Still on the berries!!    At home as a boy we had a low lying area where some elderberry bushes volunteered.  I used to try to pick a basket annually so my mom would make me a pie.  


Charlie V.

Growing up we had quite a few elderberries growing wild. Don't remember ever having elderberry pie. Dad usually made wine from them. Course, dad made wine from many different things, including dandelion, peach,apple, and raspberries and black berries. Only saw him drinking at Christmas time. Most of the wine was given away or served during Saturday night euchre card games.

Gene, one of my grandfathers used to talk about making elderberry wine back in Essex, U.K. I had a great Uncle here that I'm told made a very fine rhubarb wine. I'm tempted to try my hand at it one of these days. Theres no lack of possibilities.
Spent the morning blowing yesterday's snow out of the yard and driveway. Some of the deepest drifts I've ever seen in the yard. At one point it was higher than the 13x38 rear tires on the Cockshutt 40. Take a look and listen to the old 40 at work here.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SSPSIDOzd4[video=youtube;9SSPSIDOzd4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SSPSIDOzd4[/video]

I feel for you guys with the snow! My wife was asking me last night when I am going to get the Lawn mower out and mow the early grass and weeds.

Can you send some of that weather North, Merton.  Unless we have a very dry April, I am guessing my grass will be six or more inches high before the ground is dry enough to run a mower on.  Just about when the water ponding on my clay ground starts to disappear, we get some new snow.  I guess i can wait.

Charlie V.

Big change this week! You northern guys sent us some colder and wet weather. Last night we had low 30's and this week looks to be solid wet and cold week. Sorry Charlie V - I am low on good weather this week so I can't send you any now.

Merton;

Doesn't look like any let up for the next week at least. Temps below freezing at night and 30's and low 40's daytime highs. Even a chance of snow a couple of days.

This is ideal weather for maple syrup. Remember in high school I would leave early for school and stop at my buddy's farm and help gather sap till time to go to school, then again after school. Then on Saturdays we would collect all morning while his dad ran the evaporator pans. Guess you could say that was one sweet job.

Gene

{Guess you could say that was one sweet job.}

Probably it could be just a little sticky too if one didn't pay attention.  This brings to mind the little joke we used to have around here.  Bausch and Lomb being located in nearby Rochester, we would ask if anyone heard about the bad accident there.  No, No, NO,  Seems that a worker fell into a vat of class and made a spectacle of himself.  Ha Ha Ha.

Our weather has been in a rut for a few days.  Clear sky and a frigid North wind.  Highs near 30F, lows around 12F.  Very dry.  We will gradually move up in the next few days as wind direction changes.  It may all be related to the full moon we had a couple of weeks ago That was the nearest to earth for the last 18 or 20 years. Darn rock was so close that it broke a few branches from the tops of my taller trees.  (grin)  My camera refused to get a descent picture of it, but here is a shot my daughter took in Ohio.




Charlie V.

Charlie;

I remember one time it was a sticky mess. Jim and I were tending the fire while Herb was gone and we either got the fire too hot or didn't draw off fast enough. Ended up with a batch of maple taffy, not quite candy. We managed to get the system back to normal before too much was lost. That was sticky, but boy, it was good.

During the process it is normal to skim the foam off the top and put it in a bucket where it settled and we then gave it to the hogs. One year on final cleanup, we forgot to empty the bucket. Jim and I were there one Sunday afternoon several weeks later and discovered the bucket so emptied it in the hog trough, not realizing it had fermented during the weeks it had sat there. Herb came home from church and checked the barn and the animals. Something was wrong with the hogs. They were staggering around and walking into the side of the door trying to get in the barn. Some were sitting on their haunches and looked for all the world that they were laughing. Herb came to the house and asked, "Jimmy, what is wrong with the hogs". We went to the barn with him to see what the problem was. Jim watched them a while and said, "why they are drunk". Naturally Herb wanted to know why his hogs were drunk and we realized the fermented foam in the bucket had turned to alcohol. Sure had some happy hogs that day. Wonder if they had a hangover?

Gene

Probably should have butchered one, Gene.  If pickled pigs feet are good, imagine a whole pickled hog.

Chuckle, chuckle.

Oh well, I try.

Charlie V.

My dad was fond of pickled pigs feet. He would sometimes buy a jar at the grocery store and have it in the refrigerator. I would occasionally sneak in and have a knuckle or two. Don't think any of the other brothers had a taste for it or not.

Is pickling done with salt brine and vinegar? Seems mom would sometimes pickle some beets and other things. Saur kraut and dill pickles were made the same way and always had a crock or two in the back room. Some of the Norwegians in Minnesota talk of pickling pork. Never have tried it, but probably be good if you had a high tolerance for salt. Then there is ludefisk, but I won't go any farther about that.

Been a pretty active post finally to be on the third page.

Gene

Is pickling done with salt brine and vinegar? Seems mom would sometimes pickle some beets and other things. Saur kraut and dill pickles were made the same way and always had a crock or two in the back room.
Gene[/QUOTE]

I do not remember how Mom used to do them.  I do not ever remember seeing them in one of the pickling crocks.  I looked up a recipe and this is probably the method she used.

 Pickled pigs feet recipe in the canning category

 Recipe ingredients:

    * Pigs feet
    * 2 quarts vinegar
    * 1 small red pepper
    * 2 tablespoons grated horseradish
    * 1 teaspoon whole black pepper
    * 1 teaspoon whole allspice
    * 1 bay leaf

 Recipe method:

    * Scald, scrape and clean the pigs feet thoroughly.
    * Sprinkle lightly with salt and let stand for 4 to 8 hours.
    * Wash the feet well in clean water.
    * Place in hot water on stove and cook until tender, but not until
meat can be removed from bones.
    * Pack the feet into clean canning jars, filling to within 1/2
inch of the top of jar with boiling spiced vinegar.
    * Put on cap, screwing the band tight.
    * Process jars in water bath for 90 minutes.

Tags: pickled, pigs, feet, recipe, canning, recipes, cooking

Interesting they tell you to wash them in "clean" water.  I guess it is wise not to leave things to chance. As a kid, I ate the feet and thought they were pretty good.  Not sure I would be of the same opinion now.

Charlie V.

I"ve never tried the feet. I went higher up and cooked the brains just to see how I liked them. Not bad.

I have seen head cheese before, Ralph, but never had any desire to try it.  I think I will stay to the middle of the road with bacon, ham, pulled pork, chops, and various sausages.  Good eating.

Charlie V.