Saturday, June 10, 2006

Wednesday, June 10, 1925

Wednesday, June 10, 1925
Cooler

Ned was better this AM but feverish toward evening. I managed to get a little mending done and seeded some cherries with him on my lap. Albert better, his gland still running. The boys have been picking cherries for me. Got about two gallon all together. Dale developed a sore on his foot which I doctored.

(Cherry picking time. They had at least one good cherry tree in their backyard. Grandma canned quite a bit it seems. Earlier she canned some pineapple she got from the "vegetable man" and the family enjoyed strawberries, which I also think were purchased, based on the time of year that they were eating them which was too early for strawberries to be ripe in central Indiana. Grandma doesn't mention harvesting any vegetables, so I am inclined to think that her gardening was more flowers and a few fruit trees, and not too many vegetables.)

My other grandmother would probably not have purchased nearly as much of their produce, since they lived on a farm. At this time of year, "country Grandma" would probably have been knee deep in peas and other early spring crops, working on preserving those for a growing family. I remember many stories about the large quantities of fruits and vegetables that they canned as each was harvested. It seems they never had a break in canning and preserving food as it became ready for harvesting.)

2 comments:

  1. Yes, your 'country grandma' had to can most all the food the big family ate. I think she wrote that they would can 2500 quarts of fruit, vegetables and meats every year. I cannot imagine all the work these women did for their families.

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  2. Canning seems to be a lost art. I would love to learn, but I'm paranoid of food poisoning!


    Carol, remember when we were little and Mom and Marjorie were cleaning out "city" Grandma's house and there were canned fruits and veggies in the basement that had to have been down there for 10, 15 years? Kinda scary!

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