The onions she placed in a stone jar and poured over a brine made of two quarts of boiling water and one-half of a cup of salt.
These she covered and let stand over night.
The next morning Adelaide emptied the onions into the colander, draining off the brine and rinsing them in clear cold water.
Into a saucepan she poured enough vinegar to cover the onions, added the dozen whole cloves, the blade of mace and the bay leaf and let them come slowly to the boiling point. Then she added the onions and moved the saucepan towards the back of the range to let it stand for fifteen minutes.
At the end of that time Adelaide filled the two sterilized pint jars with the onions, poured over the hot vinegar and spices to overflowing, inserted a silver knife between the onions and the jar to let all air bubbles rise to the top and break, fitted on the new rubbers smoothly, sealed the jars quickly, then stood them upside down over night.
In the morning they were inspected carefully for any leaks, wiped off thoroughly with a damp cloth and after the labels were pasted on, stored away in the preserve closet.
Chili Sauce
| Tomatoes (large, ripe), | Nine |
| Onions (large), | Two |
| Onions (small), | One |
| Red peppers, | One |
| Salt, | 1 tablespoon |
| Mixed spices (ground), | 1½ teaspoons |
| Ginger (ground), | ½ teaspoon |
| Sugar (brown), | 1 lb. |
| Vinegar, | 1½ cups |
Over the tomatoes and onions Adelaide poured boiling water, then peeled them.
The red pepper she washed and wiped, cut in halves, and removed the seeds. Through the meat chopper she put the tomatoes, onions, and pepper, then emptied them into a saucepan.