Gather the walnuts when tender, and put them in salt and water: prick each with a needle several times; let them stand two or three days, changing the water every day. Make a brine of salt and water strong enough to bear an egg; it must be quite cold before being used, and be well skimmed while boiling. To every hundred walnuts allow one gallon of water. Let the walnuts soak six days, then change the brine, and let them stand six more; then drain them, and expose them to the sun that they may turn black; pour over them, in a jar, a pickle of the best white-wine vinegar, with a good quantity of pepper, pimento, ginger, mace, cloves, mustard-seed, and horseradish, all boiled together, but cold. To every hundred walnuts allow six spoonfuls of mustard-seed, with an ounce of whole black pepper, and two or three heads of garlic or shalot, but the latter is least strong; let them be quite covered with vinegar. This done, they will be good for several years, if closely covered. The air will soften them. They will not, however, be fit to eat under six months.