214 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Supr., 1902. 
GHERKINS. 
Choose young cucumbers, and let them be freshly gathered. Pour over 
them a strong brine of salt and water boiling hot, cover them close and allow to 
stand until next day. Stir them gently to remove'any sand; drain on a sieve. 
To every quart of vinegar use }-0z. each of whole black pepper, ginger, and 
allspice, 1 oz. mustard seed, and 2 cloves of garlic. Allow the vinegar to 
become boiling hot, place the pickles in a jar, and pour the boiling water over 
them. Cover the top of pickles with vine leaves, allow them to stand for a day; 
if the pickles are not of a good green in colour, heat the vinegar to almost 
boiling and pour it over them again, covering with fresh vine leaves. (As an 
additional reason for preparing them at home, it is well known that the fine 
green colour of “store” pickles is due to the use of copper.) When the pickles 
are cold, put in a sprig of dill and be sure to cover closely. They will be 
exceedingly crisp and of a fine green. 
Inpra PICKLE. 
The vegetables to be employed for this favourite pickle are small hard 
knots of tender white cabbage, cauliflower in flakes, small cucumbers, green 
beans, small onions, white radishes half-grown, radish pods, small green peppers, 
celery, horse-radish, nasturtiums, and garlic. 
As all these vegetables do not come in season together, the best method 
of doing this is to prepare a large jar of pickle at such time of the year as most 
of the things may be obtained, and add others as they come in season. Thus 
the pickle will be nearly a year in making, and ought to stand another six 
months before using, when, if properly managed, it will be excellent, and will 
keep and continue to improve for years. 
One advantage of this plan is that those who grow their own vegetables 
may gather them from day to day when they are exactly of the proper growth. 
These are very much better if pickled quite fresh and all of a size, which can 
scarcely be obtained if they are all pickled at the same time. 
The radish pods, peppers, nasturtiums, onions, and eschalots are placed in 
the spiced vinegar raw, the horse-radish is scraped a little and cutin slices half- 
an-inch thick. Cauliflower (broken in flakes), beans, cabbage, radishes, and 
gherkins are placed in a strong hot brine, and allowed to remain two days, when 
they are drained, and over them is poured a small quantity of hot vinegar 
without spice. 
Cover closely, and when cool drain and put the vegetables in the general 
jar. Be very careful that every ingredient be perfectly clean and dry, and that 
the jar be very closely covered every time it has been opened for the addition 
of fresh vegetables. 
For the pickle, to every gallon of good, strong vinegar use 8 oz. of bruised 
ginger, 1 oz. cloves, }-oz. each of mace, whole black pepper, and cayenne, 2 02. 
each of garlic and eschalots, 3 oz. salt, 2 oz. turmeric, and } 1b. ground mustard. 
Rub the mustard and turmeric smooth with a little cold vinegar. Place 
all the spices in vinegar and place over the fire to heat; allow it to become as 
hot as possible, without boiling; then stir in a little mustard and turmeric. 
Allow it to become very cold, then put in the vegetables as directed. This 
process is very simple, and the result is a fine pickle. It is not essential to have 
every variety of vegetable here mentioned, but all are admissible, and the 
greater variety the more it is approved. 
