every 2 quarts of vinegar add ounce of mace, 1 ounce of gin ger sliced, 1 dozen cloves, 1 ounce of black pepper, 1 handful of salt. Boil all together for not more than five minutes, and pour over the picides scalding hot.
Or add to the above if desired 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and shallots.
Or to 3 quarts of pure white-wine or other strong vinegar add 2 ounces of ginger, ounce of mace, pound of salt, tablespoonful of Cayenne pepper, 1 ounce of white or black pepper unground, 1 ounce of mustard seed, 4 ounces of shallots. Boil to gether not more than five minutes and pour over cucumbers and other hard, firm vegetables scalding hot, or over small and delicate vegetables cold.
Or crush together in a mortar 4 ounces of unground black pepper, 2 ounces of ginger root, 1 ounce of all spice and 4 ounces of sat. Cayenne, paprika, or garlic may be added in small quantities if desired. Place a quart of vinegar in an enameled saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir in these spices. Let boil not more than five minutes and pour over the picides scalding hot for cucumbers, walnuts, and the like, or cold for cab bage or fancy mixed pickles.