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The Art of Cookery,


cover the rest. Let them boil, and skim them; when the fruit is boiled very soft, then strain it through a coarse hair-sieve; and to every quart of liquor put a pound and a half of sugar, boil it, and skim it very well; then throw in your fruit, just give them a scald; take them off the fire, and when cold put them into bottles with wide mouths, pour your syrup over them, lay a piece of white paper over them, and cover them with oil. Be sure to take the oil well off when you use them, and don't put them in larger bottles than you think you shall make use of at a time, because all these sorts of fruits spoil with the air.

To make vinegar.

TO every gallon of water put a pound of coarse Lisbon sugar, let it boil, and keep skimming of it as long as the scum rises; then pour it into tubs, and when it is cold as beer to work, toast a good toast, and rub it over with yeast. Let it work twenty-four hours; then have ready a vessel iron-hooped, and well painted, fixed in a place where the sun has full power, and fix it so as not to have any occasion to move it. When you draw it off, then fill your vessels, lay a tile on the bung to keep the dust out. Make it in March, and it will be fit to use in June or July. Draw it off into little stone botles the latter end of June or the beginning of July, let it stand till you want to use it, and it will never foul andy more; but when you go to draw it off, and you find it is not sour enough, let it stand a month longer before you draw it off. For pickles to go abroad, use this vinegar alone; but in England you will be obliged, when you pickle, to put one half cold spring-water to it, and then it will be full sour with this vinegar. You need not boil, unless you please, for almost any sort o pickles, it will keep them quite good. It will keep walnuts very fine without boiling, even to go to the Indies; but then don't put water to it. For green pickles, you may pour it scalding hot on two or three times. All other sort of pickles you need not boil it. Mushrooms only wash them clean, dry them, put them into little bottles, with a nutmeg just scalded in vinegar, and sliced (whilst it is hot) very thin, and a few flades of mace; then fill up the bottle with the cold vinegar and spring-water, pour the mutton fat try'd over it, and tie a bladder and leather over the top. These mushrooms won't be so white, but as finely tasted as if they were just gathered; and a sponfull of this pickle will give sauce a very fine flavour.

White walnuts, suckers, and onions, and all white pickles, do in the same manner, after they are ready for the pickle.