354 FISHES AND FISHING. 



is filled if to eat presently, one part white wine and 

 three parts vinegar, sufficient to cover the fish. If to 

 keep, take vinegar, a little garlic, or eschalots, cloves, 

 mace, whole pepper, rosemary, sage, and salt ; let 

 these boil quarter of an hour, pour it boiling on the 

 fish ; when cold, cover them close from the air with 

 bladders; in removing any for use, let it be with an 

 ivory or wooden fork or spoon; they will keep all the 

 year. 



Many other species of fish from the sea, or rivers, 

 may be prepared in the same way. Or a more cheap 

 mode to prepare any small fish, is to scale and cleanse, 

 place them in a deep stone jar with spice, &c., and 

 herbs as above ; cover the fish with two-thirds vinegar 

 and one-third water, tie stout white paper over the 

 jar, and send them to the bakehouse. 



Under the head *' Crimping of rish[" are to be 

 found in the observations of the late Sir Anthony 

 Carlisle, as communicated by Mr. Accum, some very 

 useful information. He says, *' Both sea and river 

 fish cannot be eaten too fresh. The gills should be of 

 a fine red colour, the eyes glistening, the scales bril- 

 liant, and the whole fish should feel stiff" and firm ; if 

 soft or flabby, the fish is old.*' I presume he means 

 stale, 



" To improve the quality of fish, they are some- 

 times subject to tlie process called crimping.*' Sir 



