Custom Search

2005

TODAY's CASES:

Lazy Housewife Pickles

On 10 Aug 2005 at 21:24, Earp's Western Foods wrote:

> Greetings...
> 
> Stumbled across your Web site and the recipes devoted to Lazy
> Housewife Pickles.
> 
> As a young boy I always looked forward to going to Eastern Washington
> to visit grandma. There, she always had a batch of those pickles
> ready. She even told me of how the name came about. Fortunately,
> before my grandmother passed away, she gave me the recipe.
> 
> In all your recipes listed, there is one glaring omission. You call
> for vinegar. You should actually call out apple cider vinegar. I made
> a batch one time using pain or white vinegar. The results were
> disgusting.
> 
> If you need an up date to Lazy Housewife Pickles, respond to this
> e-mail and I'll dig it out for you.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Michael 
> 

Hello Michael,

Well, I found a half-dozen recipes on the Internet for "Lazy Housewife Pickles" and another half dozen on a CD recipe collection. Not one of them calls for anything except just "vinegar". I could not find even one recipe that called for "apple cider vinegar".

So, without documentation to verify that this recipe originated in Washington and that the original recipe called for apple cider vinegar, then I can't say whether you are correct or not.

If you want, please send your recipe and I'll put it on the site.

Phaed

---------------
Lazy Housewife Pickles

Nestled high up the Methow valley in Eastern Washington and along side 
of the Methow River, was my grandmother's ranch. A few miles just 
outside of the town of Carlton. There she had no running water. Drinking 
water came from a hand pump, lighting was provided by kerosene, heat and 
hot water came from the wood stove and the facilities were of course, 
out side. (Have attached a picture of wonderful place which was taken in 
late winter 1951)

As the story was told to me...

In those days, everyone grew their own and there was always a cucumber 
patch. The crock pot ready, was always in the cellar and along with all 
the other preserves. As the cucumbers began to grow, part of the daily 
ritual during the growing season was to fetch those which had grown to 
about the size of your thumb, wash them and toss into the brine. Hence 
the term Lazy Housewife. The process was not done all at once.

Grandma's recipe
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup salt
4 Tbs. Dry Mustard (Coleman's)
1 Gal. Cider Vinegar
Note: For best results, cucumbers MUST BE processed within 24 hours from 
harvesting.

Mix dry ingredients, add a little of the vinegar to make a smooth paste 
then add the rest of the vinegar. Wash cucumbers, drain dry, pack into 
sterile jars, cover with brine.
(in grandma's case, she added them to the crock pot) The ones in jars 
were for me to take back home.

Additionally:
In the pickle insert (40+ recipes) from the Washington Farmer's Magazine 
(founded in 1884) and which I have a copy of, one of the recipes is for 
Lazy Housewife Pickles. It follows:

Carefully  wash firm, fresh, medium size cucumbers in cold water. Pack 
gently in jars or crocks. Cover with a cold solution made as follows: 
Blend together 2 Cups granulated sugar, I Cup salt and 1 Cup dry 
mustard. Measure 1 gallon of MILD VINEGAR. Make a paste of the dry 
ingredients and a small amount of the vinegar, stirring until smooth. 
Add remaining vinegar, stir well and pour over cucumbers.

In final:
While it was not noted in the recipe handed down to me from grandma,  a 
few black pepper corns were always in the bottom of the jars taken home. 
Also, the mustard will settle to the bottom. I revisit my stash to shake 
things back up.

Regards,

Michael 
-------------------------------

Michael sent me a scan of the pickle insert page from the Washington Farmer's Magazine. While the magazine was founded in 1884, the pickle insert, as Michael says, is not that old. The typesetting of the insert bears that out. It certainly doesn't look older than 1900. Also, the article just says "mild vinegar", not "apple cider vinegar".

I really have only two reasons to question Mike. One is the fact that of the recipes that I can find on the Internet or in our recipe collections for "Lazy Housewife Pickles", which amounts to about a dozen recipes, all say just "vinegar", not "mild vinegar" and not "apple cider vinegar. The other reason is just that I always thought "Lazy Housewife Pickles" was an old recipe from the east coast, probably even handed down since Colonial days, before Washington State was explored and settled.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the origin of "Lazy Housewife Pickles?"

From: "Kathy" 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: Lazy Housewife Pickles
Date: Friday, August 23, 2013 5:45 PM

Just looking up this recipe on the web for the first time to compare to my
great-grandmother's recipe.  Hers is a little different in proportions, but
the same ingredients. She put hers in a crock and left it alone for two
weeks, at which time little holes were evident in the foil she covered the
crock with! Then they were ready to eat.

Her recipe calls for apple cider vinegar.  

My great grandmother lived in eastern Oregon and then moved to western
Oregon and died at the age of 88 in 1960.  This recipe has really been
around for a very long time!

~Kathy

Beet Wine

On 11 Aug 2005 at 18:04, June wrote:

> About 25 years ago, I made homemade beet wine.  Is
> this recipe still available?  I have moved from that
> life and did not take the recipe with me.  It had
> oranges, raisins etc in it. 
> June
> 

Hi June,

See below.

