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 Sliced cucumber boiled in vinegar with hot spices such as mustard, garlic, ginger etc. to imitate mango pickle. From a time when mango pickle was a rare delicacy (Evelyn 1699, Bradley 1728, Moxon 1764, etc)  Original Receipt in Evelyn 1699;Mango of Cucumbers. Take the biggest Cucumbers (and most of the Mango size) that look green: Open them on the Top or side; and scooping out the seeds, supply their Place with a small Clove of Garlick, or some Roccombo seeds. Then put them into an Earthen Glazed Jarr, or wide-mouth'd Glass, with as much White-Wine Vinegar as will cover them. Boil them in the Vinegar with Pepper, Cloves, Mace, &c. and when off the Fire, as much salt as will [135] make a gentle Brine; and so pour all boyling-hot on the Cucumbers, covering them close till the next Day. Then put them with a little Dill, and Pickle into a large skillet; and giving them a Boyl or two, return them into the Vessel again: And when all is cold, add a good spoonful of the best Mustard, keeping it from the Air, and so have you an excellent Mango. When you have occasion to take any out, make use of a spoon, and not your Fingers. Original Receipt in 'The Country Housewife and Lady's Director' by Prof. R Bradley, 1728 (Bradley 1728)The following is an extraordinary Receipt for pickling of Cucumbers to imitate Mango's. Gather large Cucumbers of as green a Colour as may be, wash them well in common Water, and then either cut off their Tops, and scoop out all the seedy part, or else cut a Slice out of the Side of each of them, and scrape out the seedy part with a small Spoon, taking care not to mismatch the Slices or Tops of the Cucumbers, that they may tie up the better when we come to fill them with Spices, &c . When we have thus prepared enough to fill the Jar or Earthen Vessel which we design for them, peel some Garlick or Shalots, which you like best, and put either two Cloves of Shalot into each Cucumber, or one middling Clove of Garlick; and also into every one put a thin slice or two of Horse-radish, a slice of Ginger, and, according to custom, a Tea Spoonful of whole Mustard-seed; but, in my opinion, that may be left out. Then putting on the tops of the Cucumbers, or the Slices that were cut out of them, tie them close with strong Thread, and place them in your Jar. Then prepare your Pickle of Vinegar, which we suppose to be about five Quarts to two dozen of large Cucumbers, to which put about a Pound of Bay-Salt, half an Ounce of whole Pepper, about an Ounce of Ginger sliced, and a large Root of Horse-radish sliced; boil these in a brass Sauce-pan for about fifteen Minutes, taking off the Scum as it rises, and then pour it upon your Cucumbers, and cover the top of the Vessel with a coarse Linnen Cloth four or five times double, and set the Vessel near the Fire to keep warm; the day following you will find them changed to a yellow Colour, but that will alter in a day or two to be much greener than they were at first, if you use the following Method: Pour all your Pickle into a brass Skellet, and add to it a piece of Allum as big as a Walnut, and set it over the Fire till it boils, then pour it on your Cucumbers as before, and repeat the same every day till the Cucumbers are of the Greenness you desire. When you have pour'd on your Pickle for the last time, the Jar must be cover'd as before, but remain without Corking till it is quite cold, then stop it close and set it by, in a dry place. The Corks for the stopping of these Jars should be cover'd with soft glove-leather, for the naked Corks will make the Pickles musty. See the Mango's made of green Melons in the Month of September .  |
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