1370. Gherkins For Salads Or Pickled

The best sort are the Dutch; they are used when boiled for garnishing salads and for ragouts. For boiling, let them remain one minute in boiling water, then put them into the ragout or a good sauce, but they must not be permitted to boil again. For pickling choose the greenest; cut off tails and head, and rub off the down; wash, dry, and lay them in a jar; pour over enough of the best vinegar to cover them, and let them stand for three days; then draw off the vinegar and boil it; when a little reduced throw in the gherkins, and boil them together, pour the whole into a jar again. In six days remove them; boil them again, adding garlic, tarragon, and salt; return them to the jar, and do not cover them until the vinegar is cold.

1371. Preserved Wet Gherkins

Let your gherkins be clear and free from all spots, put them into salt and water, let them stand two or three days, then take them out and drain them well; put them in another pan of water, scald them, put them in a tub and let them stand all night; then drain the water from them; put them in a pan of water, and to every two quarts of water put half a pint of syrup; put them in and let them boil over a slow fire five minutes; put them in a tub again and let them stand till next day; then boil them again, drain that syrup from them and have a clear pan with the syrup of a proper thickness; let it boil, put the gherkins into it and let them boil gently for a quarter of an hour; then put them into a flat brown pan and cover them; let them stand two days, then drain the syrup from them; boil the syrup one minute and pour it over them; the next day boil them and the syrup together three or four minutes, and repeat the same for five days; then put them into pots and cover them.