Written as part of Amy Johnson Crow’s “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge. This week’s topic: Preservation
I’ve been spending some time reflecting this last month about what autumn was like growing up in the small town Iowa. Starting in late August the smells, colors and even what feels like the texture of the air start to dramatically change. Nights start to darken earlier and if you go out you’ll need that jacket. School and more importantly, football have started up and every Friday night you spend your time on the stands cheering for the local High School. Or you’re under the bleachers with your boyfriend who is most definitely NOT on the football team.. but I digress.
Every year, my step mother and her sisters-in-law worked together on a very large garden that lived in our backyard (since we had the most space). That garden produced enough for 3 large families with lots to spare. It meant we generally didn’t buy vegetables in the winter, but instead ate the canned and frozen ones that came from the ground we lived on. While of course we ate from it all summer too, the primary crops of corn, carrots, potatoes, peas, green beans and other things were grown to keep for the winter when there was no “fresh” produce in the local super market.
Continue reading “Memories of home preservation”
Dancing with my Ancestors 