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Old timey recipes at Going Home

Apple Jelly Mock Raspberry Jam
Acorn Coffee Grandma's Liquid Yeast
Baker's Hot Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Brown Sugar Syrup Mom's Pickled Beets
Canned  Apples Mulberry Jelly
Clover Tea  "Old Fashioned" Dried Apple Cake

Old Fashioned Parched Corn 
Corn Cob Maple Syrup Old Timey Lemonade
Drawn Butter Okra Pickles
Eight day Bread & Butter Pickles "Paw Paw" Bread
Elderberry Wine Pawpaw Cake II
Fried Country Apples Paw Paw Pie
Ham and Green Beans Peggy Lynn's Pickled Green Beans
Hardtack Pickled Green Peppers
Hillbilly Sauerkraut Pickled Pigs' Feet
Making Butter Rice Puddin'
Perfect Iced Tea Sally Lunn Bread
Pickled Green Tomatoes Salt Kraut
Potted butter Snow "Ice-cream"
Root Beer Tonic Strawberry Butter
Salt Cured Ham Sweet Tea
Shucky Beans Tomato Catsup
Squash pickles Violet Jelly
Sun Preserves Zucchini Strawberry Jam
Thick Butter Beans Tomato Preserves
Watermelon Rind Preserves

 
 
 
 
 

FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO

Growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, I came to admire the knowledge of the men and women who lived there, worked  hard all their lives and lived simple,good lives.  Money was short and there was never the luxury of convenience foods, large grocery stores and even if there had  been, money was too scarce.  My parents were fortunate in that they had the space for a large garden, raised two hogs each year for butchering, we had plenty of chickens, and my grandfather had the fruit trees and the cow which assured us of all the milk and fresh butter Mom could churn.

Mom put the large garden to good use by canning every type of vegetable imaginable, and from the cherry trees, apple, peaches, strawberries and rhubarb, winter never caught us without a good meal on the table.  That is practically a lost art now and this page is dedicated to all the knowledge that has been replaced with store items.  Canning time was a time that we all sat on the front  porch with our bushels of beans to snap, tomatoes to peel and cabbage to chop for some of the best sauerkraut you ever ate.  It was a time for chatting and gallons of coffee as the assembly line of garden goodies were being readied for canning.

Time doesn't allow people the luxury of creating their own winter pantry now,but I hope the following recipes and remembrances will bring pleasure to those people who grew up the same way and just good reading for those who are happy for the modern conveniences.  I have a storehouse of really outdated recipes that are still delicious in any era.

I hope you enjoy my scrapbook of memories and submit your own.



Old Fashioned Parched Corn

2 tbs. lard
1 tsp. salt
2 ears dried corn, shelled
 

In hot skillet melt lard. Add salt and shelled corn. Stir until dark brown. Remove from skillet and let cool.



 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes

Baker's Hot Chocolate

This is from their 1977 cookbooklet:

2 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
3 cups whole milk

Melt chocolate in the water over low heat stirring until mixture is well blended and smooth. Add sugar and salt and boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the milk then heat thoroughly. Just before serving, beat with
a whisk or an electric beater until frothy. Makes about 1 quart or 5-6 servings.
Jan


Fri, 27 Sep 2002

"Katy"

 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes
 
 

This recipe comes from the 1953 "The Encyclopedia of Cooking";
 

Hot Chocolate

2 oz. (squares) baking chocolate
1 c. water
3 tbs. sugar
Dash salt
3 c. milk

Cook chocolate and water over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and salt; boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly and heat over boiling water. Beat until frothy before serving.
Serves 6

**Place a long stick of cinnamon into the hot chocolate and top with whipped cream.

When I was a child, cocoa was a big luxury and cinnamon sticks or whipped cream would have been a luxury we didn't have. We just enjoyed that hot cocoa, especially on a cold walk from school in the winter snows that fell so heavily at times.


I saw this recipe on the newsgroup as shown below and thought this would stir a remembrance in some of you.Unfortunately,the poster didn't apply their name to the recipe so I am unable to give credit where it is due.Thank you whoever you are !

Date: 17 Jan 2001
Newsgroups: rec.food.historic

Hardtack

Here's the recipe I use for hard tack:

4 - 4.5 c. flour
2 c. water
6 pinches salt

Mix, knead, and roll to .5" thick. Cut to shapes and sizes desired.Put on greased cookie sheet and bake at 425º F for 20 minutes.Turn tack pieces over and bake 10 to 20 minutes more. If you stop here its fairly edible although
it doesn't keep as well as finishing it.

To finish it, reduce oven heat to 200º F. and bake 2 to 48 hours more.

A terrific way to eat hard tack, assuming you can cook where you are, make Skilly-Skally.

Skilly-Skally is made by soaking hard tack for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight in cold water. (The more cured the tack, the longer the soak.) Drain. Fry the soaked tack in pork fat.  Drain, and sprinkle with sugar.Tastes rather like pie crust cookies!
 



Clover Tea

Gather tender leaves and blossoms when full grown. Dry at room temperature. when dry, rub into small particles. Seal  in jars. This will help it to retain flavor. One teaspoon to each cup of boiling water. Brew in cup or in teapot as you would oriental tea. Sweeten with honey.



Corn Cob Maple Syrup

corn cobs

Take about a peck of nice, clean corn cobs. After the corn has been cut from the cob, put the cobs in a large kettle of water, enough to cover cobs. Boil for 2 hours, then strain off juice. Make a syrup of brown sugar (make dark syrup) or white sugar make a light syrup. Both taste like maple syrup.
Mix one part sugar to 2 parts juice. Cook slowly until it becomes slightly thick like syrup. Bottle tightly. Can hardly tell from the real pure maple syrup. Good over hot cakes.



