| OCR Text |
Show PURR GHERKINS ARE GOOD FOR PICKLES Fruits Respond Readily to Action of Brine. (Prepared by the United Statea Departmeat of Acrlculture.) Burr gherkins are very closely related re-lated to the cucumber. The chief differences are their small size and tie fact that the surface h. covered with spines.. The burr gherkin Is a fulriy prolific bearer and apparently not so subject to diseases and Insect pests as the cucumber. The curing of gherkins la very similar sim-ilar to that of cucumbers, says the United Statea JJgpartmeut of Agriculture. Agricul-ture. It has been found that these fruits respond very readily to the action of brina A 40 per cent brine, made by dissolving; one pound of salt In nine pints of water, Is the most satisfactory strength to use for borr gherkins. As the brine must be maintained at the same strength throughout the entire process of curing, and as Juices which dilute the brine are drawn out of all products, it Is necessary to add salt from time to time. A salinometer, which is a simple, inexpensive piece of apparatus. Is the best means of determining de-termining when the brine Is of the required re-quired strength. I's use Is recom mended wherever possible, especialy If any quantity la being handled. Lacking a salinometer, a simple household house-hold test for a 40 per cent brine Is to drop a fresh egg tn It. The egg should barely float, being almost submerged. A keg or stone jar la satisfactory for brining. Kegs must be well washed with hot water, and soaked overnight with fresh water to be sure they are watertight. Round board covers, coated coat-ed with hot paraffin, are used to keep the vegetable submerged In the brine. Clean bricks are used as weights. Another An-other large round wood cover over the top of each keg Is necessary to keep out dirt and dust. At frequent Intervals it Is necessary to remove, with a large wooden spoon, the scum which forms on the surface. This contains wild yeast, molds and various organisms. Covers and weights should be washed and the strength of the brine tested whenever the scum is being cared for. Gherkins should be gathered while yet green and tender. If allowed to become too ripe, the outer coating becomes be-comes hard and tough, and the curing process does not proceed properly. After curing, the flavor and appearance of gherkins is much like that of brined cucumbers and their final 'treatment should be very much the same. They can be made Into either sweet or sour pickles and are fine for mixed pickles. |
