HOT DILL PICKLES

Say hello to the tiniest, hottest pickles you will ever meet!

These tiny hot pickles have become a tradition in my family.  While this is a labor intensive endeavor, they are a real treat, especially during the holidays and for special meals.  The key to success is picking the cucumbers in the "baby stage"--2 inches or less.  I like to make the pickles as soon as I bring them in from the garden.  No special ingredients are needed.  Here is the recipe and directions:

In addition to cucumbers you will need dill seed and red pepper flakes. Sometimes I add whole peppercorns, dill weed if I have it, and garlic. 

Sterilize the jars you plan to use.  To prepare the brine, combine 3 cups water, 2 3/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Place the spices in the bottom of the sterilized jars. For an 8 ounce jar, I use 1 T. pepper flakes, 1 t. dill seed, and 1 t. crushed garlic, and a few peppercorns.  The amount of spices you add is a matter of personal preference--these are SUPER hot---you can make them less spicy!

Place the cucumbers in the jar, cover with hot brine (leave 1/2 inch head space), cover with lids and rings and process in a hot water bath.  I process the smaller jars for 6 minutes and pints for 10 minutes.
Safety is critical in food preservation; please click here for additional information.

Crushed red peppers, dill seed, peppercorns and garlic

Enjoy these tiny delights!

SAVING GRANDMA'S APPLE TREE

It has been said quite famously that only God can make a tree.  While that is certainly true, my family, along with God and Century Farm Orchards,  are attempting to preserve a very old, very sick heirloom apple tree. This is our journey as we try to preserve not only a tree, but the legacy of the woman to whom it belonged. Please scroll to the end of the blog for updates on the progress.

My dad's family purchased this farm in 1906.  There was a log cabin at the site where this white farmhouse stands.  The house you see was "built around" the existing log cabin and served as the kitchen.  Even though this house has been unoccupied since my dad's death in 1969, it remains intact and is still owned by our family. While I do not know the exact date, I have always been told the apple tree  was planted by my Grandma shortly after the family acquired this land; consequently, it is a very old tree.

The damage is obvious and extensive

After researching ways to attempt to save this heirloom tree, one of my sons discovered Century Farm Orchards. This is a family-owned operation in North Carolina that strives to preserve heirloom varieties of apples. We found their customer service to be outstanding. They offer step by step directions, tutorials, and are available for questions via email or phone. Please check out their web site.

The process began by collecting "scion wood", the small "shoots" or limbs you see at the base of the tree.  For our location, this was done in January.  The scion wood  was mailed to Century Farm Orchards to be custom grafted to a "host".  

Choosing the healthiest pieces of scion wood for grafting

Cutting the scion wood for shipment

Our trees were shipped back to us in early November; we were surprised at how large they were.  Most of them were around 36" tall.

This photo shows the scions grafted to the host.

The grafted trees were taller than we expected.

The final step was to choose suitable sites, prepare the soil and plant.

The trees were planted on the original farm site

A mixture of bone meal and lime was added to the soil.

Last step!

And now the waiting begins. We know that it will be several years before the trees bear fruit. I am hopeful the coming spring brings evidence of life among these "heirloom babies". 

As I look at that old tree I often think of all the events it has "seen"; marriages, war, birth, death, joy and sadness. Interestingly, Joyce Kilmer wrote his poem, "Trees" in 1913, the year my father was born on this farm.  Perhaps his poem says it best.

Trees
Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast

A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Addendum Spring 2016   We have life--all of the grafted trees survived and have leaves!