Many of our mothers and grandmothers didn't have the luxury of going to the store to pick up items as needed.This recipe is a fine example of the wisdom our ancestors possessed:

Grandma's Liquid Yeast

Boil 8 medium sized Irish potatoes until done and mash them until there are no lumps. Add 1 quart of lukewarm water,
1/2 cup sugar, 1 level tablespoon of salt and 1 cake of good yeast (compressed or dry). Put this mixture in a bowl. Cover
and set in warm place for several hours. At the end of that time, stir thoroughly. Pour into quart jars, filling them about
2/3 full and put tops in place but do not fasten tightly. Keep in a cold place and use it when it is 24 hours old.

This yeast is good for several days if kept cool. One cup of yeast will raise one quart of flour quickly. If there
is to spare, 1/2 cup will answer the purpose. Before using the liquid or potato yeast, always shake the jar in order that the
potato and the yeast plants may be distributed evenly. When making a second quantity of yeast, you may use a cup of the old yeast as a starter instead of a cake of dry or compressed  yeast.



Living through the Depression wasn't for the faint of heart.Those coffee lovers invented a way to make their own "coffee" just like those in the South during the Civil War.

Acorn Coffee

Per Carla Emery:

Select plump, round, sweet acorns.Shell and brown in oven. Grind in a
coffee mill and use as ordinary coffee.

Hull out a half cup of small acorns. Add a half cup cracked wheat.
Mix. Roast in your oven. Pound in a mortar. Boil with water to get your coffee.Add honey, molasses, or brown sugar to sweeten.

Enjoy.

Pam

posted on:Newsgroups: rec.food.preserving



Paw Paw Pie

1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. paw paws, peeled and seeded

Place all ingredients into stew pan and stir together.
Cook over medium heat until thickened. Pour into unbaked pie  shell and bake until the crust is done, can be topped with
meringue or other topping.



"Paw Paw" Bread

3 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1 c. paw paws
1 c. sweet potatoes
1 c. nutmeats, chopped

Sift dry ingredients. Mix in water. Add other ingredients; mix well. Bake in oiled pans for 1 hour in 350º oven.
To make pumpkin bread, substitute the paw paws and sweet potatoes for 2 cups of pumpkin.
Bread may be frozen for later use.



Root Beer Tonic

3 oz. sassafras bark, dried
2 oz. sarsaparilla, dried
1 oz. dandelion root, dried
1 oz. burdock root, dried
1/2 oz. ground ginger
1/2 oz. ground cinnamon
1/4 oz. orange peel, dried 

Mix together all ingredients and store in a tightly closed container. In a large pot combine 1 quart of water and 4 tablespoons of dry mixture. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey or  if desired.


From The Wild Foods Cookbook by Cathy Johnson (Pelham)

Violet Jelly

1 cup violet flowers, packed down (remove stems)
Juice of one lemon or 1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water plus 3/4 cup
1/2 cup liquid pectin *or* 1 pkg. powdered pectin

Blend violet blossoms, lemon and 1/2 cup water in food processor or blender, forming a paste.
Boil pectin and 3/4 cup water for one minute, then add to blender.
Pack into jars and store in the freezer.
 



 

From BUTTER AND CHEESEMAKING, V. Cheke and A. Sheppard:

"Potted butter"

"Butter for preservation without deep refrigeration must be made from good flavored cream produced under the most hygienic conditions.  The cream should only be ripened to an acidity of 0.25 to 0.3% and should have a clean, slightly acid taste and smell.

"Method:  Butter for preservation should be churned to a rather small grain,washed at least twice, and then brined for 20 minutes.  The butter should then be removed from the brine, placed on the butter-worker [this is a device like a large rolling pin which is rolled over the butter at great pressure to squeeze the water and buttermilk out], and rolled five or six times in order to remove all superfluous moisture.  The butter should be left on the worker if possible for 3-4 hours and then again rolled five or six times.  During this second rolling dry salt should be added in the proportion of about 3/4 oz of salt to 1 lb. butter, and worked well into the butter, expelling as much moisture as possible.  The texture of the butter is much less important than its required low moisture content.

"After the second working the butter was traditionally packed into a dry, glazed earthenware crock.  The crock must be free from cracks and be well washed and scalded before each use.  The butter should be filled into the crock very firmly, and there should be no air spaces whatsoever -- this can be achieved by working the butter in the crock if large enough from the center outwards with a piece of clean, damp muslin over the closed fist.  Finally the butter should be leveled and covered with a layer of salt two inches thick.

The crock should be covered with parchment or greaseproof paper, tied down, and stored in a cool place until the butter is required for use.  Butter thus potted should keep for 4-6 months.

"If the butter tastes excessively salty when required for use, it should be removed from the crock in pieces about the size of a walnut, allowed to stand in clean water for 30 to 40 minutes, and then reworked."


The apples that weren't canned for winter pies and cobblers found their way to the breakfast table to be eaten with fresh made biscuits.

This cake is a lot of work but without a doubt the best one I ever ate.Many years ago,there wasn't money to spend on desserts.At social gatherings,each woman would bring one layer of cake and it would be stacked ,one layer on top of another.In between the layers,jam,preserves or whatever was plentiful was used.Eventually,dried apples became the standard filling.

OLD FASHIONED DRIED APPLE CAKE


6 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk


Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Cream shortening and sugar; add molasses and mix well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with flour, mixing well. Sponsored Links

Place dough on floured surface. Work in enough flour to make it easy to handle, but not stiff. Divide dough into 8 portions; shape into balls. Place 1 ball in greased 9-inch round pan. Press dough with hand evenly over bottom of pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Continue the same process for each ball of dough. Same pans may be used again but grease each time. Stack layers with apple filling (below). Store cake in airtight container or wrap at least over night to for best flavor and moisture. ( Mom always allowed 2 days and I found this works best for me,too.


