ladies’ department. 
290 
Cables department 
HOW TO MAKE APPLE-BUTTER. 
In the December number (1846) of the Agricul¬ 
turist, you express a wish to know how the best 
apple-bntter can be made, and as I consider myself 
cm fait at that business, I have great pleasure in 
sending such directions as I believe to be the best . 
The large copper-kettle three-quarters full of 
new sweet cider, made from sound apples, is set 
over the fire before five o’clock in the morning. I 
let it boil two hours, and then put in as many ap¬ 
ples, which were peeled, cored, and cut up the 
night before, as will fill the kettle, and at the same 
time, I throw in about two quarts of nicely cleaned 
peach-stones, which by sinking to the bottom, and 
being moved about incessantly by the stirrer , pre¬ 
vent the fruit from settling and burning, which 
would spoil the whole. I take care in selecting 
the apples to secure a large proportion of sour 
ones; for, as the cider is sweet, unless this precau¬ 
tion be taken, the sauce will have a vapid taste 
that nothing can remove ; and all the apples must 
be of kinds that will boil easily to a jelly. On the 
hearth, around the fire, I place numerous pans and 
pots of apples and cider, simmering* and stewing, 
which I empty into the kettle as fast in succession 
as the contents boil away enough to make room for 
them ; but after twelve o’clock I never allow any 
more to be added to the mass. The boiling must 
be continued steadily until the whole is reduced to 
a smooth, thick marmalade, of a dark, rich brown 
color, and no cider separates when a small portion 
is cooled for trial. 
From the moment the first apples are put into 
the boiling cider, the whole must be stirred without 
a moment’s intermission, otherwise it will settle and 
burn ; but the handle of the stirrer must be passed 
from hand to hand as often as fatigue or inclination 
makes a change desirable. 
My kettle holds half a barrel of cider, which, 
with the first apples in it, begins to boil about nine 
o’clock in the morning, and the whole is done 
enough by eight o’clock in the evening, when a 
sufficient quantity of powdered all-spice, cloves, 
and cinnamon, may be added to season it to your 
taste. The apple-butter must be dipped out as soon 
as possible when it stops boiling; for, if it cools in 
the copper or brass, it is in danger of becoming poi¬ 
sonous, as may be detected even by the unpleasant 
taste imparted by the action of the acid upon the 
copper. I prefer sweet stone, or earthen-ware pots 
to keep it in, but where the quantity made is very 
large, a barrel may be employed. 
Stirrer.—Fig. 71. 
A friend has suggested to me that as our stirrer 
is not generally known, and as it seems to be the 
best fitted for the purpose of any instrument I know 
of, I send the above sketch, from which any handy 
lad of fourteen years can easily make,one for his 
mother. The handle should be about six feet long, 
in order that the cook may keep from the heat and. 
danger of fire. The other part should be of heavy 
oak-board, six inches broad, with two transverse 
slits in the lower part, and long enough to reach 
the bottom of the kettle, so that while it moves, the 
handle has need only of a steady horizontal mo¬ 
tion. E. S. 
Eutawah. 
HOW TO MAKE PICKLES. 
In the preparation of pickles, it is highly neces¬ 
sary to avoid employing metallic vessels; as both 
vinegar and salt corrode brass, copper, lead, &c., 
and become poisonous. When it is necessary to 
heat or boil vinegar, it should be done by placing 
it in a stone-ware jar in a vessel of hot water or On 
a stove. Glazed earthen or potter’s ware should be 
avoided either for makingor keeping the picklesin, as 
it is dangerous to health on account of its being glaz¬ 
ed with lead, which all acids will corrode or dissolve. 
Pickles should be kept from the air as much as 
possible, and only touched with wooden spoons. 
The vessels, in which they are kept, should be 
made of glass or stone, and even those of wood may 
be employed with success. They are also better 
preserved in small bottles or jars, than in large 
ones, as the more frequent opening of the latter ex¬ 
poses them too much to the air. Copper, or verdi¬ 
gris, is frequently added to pickles, to impart a 
green color; but th\s poisonous ingredient becomes 
mixed with our aliment, the effect of which on the 
health of individuals cannot but be sensibly felt. If a 
green color be desired, it may be imparted to the 
pickles by steeping in vinegar vine-leaves, or those 
of parsley, or spinach. A teaspoonful of olive-oil is 
frequently added to each bottle to keep the pickles 
white. 
Gherkins may be made by steeping small cucum¬ 
bers in strong brine for a week, and then, after pour¬ 
ing it off, heating it to the boiling point, and again 
pouring it on the fruit. In twenty-four hours, let 
the cucumbers be drained on a sieve, then put into 
wide-mouthed bottles or jars, fill them up with 
strong pickling vinegar, boiling hot, in which has 
been steeped a little spice; cork up immediate^, 
and tie over with bladder. As soon as cold, dip the 
corks into melted bottle-wax, and keep them in a 
cool place until required for use. 
In a similar manner may be [pickled, onions, 
mushrooms, large cucumbers, green nasturtiums, 
gooseberries, cantelopes, walnuts, melons, bar¬ 
berries, peaches, lemons, tomatoes, bean and 
pea-pods, codlins, grapes, radishes, cauliflowers, 
red cabbage, and beet-root, observing that the softer 
and more delicate articles do not require so long 
soaking in brine as the harder and coarser kinds, 
and may often be advantageously pickled simply by 
pouring very strong vinegar over them, without the 
application of heat. 
How to Prepare Soyas’ patent Mustard.— 
Steep the mustard-seed in twice its bulk of strong 
vinegar (distilled or concentrated by freezing) for 
eight days; grind the whole to a paste; then put it 
into pots, and thrust into each a red-hot poker. 
