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An Old Recipe for Spiced Pickles

A historical recipe from Mary at the farm, and book of recipes compiled during her visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans", by Thomas, Edith M. (Edith May) (1915).

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A historical recipe

Mary at the farm, and book of recipes compiled during her visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans", by Thomas, Edith M. (Edith May) (1915). Project Gutenberg eBook #13545.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: preserving or pickling, curing or salting meat, a substance or vessel no longer considered safe. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

United States

Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

  • Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.
  • Curing. Old curing amounts and salts may be unsafe. Use current tested guidance.
  • Additives or old utensils. The text names something no longer considered safe in food or for cooking in, such as lead, alum, borax, bitter almonds or copper pans. Don't use it.

Ingredients 6 ingredients

  1. 2 oz. of allspice
  2. 3 gallons vinegar
  3. 1/4 pound of black pepper
  4. 3 quarts salt
  5. 1 oz cloves
  6. 6 ounces of alum

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

Method

  1. 500 small cucumbers.
  2. 2 oz.
  3. of allspice.
  4. 3 gallons vinegar.
  5. 1/4 pound of black pepper.
  6. 3 quarts salt.
  7. 1 oz cloves.
  8. 6 ounces of alum.
  9. Horseradish to flavor.
  10. Add sugar according to strength of vinegar.
  11. Place cucumbers and pieces of horseradish in alternate layers in a stone jar, then put salt over them and cover with boiling water.
  12. Allow pickles to stand 24 hours in this brine, then pour off brine and wash pickles in cold water.
  13. Boil spices and vinegar together and pour over the pickles.
  14. In two weeks they will be ready to use.
  15. Pickles made over this recipe are excellent.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Mary at the farm, and book of recipes compiled during her visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans", by Thomas, Edith M. (Edith May) (1915). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #13545 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13545). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.