whole black pepper, 1/4 oz. of whole allspice, 4 cloves, 2 blades of
mace, a little horseradish. This proportion of pepper, spices, &c., for
1 quart of vinegar.
_Mode_.--Let the gherkins remain in salt and water for 3 or 4 days, when
take them out, wipe perfectly dry, and put them into a stone jar. Boil
sufficient vinegar to cover them, with spices and pepper, &c., in the
above proportion, for 10 minutes; pour it, quite boiling, over the
gherkins, cover the jar with vine-leaves, and put over them a plate,
setting them near the fire, where they must remain all night. Next day
drain off the vinegar, boil it up again, and pour it hot over them.
Cover up with fresh leaves, and let the whole remain till quite cold.
Now tie down closely with bladder to exclude the air, and in a month or
two, they will be fit for use.
_Time_.--4 days.
_Seasonable_ from the middle of July to the end of August.
[Illustration: GHERKINS.]
GHERKINS.--Gherkins are young cucumbers; and the only way in
which they are used for cooking purposes is pickling them, as by
the recipe here given. Not having arrived at maturity, they have
not, of course, so strongly a developed flavour as cucumbers,
and, as a pickle, they are very general favourites.
GOOSEBERRY SAUCE FOR BOILED MACKEREL.