After spending an entire weekend in the kitchen, canning and pickling with my neighbor, Kassie, I am left with a renewed appreciation for the generations of women for whom canning was a survival skill, not, say a fun experiment. Peeling vegetables all day and sweating over a pot of acrid boiling vinegar is an uncomfortably hot and sticky experience even if you sign up for it voluntarily. Imagine rising at dawn to harvest vegetables, followed by a long, hot day in the kitchen without the benefits of air-conditioning (not that I have a/c) or even electric fans.
I am waiting to post pickle recipes until I have gathered empirical evidence that 1) our pickles won’t kill anyone, 2) our pickles won’t make anyone sick, 3) our pickles actually taste good. I’ll let you know in a month.
Until then, head over to Kassie’s blog to see the fruits of our labors.
Oh, and here is the box of tomatoes that we peeled:
3 Comments
October 2, 2007 at 5:23 pm
the pickles and achaar look delicious! and the row of neatly sealed bottles make me feel quite nostalgic for my aunts’ kitchens…
October 3, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Hi Tisha,
Your blog is wonderful. My only complaint is that my stomach starts growling and I long to go home and try huevos rancheros! Your writing is so imaginative and descriptive. I think there is a really wonderful book in that gorgeous head of yours.
Hope you are well.
Claudia
October 4, 2007 at 12:40 am
Hi Claudia and Ruchira,
Thanks for your comments! Claudia, it’s good to hear from you. I hope you’re doing well too!