PICKLING. 25 



PICKLING. 



Pickling is an important branch of preparedness for the winter 

 months. Vegetables and fruit are pickled and preserved by the use 

 of wholesome preservatives, such as salt, vinegar, spices, and sugar. 

 If in the making of pickles these preservatives are used in reasonable 

 amounts they will be a wholesome addition to a meal. Pickles give 

 flavour to a meal and so stimulate the flow of digestive juices ; but there 

 are pickles and pickles, and those made strong with vinegar and very 

 highly seasoned with spices should be eaten sparingly and never given 

 to children. 



In pickling, vegetables are usually soaked overnight in a brine 

 made of I cup salt and I quart water. This brine removes the water 

 of the vegetable and so prevents weakening of the vinegar. In the 

 morning the brine is drained off. 



Alum should not be used to make the vegetables crisp, as it is 

 harmful to the human body. A firm product is obtained if the vege- 

 tables are not cooked too long or at too high a temperature. 



Enamelled, agate, or porcelain-lined kettles should be used when 

 cooking mixtures containing vinegar. Pickles put in crocks should be 

 well covered with vinegar to prevent moulding. Cucumber pickles are 

 sometimes coloured green with sulphate of copper, which is a deadly 

 poison. They are tinted green also by scalding in a brass or copper 

 kettle; but while pickles so coloured might not cause illness, no one 

 who pays any regard to health would venture to eat them. 



Grape-leaves and cabbage-leaves are said to help in retaining the 



natural green colour of cucumbers and unripe tomatoes. The bottom 



,and sides of the kettle are lined with the leaves, the kettle is then filled 



with the mixture to be pickled, and the top of the mixture is covered 



with leaves. 



Cold Tomato Relish. 



Eight quarts firm ripe tomatoes; scald, cold-dip, and then chop 

 in small pieces. To the chopped tomatoes add : 



2 cups chopped onion. 4 chopped peppers. 



2 chopped celery. I teaspoon ground mace. 



2 sugar. I black pepper, 



i cup white mustard-seed. 4 teaspoons cinnamon. 



y 2 salt. 3 pints vinegar. 



Mix all together and pack in sterilized jars. 



