To Pickle Gherkins

Instructions

1. Gather the gherkins on a dry day, before the frost has touched them. Take off the blossoms, put them into a stone jar, and pour over them sufficient boiling brine to cover them well: 6 oz. salt to each quart of water. Leave 24 hours.
2. The following day take them out, wipe them singly, and lay them into a clean stone jar with a dozen bay leaves over them.
3. Make the pickle: to every quart of vinegar allow salt, 1-1/4 oz.; black peppercorns, 1/4 oz.; ginger, sliced or slightly bruised, 1-1/2 oz.; and mace, 2 small blades. Use as much vinegar as will more than cover the gherkins by an inch or two.
4. Pour the pickle over them boiling fast, put a plate over the jar, and leave it for two days.
5. Drain off the vinegar and heat it afresh; when it boils, throw in the gherkins and keep them just on the point of simmering for two or three minutes.
6. Pour the whole back into the jar, put the plate again upon it, and let it remain until the pickle is quite cold; then tie a skin, or two separate folds of thick brown paper, closely over it.
7. Proportions: 24 to 100 gherkins, more when the flavour is liked.
8. Obs. (Acton): the quantity of vinegar needed to cover the gherkins is shown by the quantity of brine; so much depends on their size that the measure cannot be directed exactly. A larger proportion of spice may be added at pleasure.
9. Acton's warning: do NOT boil the vinegar in a brass skillet to green the gherkins. She tested this and calls the resulting colour poisonous, and fears the method is often used for pickles made for sale.