Fill the layers with filling made from 1 1/2 pounds dried apples, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water.
The next day, run cold water over apples and drain.
Add some water to apples and cook on medium heat until tender .
Stir often .
When cooked down until all water is cooked out of apples, mash apple with potato masher
Then add:

                         1 1/2 c. brown sugar
                         1 c. white sugar
                         3 tsp cinnamon
                         1/2 tsp cloves
                         about 1/2 tsp. allspice

1. Mix this really well .
2. Cook a little, stirring to keep from burning .
3. Spread between cake layers and on top of cake .
4. This will make 2 four layer cakes or one eight layer cake.

We always had a supply of dried apples as well as the ones canned. There wasn't any such thing as food dehydrators. The sun was our appliance.We would peel and cut the apples into thin slices.On clean pieces of window screening,these slices were spread in single layers,covered with cheesecloth to protect them and placed in the hot sun.Depending on the thickness of the apple slices,this process could take up  to 24-48 hours,bringing them in at night to keep away from the night dampness.After the drying process,they were put in tight fitting jars or bags and would keep indefinitely.Great in fried pies,too!

Thanks for the visitor who sent this in. I had lost my mother's recipe and really appreciate it.



Paw Paw trees grew abundantly in the woods at home.The fruit always reminded me of a banana that had seen better days.Mom dearly loved them.

*The unique flavor of the fruit resembles a blend of various tropical flavors, including banana, pineapple, and mango. The flavor and custard like texture make pawpaws a good substitute for bananas in almost any recipe. The common names, ‘poor man’s banana,’ ‘American custard apple,’ and ‘Kentucky banana’ reflect these qualities.

Pawpaw Cake II

from the Sept. 27, 1995 Frankfort State
     Journal

1/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. mashed pawpaw pulp
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream 1/4 cup shortening with 1 cup sugar.  Add 1 well beaten egg and 1 cup mashed pawpaw.  Sift together flour,baking powder and baking soda.  Stir into the creamed mixture.  Add vanilla and pour into an 8 inch square pan or two round layer cake pans.  Bake at 375º for 50 minutes.  When cool, frost with cream cheese thinned with milk or any simple white frosting.  Decorate with pawpaw slices.

*Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program
Cooking with Paw Paws



There were apple trees that grew wild near our home.I never did know what they were called .I do remember in the heat of summer,the trees were loaded.The apples were green and small in size but more sweet than sour.I would fill up the lap of my skirt or dress with these apples and bring them home to Mom.Fried apples with biscuits is still a favorite with me.

FRIED COUNTRY APPLES

4 Granny Smith Apples
2-4 tbs. butter
2-4 tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Slice and core apples into about 12 slices per apple.  Smaller slices cook quicker.  Melt butter (Mom used a tad of bacon grease instead and so do I), add apples and cook slowly until they start to look clear.  Cook more or less as to your personal preference.   Add cinnamon.  Cook to your taste, add brown sugar and let butter and brown sugar caramelize.



STRAWBERRY BUTTER

Grandpa had a huge strawberry patch so we had every strawberry dish known to mankind I believe.

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
8 medium strawberries, cleaned and sliced
3 tbs. powdered sugar
grated peel of one lemon

Smash the berries and blend with other ingredients to a fairly smooth consistency.

This recipe fascinates me.Our ancestors were wise in preservation of food.



Sun Preserves
    Ingredients (6 servings)

Prepare cherries or strawberries for preserves. Combine with an equal weight of sugar. Heat slowly to boiling. Stir frequently. Boil slowly 8
minutes.  Let stand overnight. Pour into shallow dishes or pans. Cover with glass. Set in hot sun for several days or until juice has thickened and fruit is plump. the  juice of 1 lemon may be added to each 2 pounds of fruit if desired.



Grandma always made enough of these to supply her house full of young children and my mother's household,too.  Families used to have these wonderful traditions of providing certain items to the pantry of relatives.
 
 

Watermelon Rind Preserves

7 lb. watermelon rind, being sure to avoid the green part of the rind
2 1/2 qt.. water
1/3 c. salt
6 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tbs. whole cloves
2 cinnamon cloves
2 lemons

Pare off the outer green from watermelon rind and cut into 1" cubes.  Put in a large bowl and pour over them the salt and water mixed.  Let soak for three days.  Drain and let stand in fresh water for one hour.
Make a syrup of sugar, vinegar, water and spices.  Cut the lemon (rind and all) paper thin.  Put melon and lemon into hot syrup and boil until watermelon is clear.  Seal in jars.



MOCK RASPBERRY JAM

5 c. green tomatoes
4 c. sugar
6 oz. raspberry Jell-O (2pkgs.)

In blender, process tomatoes; add sugar.  Boil 20 minutes.  Skim.  Add Jell-O, stir.  Pour into sterilized jars. It must be kept refrigerated. Can also be frozen.

Mom never owned a blender in her life and all chopping was done with this little gadget that was created for chopping cabbage but she used it for anything that needed chopping in large amounts.



 

You can make jam not only out of figs but zucchini that tastes like strawberry jam. It is really good.

Zucchini Strawberry Jam

  6  c. zucchini; peeled & grated
  6  c.  sugar
  3/4  c. crushed pineapple; and juice
  1/2 c.  lemon juice
  2    3 oz boxes  strawberry flavored Jello

 Stir zucchini and sugar together in large pot.  Heat, uncovered on medium stirring a few times until it comes to a boil.  Boil gently for 15 minutes,  stirring occasionally.

Add pineapple with juice and lemon juice.  Stir.  Return to boil.  Boil, uncovered for 6 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Stir in Jell-O until it dissolves.  Skim off foam.  Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of top.  Seal.
 


Mom and Daddy always went into Virginia in the fall to get bushels of their juicy apples to can dozens of quarts for winter.They sure tasted good when there was a big snow on the ground along with a pot of Mom's wonderful vegetable soup.

