them clean out of the liquor one by one, put the liquor into a stew-pan, and give it a boil; then strain it through a sieve, and let it stand half an hour to settle; then pour it from the settlings into a stew-pan, and put in half a pint of white wine, half a pint of vinegar, a little salt, half an ounce of cloves and mace, a little all-spice and whole pepper, a nutmeg cut in thin slices, and a dozen bay-leaves; boil it up five minutes; then put in your oysters, and give them a boil for a minute or two; put them into small jars, and when they are cold, put a little sweet oil at the top, and tie them down with a bladder and leather; keep them in a cool dry place, and when you use them, untie them, skim off the oil, put them in a dish with a little of the liquor, and garnish them with green parsley. If you want oyster sauce, take them out, and put them into good anchovy sauce, with a spoonful of the pickle: for fish or poultry, wash them in warm water, and put them into a white sauce.
To pickle Cockles or Muscles.
Take half a peck of cockles or muscles, and wash them well; then put them into a saucepan, cover them close, and set them over a slow fire till they are all opened; strain the liquor from them, pick them all out of the shells, (mind and take the sponge or crab out of the muscles) and wash them clean in warm vinegar; strain about half the liquor from the settlings, and treat them in the same manner as oysters.
