298.  Asparagus pickled

Cut and wash the heads of the largest asparagus; place them in cold water for two hours; scald carefully in salt and water, then lay on a cloth until cool; make a pickle of salt and vinegar and boil it; to one gallon of pickles put a quarter of an ounce of mace, two nutmegs, a quarter of an ounce of whole pepper, and pour your pickle hot over them, cover tight with a cloth, and let stand a week, then boil the pickle, and let stand a week again, and boil again, when cold, cover closely.

299.  Beans and French beans pickled

Lay them in salt and water for nine days; then add a little vinegar and boil them in the liquor; when they become green strain them, wipe them dry, and put the beans into the jar; boil some vinegar, ginger, mace, pepper, cloves, and mustard seed, all bruised, and while hot pour it on the beans; cover them close when cold.

300.  To pickle red cabbage

Take the quarter of a purple head of cabbage, cut out the stalk, then slice it down endways, put them on a drying sieve, sprinkle each layer of cabbage with salt, which let lay and drain for two or three days, then put into a jar, boil some vinegar with spice tied up in a muslin bag, cut a beet root of good colour into slices; the branches of cauliflower cut off after it has lain in salt will look and be of a beautiful red; put it into a stone jar and pour boiling vinegar over it.

301.  To pickle cucumbers

Lay them upon dishes, sprinkle salt over them, let them lie a week, drain then off, and put them into stone jars, pour boiling vinegar over them, place them near fire, cover them well with vine leaves, and if not a good green pour off the vinegar and boil it again; cover them with fresh vine leaves and continue doing so until they are a good colour; as, to make a better green, you must use a mettle stew pan or brass kettles, which are very poisonous; use wooden spoons with holes to dish all pickles, keeping them always well covered and free from air.

302.  To pickle onions

Peel the onions till they look white, boil some strong salt and water and pour it over them; let them stand in this twenty-four hours; keep the vessel closely covered to retain the steam; after this wipe the onions quite dry, and when they are cold pour boiling vinegar, with ginger and white pepper over them; the vinegar must cover the onions.

303.  To pickle mushrooms

These are pickled in salt water and brandy, but they are of little advantage.

304.  Railroad system of horse training