Fun with Food

The other day, my grandmother called to say she had enough cucumbers for me to make a batch of pickles. So, I gamely tried it for the first time. Actually, Jake had to be the one to actually change out the pickling lime for the vinegar/sugar/spice mix, but they seemed to turn out well. Ava & I cracked open the one that didn’t seal today, and they were yummy . . .

I had to keep calling Grandma to make sure that I was doing it right, and at one point, she reminded me to boil the lids before I put them on my jars to help get the seal soft. Ironically, I always do that anyway. Must be that my mother taught me that. I think it’s a great tribute to family life in general — who knows how many mom/daughter combos that particular bit of canning advice has come through. . .

I’ve spent time throughout the summer with other kinds of food. Here’s a taste:

Blueberry Pie Filling/Sauce

Green Beans (canned)

Green Beans (Frozen)

Zucchini Relish

Shredded Zucchini (Frozen)

Strawberry Jam

Dewberry Jam (Like a Blackberry)

Sweet Corn

There’s something strangely fulfilling for me about doing this. Now, if I can just bring myself to eat it. . . (it’s usually so hard for me — since I went to so much work to do it, I want to save it for something special. )