Part 23 (1/2)

407. _To pickle_ MUSHROOMS _another Way_.

Take mushrooms and wash them with a flannel, throw them into water as you wash them, only pick the small from the large, put them into a pot, throw over them a little salt, stop up your pot close with a cloth, boil them in a pot of water as you do currans when you make a jelly, give them a shake now and then; you may guess when they are enough by the quant.i.ty of liquor that comes from them; when you think they are enough strain from them the liquor, put in a little white wine vinegar, and boil it in a little mace, white pepper, Jamaica pepper, and slic'd ginger; then it is cold put it to the mushrooms, bottle 'em and keep 'em for use.

They will keep this way very well, and have more of the taste of mushrooms, but they will not be altogether so white.

408. _To pickle_ POTATOE CRABS.

Gather your crabs when they are young, and about the bigness of a large cherry, lie them in a strong salt and water as you do other pickles, let them stand for a week or ten days, then scald them in the same water they lie in twice a day whilst green; make the same pickle for them as you do for cuc.u.mbers; be sure you scald them twice or thrice in the pickle and they will keep the better.

409. _To pickle large_ b.u.t.tONS.

Take your b.u.t.tons, clean 'em and cut 'em in three or four pieces, put them into a large sauce-pan to stew in their own liquor, put to them a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a blade or two of mace, and a little salt, cover it up, let it stew over a slow fire whilst you think they are enough, then strain from them their liquor, and put to it a little white wine vinegar or alegar, which you please, give it a boil together, and when it is cold put it to your mushrooms, and keep them for use.

You may pickle flaps the same way.

410. _To make_ CATCHUP.

Take large mushrooms when they are fresh gathered, cut off the dirty ends, break them small in your hands, put them in a stone-bowl with a handful or two of salt, and let them stand all night; if you don't get mushrooms enough at once, with a little salt they will keep a day or two whilst you get more, so put 'em in a stew-pot, and set them in an oven with household bread; when they are enough strain from 'em the liquor, and let it stand to settle, then boil it with a little mace, Jamaica and whole black pepper, two or three shalots, boil it over a slow fire for an hour, when it is boiled let it stand to settle, and when it is cold bottle it; if you boil it well it will keep a year or two; you must put in spices according to the quant.i.ty of your catchup; you must not wash them, nor put to them any water.

411. _To make_ MANGO _of_ CUc.u.mBERS _or_ SMALL MELONS.

Gather cuc.u.mbers when they are green, cut a bit off the end and take out all the meat; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie for a week or ten days whilst they be yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in whilst green, then drain from them the water; take a little mustard-seed, a little horse-radish, some sc.r.a.ped and some shred fine, a handful of shalots, a claw or two of garlick if you like the taste, and a little shred mace; take six or eight cuc.u.mbers shred fine, mix them amongst the rest of the ingredients, then fill your melons or cuc.u.mbers with the meat, and put in the bits at the ends, tie them on with a string, so as will well cover them, and put into it a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a little horse-radish and a handful or two of mustard-seed, then boil it, and pour it upon your mango; let it stand in the corner end two or three days, scald them once a day, and then tie them up for use.

412. _To pickle_ GARKINS.

Take garkins of the first growth, pick 'em clean, put 'em in a strong salt and water, let 'em lie a week or ten days whilst they be throughly yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in, scald them once a day, and let them lie whilst they are green, the set them in the corner end close cover'd.

413. _To make_ PICKLE _for your_ Cuc.u.mbers.

Take a little alegar, (the quant.i.ty must be equal to the quant.i.ty of your cuc.u.mbers, and so must your seasoning) a little pepper, a little Jamaica and long pepper, two or three shalots, a little horse-radish sc.r.a.ped or sliced, and little salt and a bit of allum, boil them altogether, and scald your cuc.u.mbers two or three times with your pickle, so tie them up for use.

414. _To pickle_ COLLIFLOWER _white_.

Take the whitest colliflower you can get, break it in pieces the bigness of a mushroom; take as much distill'd vinegar as will cover it, and put to it a little white pepper, two or three blades of mace, and a little salt, then boil it and pour it on your colliflowers three times, let it be cold, then put it into your gla.s.ses or pots, and wet a bladder to tie over it to keep out the air.

415. _To pickle_ Red Cabbage.

Take a red cabbage, chuse it a purple red, for the light red never proves a good colour; so take your cabbage and shred it in very thin slices, season it with pepper and salt very well, let it lie all night upon a broad tin, or a dripping-pan; take a little alegar, put to it a little Jamaica pepper, and two or three rases of ginger, boil them together, and when it is cold pour it upon your cabbage, and in two or three days time it will be fit for use.

You may throw a little colliflower among it, and it will turn red.