pepper, finely shredded, add a teaspoonful sugar, a
tablespoonful of brandy, or dry sherry, the mixed spices, work all well
together, stuff the mangoes neatly, sew up with soft thread or tie about
with very narrow tape, pack down in stone jars, cover with the best
cold vinegar, pour a film of salad oil on top, tie down and let stand
two months. If wanted sweetish, add moist sugar to the vinegar, a pound
to the gallon. Mangoes are for men in the general--and men like things
hot and sour.

_Walnut Pickle_: Gather white walnuts in June--they must be tender
enough to cut with the finger nail. Wash, drain and pack down in jars
smothered in salt. Let stand a fortnight, drain off the resultant brine
then, scald the nuts in strong vinegar, let stand hot, but not boiling,
for twenty minutes, then drain, and pack in jars, putting between the
layers, a mixture of cloves, alspice, black and red pepper, in equal
quantity, with half as much mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Strew in
a very little salt, and a little more sugar. Mix mustard and celery seed
in a cup of salad oil, and add to the jars, after the nuts are in. Scald
strong cider vinegar, skim clean, let cool, pour over the prepared nuts,
film with oil on top. Leave open for two days--if the vinegar sinks
through absorption, fill up the jars. Paste paper over mouths, tie down
securely, and set in a cool place until next year. It takes twelve
months for pickled walnuts fully to "find themselves."

_Preserving Fruit_: Peaches, pears, plums, or cherries, the process is
much the same. Use the finest fruit, ripe but not over-ripe. There is no
greater waste of strength, time, and sugar, than in preserving
tasteless, inferior fruit. Pare peaches and drop instantly in water to
save discoloration. Do the same with pears, pit cherries, saving the
juice. Wash and prick plums if large--if small, merely wash and drain.
Halve clear stone peaches but put in a few seeds for the flavor. Leave
clingstones on the seed, unless very large, else saw them in three,
across the stones. They make less handsome preserves thus sawn but of
finer flavor. Weigh, take pound for pound of sugar, with a pound over
for the kettle. Very acid fruit, cherries or gooseberries, will require
six pounds of sugar to four of fruit. Pack pears and peaches after
paring in the sugar over night. Drain off the syrup at morning, put the
fruit in the kettle, cover with strained ginger tea, and simmer for ten
minutes. Meant