Canned  Apples
 

10  quarts  sliced cooking apples -- peeled
7  c.  sugar
juice of 1 or 2 lemons

Place the apples in a large crock or bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice; stir gently to blend well. Allow them to stand overnight so the apples will release their juices.The next day, lift the apple slices from the juice, using a slotted spoon, and fill the quart canning jars 3/4 full. Heat the juice to the boiling point and pour over the apples to within an inch of the tops of the jars. Process to can, or use within 2 weeks.
    This recipe can easily be halved.


Apple Jelly

4 1/2 apples, washed (but not peeled or cored)
3 c. water
red food coloring
4 1/2 c. sugar

Chop apples, core and all in a food processor into about 1/2" pieces. Place in pot with water; cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are soft. Let cool slightly and mash apples. Pour through a sieve, add few drops of red food coloring and add sugar, mix well.
makes about 5 cups

Note:We never owned a food processor,so just chop in small pieces.I also watched Mom make the jelly out of the peelings alone but don't have her recipe.


A winter pantry would always have several quarts of these:

PICKLED GREEN PEPPERS

2 c. white vinegar
2 c. water
green peppers
garlic
bay leaves
salt

Wash green peppers and remove seeds.  Slice and pack in pint size canning jars with 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and 1/2 tsp. salt in each jar.  Bring water and vinegar (half and half in whatever amount is needed to a boil and pour into jars.  Seal immediately.


Linda and Dan--thanks for passing this recipe along.Mom always kept quarts of these on the shelf.

PICKLED GREEN BEANS

2 lbs. string beans
2½ c. water
2½ c. vinegar
½ c. canning salt
In each jar:
½ clove garlic
sprig of fresh dill
3 or 4 peppercorns
bay leaf or pepper

Bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil.
Put green beans in jars. Pour hot liquid over beans. Put on lids and seal in hot water for about 10 minutes.



SALT KRAUT

I used to get into all kinds of trouble for messing with the crock ,wanting this to be ready.

Wash & dry cabbage then shred into small pieces so salt can penetrate. Weigh out about 1 oz. salt per 2 1/2 lbs of cabbage. Mix salt into cabbage. Pack salted cabbage in stoneware crock, enamelware or glass. Don't use metal.

Press down firmly to help extract juices. Cover with cloth and weight down with something.You can  use a small plastic garbage bag with water in it. Tie top and it forms to the crock so no air gets in side.

Check after 24 hrs. If brine does not cover cabbage add solution of 1 tsp. salt per cup of water. Check fermentation regularly. Remove scum and change cloth if dirty. Keep at room temperature until no bubbles rise to surface (two to five weeks). Let the cabbage ferment at about 70 degrees F. For long term storage, can by boiling water bath method.
Any Ball Canning book can give you instructions.

This will lock your jaws together and you'll never want store bought kraut again.


HILLBILLY SAUERKRAUT

By Elizabeth Malone

I was born in Akins So. Carolina way back in the woods. Our family lived in tiny shacks.
There was no inside plumbing. We had an outhouse and took baths in big tubs; however,we grew our own garden, my mother was a very hard worker. She did the chores, milked the cows, and made clothes for us "youngins". We canned everything we could for the winter. It takes a lot of hard work. This has been passed down from generation to
generation. In addition, this Hillbilly Sour Kraut is great with beans and corn bread. I'm sharing my family's little secret with you. "Hope
you all like it, you hear!"

Ingredients

1 5 gal. crock jar

25 lbs. of cabbage (green)
1 lb. of salt
1 large clean  crock
2 white tea towels


Wash cabbage then chop 3 or 4 heads of cabbage at a time. Then pack cabbage down with fist tight into jar. If you're going to use peppers in this, you should use rubber gloves. Then add a little layer of salt on top. Put whole cores from cabbage in.

Keep adding cabbage, layers of salt and cores till jar is full. As you pack cabbage into jar you will have a lot of water. Save it for later use. When all full, tuck 1 white tea towel on top of cabbage push down on sides 'til no cabbage is showing. Place a large clean rock on top of cabbage, then tie the other white tea towel over jar. Let jar set 7 days in hot place, not in the house for its going to smell. Check daily to be sure water is on top, as it goes down use the water you saved. After 7 days pack cabbage into wide mouth jars and store in refrigerator.
 



Take an old cold tater and wait.There was this custom concerning company.If there was so many that everybody couldn't fit around the table,the family kids were given a biscuit or cold tater,that you took outside.You just sat there and hoped that the company saw fit to leave a little of the chicken or whatever was being served.You knew the reason you were sittin' outside on the steps was because the folks wasn't prepared for extra people and all that would remain of that meal would be the empty bowls.

Well,one day,after our "company" ,who were relatives, came for another visit (which by this time was about every other day)my dad decided his girls had been handed a biscuit once too often and Mom had washed enough dishes for this crowd.The company's kids were given this biscuit treatment.It wasn't long afterwards,the "company" descended on another family member.This was the end of the "old cold tater" custom at our house.That fried chicken was shore better than the cold tater or biscuit let me tell you.
 


If you've ever raised okra,you know how it is.It seems like you wait for months while the plants just stand there.Suddenly,when one  pod is ready for pickin' the kitchen is suddenly overrun with okra pods that have to be picked daily unless you need a vegetable that turns as tough as leather overnight.Here's a good way to use some of the okra.

Of course,there's still nothin' better than deep fried okra in my books.
 



OKRA PICKLES

3 1/2 lb. small okra pods
3 c. vinegar
4 cloves garlic
1/3 c. canning salt
2 sm. hot peppers, cut in half
2 tsp. dill seed
3 c. water 

Pack okra firmly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Put a garlic clove and half a pepper in each jar. Combine water, vinegar, salt and dill seed and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over okra, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 4 pints.

Note: When cutting hot peppers or seeding, use rubber gloves to prevent burning hands.


