PICKLES & PRESERVES

MRS. OMA HANDY'S STRAWBERRY PRESERVES (09-89)

This is the way "Aunt Oma" made strawberry preserves from the time she was a girl until she was well into her 90's. She learned the technique from her mother and it may be even older than that, going back generations in her family. Anyway, this recipe is well over a hundred years old. It's the best strawberry preserves recipe you'll ever taste. There is nothing artificial added and it captures more of the fresh strawberry aroma and taste than any other way of making preserves. For the ultimate jar of preserves, make it with wild strawberries!

Cap and wash about a gallon of berries. Cover the berries with a generous amount of sugar. Put a cloth over the top of the bowl and let it sit overnight. The next day, pour off liquid that has formed and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over berries, cover and let sit over night. The next day, pour off liquid and bring to a boil again, repeating process of yesterday. On the third day, pour off liquid, bring to a boil. Continue to boil until it thickens. When liquid is thickened, add berries. Boil another 15 minutes. Pour into jars and seal.

OLD YELLOW CUCUMBER PICKLES (10-84)

Arlie Conner of Willis, Virginia sent us this recipe. It's very good to use up all those cucumbers in the garden that get too big and old to be used for anything else. You won't be able to recognize the finished pickles are made from cucumbers. It is best to peel, then slice cucumbers crosswise before seeding them. It's easier. To make a very attractive platter, use red cucumber rings and place a deviled egg in center of ring.

7 or 8 old yellow cucumbers

Mix 2 gallons of water with 2 cups of lime. After peeling, seeding and slicing, soak cucumber slices for 24 hours or longer if necessary in lime water solution. Remove from lime water and rinse 3 times in cool water. Soak three hours in ice water. Set in refrigerator. Remove, make syrup.

Syrup:
2 quarts vinegar
8 cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt
red or green food coloring if desired.

Let stand overnight, then cook cucumbers 20 to 25 minutes in syrup. Put in jars and seal.

CANNED TOMATO SLICES (04-84)

In a telephone interview with Mrs. Cabel Goad of Sylvatus, Virginia, she gave us a new way to can and use tomatoes that you might like to try. Anyone that cams 110 quarts of tomatoes a season must be an expert, and here is her suggestion.

Pick tomatoes just before they are ripe. Slice them as you would if you were making a sandwich. Put the slices in a wide mouth canning jar. Put into each jar a teaspoon of salt. Fill the jars with cold water, put jar rings on and boil them for about 8 minutes. She said they stay firm and can be used all year long for stewing, frying or just on a hamburger as you would slice a fresh tomato.

DILLY GREEN BEANS

2 pounds small green beans (ones that the beans have not yet developed in). Cook 10 minutes and chill in ice water. Drain.

Put the following ingredients in a pint jar:

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper
1 garlic clove
alum the size of a pea
1 dill head or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Boil 3 cups vinegar with 3 cups water and 6 teaspoons salt. Pack beans in jars and cover with boiling mixture and seal. This will fill 5 pint jars. (This recipe won a blue ribbon for me at the Patrick County Fair. Susan Thigpen.)

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