Pickled Oysters

This recipe for pickled oysters was adapted and modernized from the 1881 Household Cyclopedia.

Ingredients

  • 100 oysters
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 teacup vinegar
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp mace
  • 1 tsp cloves
Pickled Oysters

Photo: T.Tseng / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Procedure

  1. Drain off the liquor from the oysters, and wash them.
  2. Combine the oysters with the salt and vinegar; simmer them for about 10 minutes, discarding any scum that rises to the surface.
  3. Take out the oysters, leaving the liquid. Place oysters in a jar.
  4. Add the peppercorns, mace, and cloves to the oyster liquid, and boil for 5 minutes.
  5. Skim the liquid, and pour it over the oysters in the jar.