Although Dad grew every vegetable possible, tomatoes were his hobby, and he was always trying different types and was known for his bumper crops.  The man knew what fertilizer to use and exactly when to use. I think Mom used to beg people to come by for a free bushel before they took over the back porch where they were placed in the shade after picking.
 

TOMATO CATSUP

I still prefer the store bought kind,but Mom and Dad liked their homemade version better.
 

4 qts. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped very fine, then mashed
1 pint vinegar
3 red peppers, chopped very fine then mashed
3 tbs. salt
2 tbs. dry mustard
2 tbs. black pepper, finely ground
2 tbs. allspice, finely ground

Put ingredients in pot and cook slowly (simmered but not boiled), stirring often. Tomatoes should disintegrate, making tomato sauce. Peppers probably will not fall apart, so if you enjoy chunky catsup leave them in, if not, strain them out. When reduced to preferred consistency, remove from heat and let cool. Pack in bottles and refrigerate, or sterilize as you would other canned food and keep in pantry.
 
 

Ketchup--This version is closer to store bought ketchup. Of course,back then there was no such thing as a food processor.YOU were the processor.

1 gallon tomato juice
2 onions-chopped very fine in food processor
2 tbs. pickling salt
2 tsp. pickling spice-wrapped in a cheese cloth bag
2 c. sugar
3 c. white vinegar

Cook slowly for hours or until the right consistency for ketchup. Put in clean pint jars and hot water bath 15 mins.



TOMATO PRESERVES

5 large tomatoes, very ripe
3 1/2 c. sugar
2 lemons, juice and shredded rind
1/2 c. crystallized ginger, chopped

Pour boiling water over tomatoes.  Let sit for 30 seconds, then remove to cold water.  Gently remove skins.  Chop tomatoes into small cubes.  Cover with sugar and let stand 1 hour.  Combine lemon juice and rind with tomato mixture.  Cut up ginger and mix in to tomato mixture.  Cook over medium low to medium heat, stirring frequently, 'til thickened -about 30 minutes.  Makes 1 1/2 pints.


Isn't it amazing what wonderful things used to grow wild and free?

MULBERRY JELLY
 

3  pounds  mulberries -- ripe
1/2  cup  fresh lemon juice -- strained
7 c.  sugar
1 bottle liquid pectin

Put mulberries in saucepan and crush.  Heat gently until juice starts to flow, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.  Put in jelly cloth or bag, and squeeze out juice. *

Measure 3 cups into a very large saucepan.  Add lemon juice and sugar, and mix well.  Put over high heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly.  At once stir in pectin.

Important.  Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, skim off foam with metal spoon, and pour quickly into hot sterilized jars.  Seal.  Makes about eight 1/2 pint jars.
 

* Careful. The juice easily stains things red.



MOM'S PICKLED BEETS

Of course,Mom and Dad raised their own beets,but I use this recipe with canned beets and can't tell the difference.People who don't usually care for beets like these.Good with a pot of pinto beans and cornbread.

2 can small beets (10 oz cans)
1/2 c. white vinegar
3/4 c. white sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper 

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to boil and add the sugar slowly until dissolved - stir constantly.
Open the cans of beets and retain the juice from one can. Add the beets (whole) to the boiling  vinegar/sugar.
Add the retained beet juice (about 1/4  cup worth). Add salt & pepper. Boil for about 2 minutes and then
 remove from heat. Sterilize two sealing jars (about 10 - 12 oz capacity). Put beets into sterilized jars, cover with the vinegar/sugar solution and seal with lids. Let stand several days before serving. This is a sweet pickle best served cold. Excellent with beef and pork.

Mom and Dad always raised beets in their garden. Mom would cook the greens and pickle the beets. Yummy.



As a child I thought these eggs were the most beautiful color in the world.  The taste is delicious besides being pretty.  Today I buy canned beets and use in this recipe.
 
 

These eggs are wonderful.

Pickled Beets

beets
eggs, hard boiled
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. water, cold
1 small cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Boil young beets until tender.  Skin and cover with liquid made by combining the brown sugar, vinegar, water, a small piece of cinnamon, and 3 or 4 whole cloves.  Let beets stand in this mixture for several days.  Remove and add whole hard boiled shelled eggs to the liquid and let pickle for 2 days before using.



SQUASH PICKLES

Long after the good batter fried yellow squash has gone the way of summer and winter snows set in, squash was in the menu a different way.  These are really great.

5 lb. squash
4 c. onions
2 medium bell peppers
3/4  c. salt
2 qt. ice cubes
1 tsp. black pepper
5 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tbs. mustard
5 c. vinegar
2 tb.. celery seed

Wash squash and cut into 1/4x1/8 inch slices.  Cut onions and pepper the same way.  Place in a large container, sprinkle with salt and add ice.  Cover and let stand 3 hours.  Drain and rinse.  Mix sugar, turmeric, mustard, vinegar, celery seed and pepper in a big pot.  Place on medium heat to below boiling point.  Add other ingredients.  Heat the same and place in jars.
 



In the early pioneering days,a person tried to have a pickle patch.It was a sign of being a little prosperous.During the long fall and winter  months when no fresh vegetables would grow,to have jars of pickles--sparkling green and crisp--was a wonderful addition to the pantry.

This recipe calls for extra work,but you get a really fine pickle with this recipe.

The term Bread and Butter came from the thought the pickles were good enough to be eaten every day--just like you would bread and butter.

EIGHT DAY BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

8 qt. cucumbers
4 c. vinegar
2 tsp. pickling spice
8 c. sugar
5 tsp. salt 

Place cucumbers in a crock; pour boiling water over to cover each day for
four days. Use fresh water each day. Keep crock covered and cool. On the fifth day, cut cucumbers into 1/2" to 3/4" pieces. Mix other ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cut-up cucumbers in crock. Reheat this syrup each day for four days and pour over cucumbers. Keep covered and cool at all other times.

