WV cuisine (Parkersburg, Paw Paw: houses, living, fence)

[Janipoo]

I thought you had to boil them after filling so that the lid will seal.

[snorpus]

Note that step 3 specifies *sterilized* jars.

You'd want, of course, the highest acidity vinegar you could find. Probably the biggest problem with cold pack is the lack of a vacuum seal. Which means the little nasties can get in, even after you tighten the lid.

We had a pretty big garden back in the early 80s (5000 sqft) and canned a lot of it. It's a whole lot of work; makes you really appreciate the women in the old days who absolutely had to do it, or there would be no vegetables till spring.

[David Kennedy]

...snorpus...you reminded me, we are entering the 'Starving Time'...When is that ramp festival in Elkins?...I have a patch out back, but they are just for show...

[snorpus]

I'd been meaning to research that, since the festival season is about to ramp up again (terrible pun )

Feb 15-16 - Sweetheart Festival - Sutton
Mar 14-15 - SistersFest - Sistersville
Mar 15-16 - Potomac Highlands Maple Syrup Festival - New Creek (near Keyser)
Mar 15-16 - WV Maple Syrup Festival - Pickens
Mar 15 - Irish Festival - Pipestem S.P.
Apr 11-13 - Chocolate Festival - Lewisburg
Apr 19 - Feast of the Ransom (Ramp), 70th Annual - Richwood
Apr 25-27 - Spring Mountain Festival - Petersburg
Apr 25-26 - Deja Vu Festival - Elkins
Apr 25-27 - Glass Festival - Weston
May 14-18 - Strawberry Festival - Buckhannon

I didn't see a listing for ramps in Elkins, unless it's part of Deja Vu, which sounds more like a Battle of the Bands type event.

[Lone Star Rebel]

Might I interject here by saying, I don't have a clue!

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by snorpus

Note that step 3 specifies *sterilized* jars.

You'd want, of course, the highest acidity vinegar you could find. Probably the biggest problem with cold pack is the lack of a vacuum seal. Which means the little nasties can get in, even after you tighten the lid.

We had a pretty big garden back in the early 80s (5000 sqft) and canned a lot of it. It's a whole lot of work; makes you really appreciate the women in the old days who absolutely had to do it, or there would be no vegetables till spring.

The garden I plan to have I'll be leaning on my freezer and food dehydrator to limit the canning demands. buddy in NC slaves over a stove half the summer due to overlapping harvests. she's offered me a job as her apprentice. lol

[David Kennedy]

Quite a coincidence, I'm thinking a large garden this year too..about 25 x 30....just green beans and tomatoes...maybe a row or 2 of corn...and some squash and cucumbers and a row or 2 of new potatoes...We haven't planted for about 10 years and the oddity of it all will be exciting...the little ones know that strawberries and lettuce come from the ground, but they need to know the heritage of their people and I feel a history lesson in this...tucked away in the freezer are the seeds of long ago...those antique fodder beans from the indian massacre of 1786...kept from generation to generation...how wonderful they are to eat or shell...taste like almonds and the hulls are over 12" in length...I wonder if mine is the last generation to plant them...We will plant them too, and let the little ones play hide and seek under their leafy covered poles.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Quite a coincidence, I'm thinking a large garden this year too..about 25 x 30....just green beans and tomatoes...maybe a row or 2 of corn...and some squash and cucumbers and a row or 2 of new potatoes...We haven't planted for about 10 years and the oddity of it all will be exciting...the little ones know that strawberries and lettuce come from the ground, but they need to know the heritage of their people and I feel a history lesson in this...tucked away in the freezer are the seeds of long ago...those antique fodder beans from the indian massacre of 1786...kept from generation to generation...how wonderful they are to eat or shell...taste like almonds and the hulls are over 12" in length...I wonder if mine is the last generation to plant them...We will plant them too, and let the little ones play hide and seek under their leafy covered poles.

Gardens are great for kids. Once my mom woke up late, panicked looking for my toddler sis. I led her outside into the pea patch. Sis loved getting her toes wet in the morning dew, and was grazing on the pea pods in her diaper. hehehehe
To this day she keeps a garden just for the freshness, but I think it works more like therapy for her.

[David Kennedy]

There's something about the smell of dirt......anybody can plant a few vegtables with the flowers and have that freshness....At one time this old farm fed ten people and the neighbors...butchered 4 hogs and 2 beefs and the wild game brought in...Grandad bought only salt and sometimes traded ground corn meal for that, all of the food stocks came from the dirt...almost all of the money was saved...

[Lone Star Rebel]

Oh, I can't wait to make the Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon again. Those were the days!