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September 2007
My Mother's Cupboard
By Brenda Murray
When I was a small child, some 40 years ago now, I can distinctly remember the fear and amazement, when I was sent to the cellar, to fetch a jar from the coldroom shelf for my mother. Yes, the cellar, which
was dark, and dank, and scary with strange shadows from the dimly lit bulb, quite unlike modern basements. It was amazing to see the shelves filled with home canning and preserves. There were bottles of strawberries, raspberries, peaches and pears, green beans, baby carrots, beets, and beet greens too. Jams and jellies made from raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, crabapples, and currants lined the shelves. Pickles and relishes were abundant as well. Nearby bins were filled with potatoes, carrots, turnips, and squash. I can still hear the creak of the cupboard door shutting, as I turned and ran back up to the kitchen, with jar in hand.
For sure, it was a healthier, and more natural way to eat, than most of us do today. The vegetables were picked, cleaned, and in the canner, or freezer the same day. My mother and father always made sure we had lots of good, healthy food to eat. It was normal to have a meal everyday with meat or fish, potatoes, and several other vegetables, and fruit. Always homemade breads, desserts and sweets, it was rare to buy anything like that. I thought that commercially baked bread was a real treat, as it was so soft, compared to the homemade variety. Mom even made her own butter.
I try to do a few of the things that my mother did. My little girl never ate a jar of baby food, but had all of her vegetables from my father�s garden, cooked and frozen in icecube trays. Emma likes most vegetables, and maybe that is because she is used to fresh flavorful veggies, straight from the garden.
In my early forties, I learned to use the pressurecooker canner, and did up several vegetables for the winter months. I also learned to make jams, jellies, and pickles. One year I bought raspberries, to make jam, instead of picking the wild ones. I was very surprised to find that there was a discernible difference between the jam made with wild raspberries, and that made with commercially grown. The jam made with wild berries was much more flavorful.
Most people don�t do home canning, or make preserves anymore. It is most likely a time constraint, or lack of knowledge on how to do so. There are some great websites that have a wealth of information on how to
do home canning, and make preserves. Try http://www.homecanning.com/, or http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
For additional information contact:Brenda Murray
Blue Barn Farms 1800 Hammonds Plains Rd
Hammonds Plains
www.BlueBarn.ca
E-mail: brenda@bluebarn.ca
PH 902-499-3399
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