Pack cucumbers in jars and fill with heated syrup, leaving 1/2" head space, then seal.


Recently I fried some green tomatoes for my supper and my daughter-in-law wanted to try a bite.  She fell in love with them and was amazed at their natural sweetness.Well, as much as I loved fried green tomatoes as a child, when I was given Pickled Green Tomatoes, I wasn't too sure.  Now , you would think I invented them as much as I love their taste.

PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES

15 lb.. (2 gal) green tomatoes the fresher, the better)
1 c. pickling salt
1/2 tbs. powdered alum
2 qt. boiling water
2 c. cider vinegar
5 c. sugar
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 handful of whole cloves

Arrange the tomatoes in layers in a large bowl, unless you have a pickle crock to use, and sprinkle the layers with salt.  Let stand overnight.  The next days, drain, sprinkle with the alum, and pour the boiling water over them.   Let stand for 20 minutes.
Drain, rinse, and drain again.  In an enamel or stainless steel preserving kettle combine cider vinegar, sugar and the spices, tied in a cheesecloth bag.  (This bag should be left in the syrup 'til the very end.)  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved and boil rapidly for 3 minutes.  Pour the syrup over the tomatoes and let stand overnight.  Next day, drain off syrup and bring to a boil.  Pour over tomatoes and let stand again overnight.  On the fourth day, put syrup and tomatoes into the kettle, bring to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes are transparent.  Pack the tomatoes into hot jars.
Boil the syrup until it becomes very thick or spins a long thread.  Remove the spice bag and pour the syrup over the fruit, filling the jars and seal.  Makes 8 qt..


Over thirty years ago, a friend went with me to Kentucky to visit my mother.  She had a fit over the "shucky" beans my mother cooked and still mentions them.  What I'd give to have a big bowl right now and my mother still on this earth to join me.  The name "shucky" comes from the fact they sound like dried corn shucks before cooking.

SHUCKY BEANS
 

String and snap a bushel of the freshest green beans you can get your hands on.  Do not do the following if you live in a humid area because they'll never dry correctly but use a food dehydrator or a slow oven instead.
Get a large eyed needle and white thread, string this beans on whatever length you want and spread on clean screens.  Place in the hot sun (bring in at night) for about three days or until they should like rustling corn shucks.  You can hang them in a non humid place or store them in dry sealed jars.  Cook as you would any green bean and please cook with a little salt pork.  A pot of green beans was never meant to be cooked with butter and left half raw.  A few new potatoes set on top of the green beans a little before they're done gives you a meal cooked for a king.
 

Mom would have disagreed with me on this recipe since her fresh green beans were always cooked with salt pork and a little dab of lard,not shortening.They sure were good.However,these beans are also good.



Since Daddy raised his own pork,ham was readily available.However,we normally treated ham as a breakfast food.At Christmas a whole ham would be cooked and the leftover bones and scraps of ham would be used as seasonings.Otherwise,hanging in the meat house was salt pork used for flavoring beans.Mom loved to coat it in cornmeal and fry for her supper.Given a choice between that and a steak,she'd pick the salt pork every time.

HAM AND GREEN BEANS

2-3 lb. ham or ham bone
green beans
potatoes
onion
salt and pepper

Place ham in large pot and cover with water. Cook slowly for a couple hours, keeping plenty of water on the ham. Clean and break-up the green beans, put them in with the ham and cook for 25 minutes. Add  the potatoes which have been pared and cut up and add the onions.Cook slowly until ready.Season to taste.Note:Without trying to sound like an expert,cook your green beans down dry before serving.Shake the pot until all liquid has evaporated.You'll find a better tasting bean.
 
 

I grew up on this recipe and still enjoy this with cornbread,especially during cool weather.It's a good stick-to-your-bones meal.


THICK BUTTER BEANS

6 oz. smoked ham, cut up fine
1 pound dried large lima beans
Salt
Pepper

Pick over the contents of a l pound bag of large,dried lima beans to make sure there are no rocks or debris.Place in a large pot with twice more water than beans. Add ham and simmer slowly until beans become tender and broth thickens.Let this simmer,not boil.About twenty minutes before serving,add black pepper to taste and salt if needed.The cooking time depends.Just check for tenderness.A little water may be needed,but don't add any more than you have to.The "soup" needs to be left thick.Serve with hot water cornbread and you're ready to eat.

Note:Sausage links are good used in this dish also.  Mom never used anything but salt pork in any of her beans and to be honest, I still think there's no better substitute.



Rice never went to waste in our house.Mom used regular milk and baked her rice pudding ,but I never learned her recipe.Here is a good one,though.

RICE PUDDIN'

1/2 c. raw rice
3 c. water
  1 1/2 tsp. salt
(see note if using already-cooked rice)
  1 1/3 c. condensed milk
2 tbs. sugar
2 eggs
1  tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Cook rice  with salt until tender (can also used leftover rice from dinner  the night before, just omit salt,  add a little water and reheat.) Stir in milk and vanilla and heat to a simmer, then lower the heat. Add eggs and stir constantly for five minutes. Add raisins and stir in. When serving, sprinkle  top with nutmeg and cinnamon.
 



This bread is so incredibly easy to make, it can be served often.  It has a very slight sweetness about it and is wonderful the second day ,sliced and toasted for breakfast. I believe the recipe was found in the trunk of a pioneer who made their way across this country despite all the odds against them.It's  golden color and fragrance was always welcomed by my neighbors and family.
 

SALLY LUNN BREAD

1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 tbs. lard (yes, lard)
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
1 c. warm milk

Soften yeast in warm water.  Cream lard and sugar. Beat in eggs and salt. Stir in 1 1/2 c cups flour. Stir in milk and yeast; mix well.  Add remaining flour. Let double, punch down and let rise again in a well greased tube pan until doubled.  Bake at 325ºfor 10 minutes, then raise oven to 375º for 20 minutes.

