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Barberries, To Pickle, for Garnishing

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United Kingdom

Known as a British 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 4 ingredients

  1. Water
  2. Berries
  3. Must
  4. a pound of salt

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.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Gather the clusters before they are fully ripe ;
  2. carefully pick off any unsound or very ripe berries, and lay the remainder in bottles.
  3. Cover them with a strong brine, made by boiling a quarter of a pound of salt with each pint of water, and add a small nut of alum to the whole.
  4. The brine must not be put over the fruit until it is quite cold.
  5. Store the bottle in a cool, dry place, and examine them occasionally.
  6. If at any time a scum should be observed on the surface, pour off the liquid, and put freshly-boiled brine in its place, made not quite so salt.
  7. Keep the jars closely covered.
  8. Time to boil the brine, ten minutes.
  9. Probable cost of barberries, 4d.
  10. to od.
  11. per pint.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife