Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/304

266

TAKE twelve lemons, scrape them with a piece of broken glass; then cut them cross in tow, four parts downright, but not quite through, but that they will hand together; then put in as much salt as they will hold; rub them well, and strew them over with salt. Let them lie in an earthen dish for three days, and turn them every day; then slit an ounce of ginger very thin, and salted for three days, twelve cloves of garlick parboiled and salted three days, a small handful of mustard-seeds bruised and searched through a hair sieve, and some red India pepper; take your lemons out of the salt, squeeze them very gently, put them into a jar, with the spice and ingredients, and cover them with the best white wine vinegar. Stop them up very close, and in a month's time they will be fit to eat.

TAKE small buttons, cut and prime them at the bottom, wash them with a bit of flannel through two or three waters, then set on the fire in a stew pan spring water, and a small handful of salt: when it boils, pour your mushrooms in. Let it boil three or four minutes; then throw them into a cullender, lay them on a linen cloth quick, and cover them with another.

TAKE a gallon of the best vinegar, put it into a cold still; to every gallon of vinegar put half a pound of bay-salt, a quarter of a pound of mace, quarter of an ounce of cloves, a nutmeg cut into quarters, keep the top to the still covered with a wet cloth. As the cloth dries, put on a wet one; don't let the fire be too large, lest you burn the bottom of the still. Draw it as long as you taste the acid, and no longer. When you fill your bottles, put in your mushrooms, here and there put in a few blades of mace, and slice the nutmeg; then fill the bottle with pickle and melt some mutton fat, strain it, and pour over it. It will keep them better than oil.

YOU must put your nutmeg over the fire in a little vinegar, and give it a boil. While it is hot you may slice it as you please. When it is cold, it will not cut; for it will crack to pieces.

Note, In the 19th Chapter, at the end of the receipt for making vinegar, your will see the best way of pickling mushrooms, only they will not be so white.