dry day, just before it flowers), and pick the leaves
off the stalks, and dry them a little before the fire; cover them with
the best vinegar; let them steep fourteen days; then strain through a
flannel jelly bag till it is fine; then pour it into half-pint bottles;
cork them carefully, and keep them in a dry place.

_Obs._ You may prepare elder-flowers and herbs in the same manner; elder
and tarragon are those in most general use in this country.

Our neighbours, the French, prepare vinegars flavoured with celery,
cucumbers, capsicums, garlic, eschalot, onion, capers, chervil,
cress-seed, burnet, truffles, Seville orange-peel, ginger, &c.; in
short, they impregnate them with almost every herb, fruit, flower, and
spice, separately, and in innumerable combinations.

Messrs. Maille et Aclocque, _Vinaigriers a Paris_, sell sixty-five sorts
of variously flavoured vinegar, and twenty-eight different sorts of
mustard.

_Basil Vinegar or Wine._--(No. 397.)

Sweet basil is in full perfection about the middle of August. Fill a
wide-mouthed bottle with the fresh green leaves of basil (these give
much finer and more flavour than the dried), and cover them with
vinegar, or wine, and let them steep for ten days: if you wish a very
strong essence, strain the liquor, put it on some fresh leaves, and let
them steep fourteen days more.

_Obs._ This is a very agreeable addition to sauces, soups, and to the
mixture usually made for salads. See Nos. 372 and 453.

It is a secret the makers of mock turtle may thank us for telling; a
table-spoonful put in when the soup is finished will impregnate a tureen
of soup with the basil and acid flavours, at very small cost, when fresh
basil and lemons are extravagantly dear.

The flavour of the other sweet and savoury herbs, celery, &c. may be
procured, and preserved in the same manner (No. 409, or No. 417), by
infusing them in wine or vinegar.

_Cress Vinegar._--(No. 397*.)

Dry and pound half an ounce of cress-seed (such as is sown in the garden
with mustard), pour upon it a quart of the best vinegar, let it steep
ten days, shaking it up every day.

_Obs._ This is very strongly flavoured with cress; and for salads and
cold meats, &c. it is a great favourite with many: the quart of sauce
costs only a half-penny more than the vinegar.

Celery vinegar is made in the same manner.

The crystal vinegar (No. 407*), which is, we believe, the pyroligneous
acid, is the best for receiving