od proportion of spice: to one quart of vinegar
put half an ounce of ginger, the same quantity of whole-pepper and
allspice, and one ounce of mustard-seed; four shalots, and one clove
of garlic.

Pickles should be kept secure from the air, or they soon become
soft; the least quantity of water, or a wet spoon, put into a jar of
pickles, will spoil the contents.

* * * * *

TO PICKLE GHERKINS AND FRENCH BEANS.

These are, of all vegetables, the most difficult to pickle, so that
their green colour and freshness may be preserved. Choose some fine
fresh gherkins, and set them to soak in brine for a week; then drain
them, and pour over boiling vinegar, prepared with the usual spices,
first having covered them with fresh vine leaves. If they do not
appear to be of a fine green, pour off the vinegar, boil it up again,
cover the gherkins with fresh green vine leaves, and pour over the
vinegar again. French beans are pickled exactly the same.

* * * * *

TO PICKLE CAULIFLOWERS.

Remove the stalks and leaves, break the flower into pieces, parboil
them in brine, then drain them, and lay them in a jar, and pour over
boiling spiced vinegar.

* * * * *

TO PICKLE MELON MANGOES.

Cut the melons in half, remove the pulpy part and the seeds, soak
the halves for a week in strong brine, then fill them with the
usual spices, mustard-seed and garlic, and tie them together with
packthread; put them in jars, and pour over boiling spiced vinegar.
Large cucumbers may be pickled in the same way.

* * * * *

PICCALILI.

Pickle gherkins, French beans, and cauliflower, separately, as already
directed; the other vegetables used are carrots, onions, capsicums,
white cabbage, celery, and, indeed almost any kind may be put into
this pickle, except walnuts and red cabbage. They must be cut in small
pieces, and soaked in brine, the carrots only, requiring to be boiled
in it to make them tender; then prepare a liquor as follows: into
half a gallon of vinegar put two ounces of ginger, one of whole black
pepper, one of whole allspice, and one of bruised chillies, three
ounces of shalots, and one ounce of garlic; boil together nearly
twenty minutes; mix a little of it in a basin, with two ounces of
flour of mustard and one ounce of turmeric, and stir it in gradually
with the rest; then pour the liquor over the vegetable