Tip:  Make sure eggs are always at room temperature when making bread. In case you forget, just place them in a bowl of warm water while you're gathering the other ingredients and they will be warm by the time they're needed.

Note: The few times I ever had any of this bread left over the next day, I would spread a little butter on it and run it under the toaster. Delicious with your morning coffee.  Of course, a dab of strawberry preserves would sure taste good on it, too.



A Little Butter Making Story
 

As told by Sarah Bean Romeril (born 1851)
to Maude Romeril Shurtz (born 1896) her daughter

We had a wooden barrel churn to make butter. The children all took turns in doing the churning. One day, I got the churning under way and left Vilate and Maude to finish it, while I went to Raymond with our horse and wagon. The girls must have had the cream too cold as they churned it for hours and it still it didn't come. They even put spoons in the churn, thinking the spoons would help the cream splash around and hasten the process. When I came home, I could see how hard they had been working at it, so we put it away for another day.
 

As we churned the cream it got thick and then it separated into thin buttermilk and little chucks of butter. We'd drain off as much buttermilk as possible. Then it was washed to get all the buttermilk out so it would not go sour. To wash it, it was  worked with a wooden pat and clean water. Salt was added, and mixed in, then it was printed with a butter mold into pounds with crosses on top that made it look very nice. Finally, it was wrapped in butter paper and put in the cellar to keep it cool until it could be taken into town and traded at the general store. What was left was made into nice round pats, crossed on top with the butter pat, and this was used for our table.

Before we had a cream separator, I set the milk in milk pans, set them on shelves in the cellar, and marked the pans A.M. or P.M. with chalk. Then in about 24 hours the cream was skimmed off the milk for churning. Maude always liked to lick the skimmer afterwards. She liked cream very much...

Al Durtschi, E-mail: mark@waltonfeed.com

Home Page: http://waltonfeed.com/



DRAWN BUTTER

1/2 pint water
4 tbs. butter
1 tsp. flour
Heat water to boiling. While water is heating cream butter with flour.
(Mash together with fork until blended smooth.) Drop butter-flour
mix in water and boil until thickened. Stir to keep smooth.



We never had a freezer and after butchering the hogs,the pork was salt cured.Although this isn't my parent's recipe,it is an example of how the process worked:

SALT CURED HAM
 

2 pt Salt
1 Ham

CURING PROCESS-------------------------------
 

To salt down a ham you will again need a FRESH ham.
If at all possible, find some Jefferson Island Salt.
We have less trouble loosing hams when we use that.
If not, use canning salt -- DO NOT USE IODIZED SALT.
For each ham use two pints of salt. Rub salt in well to all sides of
ham, filling bone cavity.

I suppose that I should have told you prior to this that you have to have a salt box constructed of wood -- a very strong salt box. It may have to withstand the assault of neighborhood dogs.
Box should be large enough to hold hams in a single layer. (Ours is 3'x5'
on the bottom and about 2' high.) Size doesn't matter much as long as hams don't butt up against each other and it's not so small that the dogs can move it. On to curing: You will have salt left after rubbing on hams.

Place a thin layer of the salt in the bottom of the box. Place ham on this, skin side down. Pour the  remaining salt on the ham. Place top on box and secure. Find a handy calendar and mark down three weeks. Okay, ham comes up then. Wash salt off ham and LIBERALLY coat with black pepper. (Use dust mask from workshop if pepper bothers you.) Place in cloth sack (old pillow case will do nicely) and hang. Do not cut for at least 6 months, 1 year is better.
All of this should be done when the temp is 35 to 50 degrees.
Good luck. No guarantees. (Sugar cure is better!)
Virginia (KY)
 


Lemonade

What else takes you back to yesterday any more than lemonade? When the steam of summer is rising and the heat makes you long for the cooler days of fall, you can chase away the grumpies with a glass of real lemonade. "Too much trouble you say".  Not if you do it this way. The flavor of this drink won't be found in the powders you buy at the grocery.
 

First of all make Sugar Syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar and 2 1/2 cups water.Set over moderate heat and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and sugar dissolves completely. Remove Sugar Syrup from heat, cover for 1 or 2 minutes to let the steam dissolve any unmelted crystals on the sides of the pan.

Pour into a quart jar, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Use to sweeten iced tea and make other cold drinks.  Makes 3 cups.

Lemonade:

To make enough for a dozen servings, combine 2 cups of lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup of Sugar Syrup.Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use it, shake the mixture well, pour 1/4 cup into a glass, then add water and ice.  For jiffy lemonade, use frozen lemon juice that has thawed, not lemonade concentrate , which can be very sweet.

If using real lemons, be sure to buy lemon that are heavy for their size. Before squeezing, bring them to room temperature or briefly microwave them at high about 30 seconds; then roll the fruit around the counter, pressing firmly with your palm. This will break up the pulp and release the juice.


PERFECT ICED TEA

1 quart cold water
2 tbs. tea leaves or 6 regular size tea bags
Sugar Syrup to taste

In a large saucepan or teakettle, bring 2 cups cold water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Place tea in a teapot that has been rinsed out with boiling water. Slowly pour the 2 cups of boiling water into the teapot, cover, and steep tea 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir tea once, strain tea leaves or remove tea bags. Add the remaining 2 cups of cold water and sweeten to taste with Sugar Syrup. To serve, pour into 4 tall ice filled glasses and garnish as desired (lemon wedges or mint leaves are nice.).

Did you know that teas should be brewed only in a glass, porcelain or enameled pot or pitcher; metal gives the tea a metallic taste. To avoid bitter tea, removed the tea bags after only 3 to 5 minutes of brewing time. Never  squeeze the tea bags. (Doesn't that remind you of the old Charmin commercial with Mr. Whipple yelling, "Don't squeeze the Charmin"?)Well,don't squeeze the tea bags.

