Pickled Cucumbers (Pickles Or Gherkins)

No. 641. - Select small and nicely shaped Cucumbers without any specks. Put them into a barrel of the size you intend filling. Put a layer of salt on each layer of Cucumbers, and add cold water enough to cover them. Then cover them with a round board, on top of which place some heavy weight to press the Cucumbers down. Keep them in a cool place for six weeks, and occasionally stir them from the bottom.

When ready to put them up, drain off the brine and throw away any of the Cucumbers that may have become softened. Put the good Cucumbers into fresh cold water over night. Drain the quantity you need and put them into a copper basin, lined with cabbage leaves. Pour over them, so as to cover, wine or cider vinegar. Then cover with cabbage leaves, and set the basin on the fire to boil. After which, set them on the side of the fire and let them boil slowly, until the Cucumbers become firm. After this, take them off of the fire, and when they are cold put them into jars or other vessels, with a sprig of tarragon in each jar; (These Cucumbers may be put up with other pickled vegetables, such as cauliflower, beans, peppers and onions, each prepared separately, and arranged in jars, etc.) Pour vinegar over them and cork them up well.

Pickled Cucumbers

No. 642. - Pare half a dozen Cucumbers, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut them in slices half an inch thick and trim so as to have them all equal in size. Put them into an earthen bowl. Sprinkle them with a quarter of a pound of salt, and let them stand for ten hours, turning them over occasionally. Then draw off the water and put them in jars with an ounce of pepper corn and four bay leaves. Cover them with vinegar. Cork them tightly and set them in a cool place.

Pickled Cucumbers - Mixed Pickles

No. 643. - Put into a small barrel two pounds of small, white onions, two pounds of small, round green peppers, and two hundred small Cucumbers. Make a strong brine, and pour it, boiling hot, over the Cucumbers. Two days after this, drain them and pour a new, cold brine over them. On the following day drain off this brine and boil it, adding a little salt to it, skim the brine well and pour it over the pickles. Two days after drain the pickles and put them into fresh water, rinsing them well. Then put them in jars and cover them with boiled wine or cider vinegar, adding a small piece of alum to the vinegar.

Note. - Cucumbers may be pickled in spiced vinegar in the same way as the above, only in boiling the vinegar it is necessary to put into a cloth bag one ounce of cloves and one of allspice, and to boil this with the vinegar.