Phaed

Beet  Wine

 Ingredients :
 10 med. beets
 2 gallons water
 10 c. sugar
 1 cake compressed yeast
 1/2 lb. raisins
 1 slice lemon
 1 slice orange
 2 slices toasted bread

 Preparation :
    Wash and cut up beets; do not peel.  Boil in the water until
 tender.  Let cool. Add sugar, raisins, orange and lemon slices.
 Spread yeast on toast.  Place face down in wine.  Let stand 2 weeks
 or longer.  
--------------------
Red  Beet  Wine

 Ingredients :
 2 gal. water
 6 lb. sugar
 1 compressed yeast
 16 lg. beets (ends cut off & sliced but not peeled)
 1 lb. seedless raisins
 1/2 slice toast

 Preparation :
    Boil beets in water until tender, strain through a cloth.  Put
 sugar and raisins into jar and pour hot juice over it.  Toast bread
 and spread yeast on it.  Put this in 1 cup warm water and let it
 soak awhile.  Add this to the cooled juice in the jar.  Let stand
 for 10 days, stirring occasionally.  Strain twice, then bottle.
 Leave stand 2 weeks before corking tightly.

O'Charley's Butter Sauce

I finally got this from another source (reliable) so I know it's
authentic. I'm sending it so that you might add it to your list. Thanks
for checking it out for me.

Rusty

Horseradish Bleu Cheese Butter
Restaurant: Chef Paul Schramkowski / O'Charley's

Ingredients:
1/4 t White Pepper, ground fine
1/2 c Blue cheese crumbles
1/2 t Salt
2/3 c Salted Butter
2 c Margarine
1/4 t Onion Powder
1/4 t Garlic Powder
1/8 c Parsley Flakes, Dried
1/4 c Horseradish Prepared

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor add the butter and margarine mix until smooth. Add
your salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and horseradish. Mix
well. Add your blue cheese and parsley flakes either use the pulse on
the processor or fold in by hand gently not breaking down the blue
cheese too much. 

Pickled Corn Redux

On 10 Aug 2005 at 19:51, Ollie wrote:

> my husband is wanting to make some pickled corn like "mom" use to make
> He  knows she used vinegar and salt can you help  thank you   OLLIE
> 

Hello Ollie,

Well, pickled on the cob or cut off the cob? There are recipes for pickling it both ways.

There are recipes on my site at:

Pickled Corn

and

More Pickled Corn

Below are some more recipes.

Phaed

 PICKLED  CORN

 Ingredients :
 Corn
 Salt

 Preparation :
   Boil corn on cob until done.  Let cool completely.  Cut off cob.
 Pack corn in jars and add 1 teaspoon salt per quart on top.  Fill
 jar with water.  Seal it and set aside until pickles.  (One to two
 months.)  Chill before serving.
----------------------------------
 Pickled  Corn

   Use glass gallon jars.  Wash nubbin ears of corn.  Fill jars with
 corn.  Mix one cup pickling salt with one gallon water.  Pour over
 corn.  Do not heat.  Close jars, leave alone for about 3 weeks, then
 remove coating of brine and enjoy.
----------------------------------
Pickled  Corn

 Ingredients :
 Corn, as much as you desired (fresh)
 Canning salt

 Preparation :
    Boil corn on the cob and let cool.  Cut off cob and add 3
 tablespoons canning salt to each gallon of corn.  Place in covered
 jar or crock; stir every day.  On the third day, test taste.  Add 1
 tablespoons of salt to each gallon of corn. On the fifth day, put
 the corn in jars.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes to
 seal jars.
----------------------------------
Pickled Corn

 Ingredients :
 1 1/2 c. coarse salt
 1 c. vinegar, 5%
 2 qts. water

 Preparation :
    Bring to rolling boil.  Boil corn that is really full
 approximately 8 minutes.  Cool corn and cut off the cob whole
 kernel.  Pour liquid in the bottom of a churn first then pour cut
 off corn.  Let the liquid cover over the top.  Weight down, cover
 and let set for 12 to 15 days.  Place in jars and process 10 minutes
 at 5 pounds pressure. Put corn in pillow slip to pickle.

Kool Aid Jelly

On 10 Aug 2005 at 19:18, Jerry wrote:

> Dear Phaedrus,
> 
> Once, again, I deleted another recipe & I ask for your
> help to get another copy of it.  I need the recipe for
> "Kool Aid Jelly".
> 
> Thanks so much for finding it for me!
> 
> Jerry
> 

Hello Jerry,

See below.

Phaed

Kool - Aid  Jelly

 Ingredients :
 7 c. sugar
 2 c. apple juice
 2 c. water
 1 pkg. Kool-aid (any flavor)
 1 bottle Certo

 Preparation :
    Bring sugar, apple juice and water to boil.  Add Certo and boil 1
 minute.  Skim with metal spoon.  Pour into glasses.
----------------------------------
Kool-Aid  Jelly

    Have ready 3 cups of sugar.  In a saucepan put: 1 box Sure-Jell
 and 3 c. water   Bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Add
 sugar all at once stirring constantly and bring to a boil.  Remove
 immediately and pour in glasses.
----------------------------------
Kool - Aid  Jelly

 Ingredients :
 6 c. sugar
 3 c. water
 1/4 tsp. baking soda
 1 env. unsweetened Kool-Aid
 1 bottle liquid pectin

 Preparation :
    In large pot, bring to a full rolling boil, sugar, water, soda
 and Kool-Aid. Add liquid pectin and return to a full boil.  Boil for
 1 minute.  Remove from heat and skim.  Immediately pour into hot
 jars and seal.
----------------------------------
Kool - Aid  Jelly

 Ingredients :
 1 pkg. Kool-Aid
 1 pkg. Sure Jell
 3 c. water
 3 c. sugar

 Preparation :
    Combine first 3 ingredients.  Bring to boil and add sugar.
 Slowly bring to boil.  Remove from fire.  Skim and pour into jars.

""


Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Phaedrus