PICKLED HUSK TOMATOES

This tomato looks like an egg-shaped plum and makes a very nice sweet pickle.  Prick each one with a needle, weigh, and to seven pounds of tomatoes take four pounds of sugar and spice with a very little mace, cinnamon and cloves.  Put into the kettle with alternate layers of sugar.  Heat slowly to a boil, skim and add vinegar, not more than a pint to seven pounds of tomatoes.  Add spices and boil for about ten minutes, not longer.  Take them out with a perforated skimmer and spread upon dishes to cool.  Boil the syrup thick, and pack as you would other fruit.

SPICED OR PICKLED CHERRIES

Take the largest and freshest red cherries you can get, and pack them in glass fruit jars, stems and all.  Put little splints of wood across the tops of the fruit to prevent rising to the top.  To every quart of cherries allow a cup of best pickling vinegar, and to every three quarts of fruit one pound of sugar and three sticks of whole cinnamon bark and one-half ounce of cloves; this quantity of spices is for all of the fruit.  Boil the vinegar and spices and sugar for five minutes steady; turn out into a covered stoneware vessel, cover, and let it get cold.  Then pour over the fruit and repeat this process three days in succession.  Remove the heads of the cloves, for they will turn the fruit black.  You may strain the vinegar after the first boiling, so as to take out the spices, if you choose.  Seal as you would other fruit.  Be sure that the syrup is cold before you pour it over the cherries.

SPICED CUCUMBERS

Take nice firm cucumbers, slice thin and salt overnight.  In the morning take vinegar sufficient for covering the quantity prepared, mixed spices and sugar according to taste.  Put on to cook and when boiling put in the cucumbers and cook for thirty minutes.  Delightful as a relish, and can be kept for a long time if put in airtight jars.

PICKLED PEARS

Pears should always be peeled for pickling.  If large cut them in half and leave the stems on.  The best pear for this purpose, also for canning, is a variety called the “Sickle Pear.”  It is a small, pulpy pear of delicious flavor.  Throw each pear into cold water as you peel it.  When all are peeled weigh them and allow four pounds and a half of white sugar to ten pounds of fruit.  Put into the kettle with alternate layers of sugar and half a cup of water and one quart of strong vinegar.  Add stick cinnamon and a few cloves (remove the soft heads).  Heat slowly and boil until tender, then remove them with a perforated skimmer, and spread upon dishes to cool.  Skim the boiling syrup and boil fifteen minutes longer.  Put the pears in glass jars or a large earthen jar, the former being preferable, and pour the syrup and spices boiling hot over the fruit.  When cold seal.