To keep iced tea from becoming watery as the ice cubes melt, start with a strong brew.  As a rule of thumb, double the amount of tea or tea bags you would use for hot tea.  You can also avoid watery tea by brewing an extra pot of tea and making iced tea cubes.

Sweet Tea:In the South,sweet tea is the most popular beverage.Put 1 cup of sugar into tea as soon as the tea bags are removed and stir to dissolve. Stir to dissolve.After cooling,add enough water to make one gallon.Refrigerate any leftover tea.The longer it stands,the sweeter it becomes.
 


This is still my favorite syrup.So good over biscuits or pancakes.

BROWN SUGAR SYRUP

1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 tbs. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

In a medium saucepan combine the corn syrup, brown sugar and water; simmer, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Add butter, mix well and let cool. Stir in the maple flavoring, taste and add  more if desired.

Note:We never bothered with the maple flavoring.The brown sugar gives a wonderful flavor all by itself.



I couldn't leave this memory out.My ,how I'd love to have a bowl of Snow Cream right now.Between sleigh rides at night or this,I can't decide which was my favorite.Do I have to choose?Naw!

SNOW ICE CREAM

Collect some freshly fallen clean snow and put in a bowl. Sprinkle some sugar in, add some vanilla extract (not too much it's very strong - about 1/4 teaspoon), and milk. Slush it all together. Add just enough milk to make a nice slushy texture and add as much sugar as  you get away with!  You can use a dash of different flavorings if you wish  instead of the vanilla extract.


On My Soapbox
I still love sassafras*(I wonder if all these experts ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf.That's who they remind me of.)Since filet,ground sassafras,is used so wonderfully in Cajun food that I absolutely crave,I can't help but wonder if this newest alert will change anybody's method of cooking that has been around countless years.We're almost immune to warnings because they are just a routine part of the news each day.Too bad they can't zero in on industries that poison the water and your air everyday.They might find this to be the problem.Anyway,as in so many "warnings",I will continue to have my tea whenever fortunate enough to find the roots.

Note*A recent alert was put out about the root "sassafras" possibly causing cancer.I dearly love this tea and don't have the particulars of the report.With the scares always being thrown at people,I can't say if a little bit of the tea or a gallon a day causes the risk.You decide yourself.Just thought you'd be thrilled to have another "no-no" from the "experts" to add to your ten mile long list.So far,getting out of bed in the morning constitutes a grave risk and the day goes downhill after that.Gives people a real nice attitude doesn't it?
 

Despite all this,if you're lucky enough to have sassafras roots,let them dry,clean and then place a small amount of the root into a pot and bring to a boil.Let steep until desired strength,add a little sugar and enjoy a wonderful cup of tea.. Sassafras plants are easily identifiable by their sets of various mitten shaped leaves.
 

Many years ago at the huge Farmer's Market in Dallas,Texas I came upon some of these roots.Picking one up and enjoying the fragrance,I turned to find the farmer who had rented this space watching me.When he asked me if I knew what it was,I readily told him and asked the price."Little lady",he said,"you're the only person so far who knows what that root is.Let me fix you a bag to take home and enjoy.No charge".I never forgot his kindness nor that cup of tea later.That was to be the last time I ever found any sassafras.
 

Follow up to this rantin' and ravin'.My buddy,Grey Squirrel ,who writes two of the Mountain Memories pages must have thought I might "git the shotgun on the government busybodies" and decided he'd better send me a whole box full of sassafras.Shore is good.That's one of the best gifts I've had in a long,long time.Thank you my friend.



Making Butter the Modern Way

If you saw a gallon of milk settin' on the counter in our house,you knew it was time to make butter.How I loved helping Mom with the churn.Besides that,I love buttermilk.A reader sent this in so if you would like a taste of yesterday,you may want to try making a dab of butter.

****************
You don't need a churn to make butter. It is possible to do this
 using a hand whisk or an electric mixer at slow speed.  In the
 summer churn your cream at temperatures between 52 and 60 degrees.
 In the cooler seasons try for between 58 and 66 degrees. The length
 of time it takes for churning and eventual texture of butter depends
 on bringing the cream to these temperatures ranges. You can adjust
 the temperatures by placing the cream container in a water bath of
 the correct temp.

 Beat or whisk the cream with a steady regularity. Continue beating
 until part of it turns butter like (sudden, hard texture) with
 liquid ( buttermilk) in the bowl. This happens after about 15
 minutes. Pour the buttermilk out (you can save it to use for
 something else) and add cool water, beat gently some more, drain
 again.

 When the butter beads are completely washed, add a small amount of
 salt. (1/4 t. of sea or kosher salt to lb of butter). If you are
 only making a tiny bit you don't have to salt it because it will
 be consumed quickly with no spoilage. Beat the butter on a flat
 surface (marble top or clean counter) Use a rolling pin or flat
 meat tenderizer large wooden spoon to press out ALL the water you
 can. Do not use any plastic in the above steps. Do not store in
 plastic. Use a glass jar or a wooden box.  Plastic will greatly
 affect the taste.The whole process takes about 30 minutes no matter
 how much cream you use. Nicki


When I was growing up, there was a custom called "Round Robin".  Each woman would make a quilt square in her own home and finally everyone would gather together to join the random quilt squares to make one whole quilt. Sometimes this was done to keep each family warm, a lot of times the quilt was sold to earn money for the church or whatever the need was.  Well, I think people should have a Round Robin in memories.  Our lives are stitched together whether we realize it or not.  We share the same sky  and the same struggles of life.  A lot of memories have passed with the death of our older relatives, and I truly believe we can all work together to piece together their history. Their history is "us". Please share your most precious recollections and stitch them to "my Quilt".
 


 Old Timey Wildplant recipes can be found here
 

  FamilyCookbookProject.com

 


 
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