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To pickle Fruits with Salt and ••inegre.
Pickling cucum∣bers. CUcumbers are the biggest Gar∣den Fruit which we use to pickle, they are to be chosen very small, (which they call Cornets or Gerkins, because we choose those which resemble little crooked hor••s, and that do not improve) or else somewhat bigger, but very young, before their seeds be hard, which are
nothing so pleasant to eat: These are to be pickled pared, or whole; but it is best to pare them before you put them in pickle then afterwards; because of the loss of your Salt and Vinegre upon the Skin, which will become so hard, as scarcely to be eaten: But they are handsomer and whiter, being pared at that instant when you serve them to the Table, then such as you pare before they be pickled: so that you may do which of them you please.
The other small horned Cucumbers are to be pickled without paring, by reason of the delicateness of their skin.
Cathering You must gather very early in a fair morning, and let them lie all the rest of the day in the Sun to morti∣fie them a little, that they may the better receive in the Salt.
Put the pared, the unpared, and the Ge••kins, each of them in well glazed earthen Pots apart (for those that are unglazed, crumble and
moulder away, by reason of the Salt which does penetrate them, and so lose their Pickle) ranging them handsomly, and crowding them as neer as you can to one another, without bruising: then you shall strew a good quantity of Salt upon them, and the Vinegre afterwards, tilf the uppermost of all are well covered; otherwise there will breed a mouldinesse that will spoil all that remain bare. Thus set them up in a temperate place, and touch them not at least in six weeks, that they may be perfectly pickled. Your Store∣house will be the most convenient place to keep them in.
〈◊〉〈◊〉. Let the Purslain which you would pickle be of tha•• which you have transplanted, that it may be the fair∣er. The true season to gather it is, when it begins to flower, if you would have that which is tender: for if you omit it till it be out of flower, that you may save the Seed,
(as it is commonly sold) it will be too hard to eat. Let it also be dried and mortified in the Sun, two or three dayes, and then range it in glazed Pots with Vinegre and Salt as you did the Cucumbers.
C••pers Broom-b••ds. Sampiere. Tarr••gon. Capers, Broom-buds, Sampier, Tar∣ragon and the like, are to be pickled after the same manner as above.
Artichoks. Bottoms of Artichock•• are to be pickled in Salt, but after another Method then the former; for they must first be above half-boyl'd, and when they are cold, and well drain'd of their water, which should like∣wise be dried with a cloth to take out all their hu••idity, range them in Pots, and pour Brine upon them, as strong as it can possibly be made; which is done by putting into it so much Salt, as till it will no longer imbibe, & that the Salt precipitates to the bottom whole and without melt∣ing. This we call Marinated water.
Upon this water (which will co∣ver
your Artichocks) you must pour Sweet Butter melted, to the eminence of two fingers, that you may there∣by exclude the Air; then the Butter being cold, set up the Pot with your Cucumbers, or in some other tempe∣rate place, covered and well secur'd from the Cats & the mice, which else will make bold to visit your B••tter.
But I presume that before you put the Artichoks in the Pot, you did prepare them as you would have done to serve them to the Table, that is, taken off all the leaves and the Chocke which is within.
Time. The true season for this is in Au∣tumn, when (practising what I taught you before in the second Treatise in the Chapter of Arti∣chokes) your Plants produce those which are young and tender, for they are these which you should take to pickle, before they come to open and flower, but yet not till their heads are well formed and hard.
When you would eat of them, you must extract their saltnesse by often shifting the water, and boyle them once again before you serve them to the Table.
Asparagus Peas. Champig∣nons. Asparagus, Peas without Cods, Morilles, Champignons, or Mush∣rums, are also to be pickled in salt, (having first parboyl'd them, & pre∣pared every sort in its kind) af••••r the same manner that you did Artichoks.
V••sit your pots. You shall monethly be sure to vi∣site your Pots, that in case you per∣ceive any of them Mouldy, or to have lost their pickle, you may ac∣cording repayr it.
Corneli∣ans. I have some years since invented the pickling of Cornelians, and have frequently made them passe for Olives of Veronna, with divers per∣sons who have been deceived, their colour so resembling them, and their tast so little different. To effect this, I cause the fairest and biggest to be gathered when first then would
begin to blush, & then letting them lye a while, I Pot or Barrel them up, filling them with brine, just as I do Artichocks, and to render them odo∣riferous, adding a little branch of green Fenel, & a few Bay-leaves: then closing the vessel well, touch it not for a moneth after. If you finde them too salt, dilute & abate the pickle be∣fore you serve them to the Table.