On Aug. 23 we had a terrible storm here in Rosetown, Sask., with lots of wind and large hail. Fortunately, we had spent the day picking apples so all that was lost were those in the top branches.
In the garden, the pumpkins were laid bare. The rest of the plants are just sticks with the leaves and flowers gone. I picked the last of the cucumbers, trimmed off the hail-damaged portions and made a batch of relish.
Grandma’s golden relish
This is a family recipe from Ontario that was included in Bernardin’s Guide to Home Preserving.
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12 cups chopped, peeled
and seeded cucumbers 3 L
4 cups chopped onion,
about 1.8 kg 1 L
2 cups chopped, seeded
sweet red pepper 500 mL
2 cups chopped, seeded
green pepper 500 mL
1/2 cup pickling salt 125 mL
6 cups granulated sugar 1.5 L
5 tablespoons ClearJel 75 mL
4 tablespoons dry
mustard 60 mL
1 tablespoon each: celery
seed, mustard seed and
ground turmeric 15 mL
4 cups white vinegar 1 L
Unlike other starches, ClearJel retains a smooth consistency during heat processing and is excellent for home canning when thickening is required. It can be purchased at Nutters stores and at some bulk food stores and health food stores.
In a large glass or stainless steel container, combine cucumbers, onions, red and green peppers with salt. Cover and let stand in cool place overnight.
Preserving day: Place mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180 F/82 C). Set screwbands aside; heat snap lids in hot water, not boiling water. Keep jars and lids hot until ready to use.
In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar, ClearJel, spices and vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Thoroughly drain vegetables, squeezing out excess moisture. Stir vegetables into hot liquid and return mixture to a boil that cannot be stirred down.
Ladle relish into a hot jar to within a half inch (one centimetre) of top rim. Using a nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim to remove stickiness. Centre lid on jar; apply screwband securely until resistance is met. Do not over tighten. Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining relish.
Cover canner and bring water to a boil. At altitudes up to 1,000 feet (305 metres), boil the filled jars – 500 mL jars 15 minutes, 250 mL jars 10 minutes. Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours. Do not retighten screwbands. After cooling, check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward. Wipe jars, label and store in a cool, dark place.
Yield: eight to nine 500 mL jars.
Selecting cutlery
Dear TEAM: I want to purchase some better quality cutlery. What is the difference between silver plate, sterling silver and stainless steel? How do I know I am purchasing good quality stainless steel flatware? I have a set of stainless steel but the knife blades have become pitted. What would have caused this? Can you put silver flatware in the dishwasher? – Several readers’ questions.
Dear readers: When selecting better quality cutlery, choose a pattern because you like it. When choosing your china, crystal and flatware, ensure they complement each other.
Silver plate may be pure silver but it is usually sterling silver plated over a base metal. It is less expensive and not as durable as sterling silver.
Sterling silver is 0.925 percent silver with a 0.075 additive, usually copper. Sterling made in the United States after the 1850s always has a sterling mark. It may be the word “sterling,” “.925” or the fraction “925/1000.”
English sterling silver is marked with a series of four or five small hallmarks. The standing lion with its right front paw raised is the most common. The other marks indicate the city of origin, the maker and the year of manufacture. Some marks will include the face of the monarch.
Sterling will last forever if you want to use it and take care of it. Most silver plate will last approximately 20 years depending on use and care.
Stainless steel is a common name for metal alloys that consist of 10.5 percent or more chromium and more than 50 percent iron. Although it is called stainless, a better term for it is highly stain resistant.
Stainless steel is great for everyday use. It stands up to hard wear. The best stainless cutlery is the 18/8, which is constructed of 18 percent chromium and eight percent nickel. Low quality cutlery is generally made out of ferritic stainless steel, which is plain chromium with no significant nickel content. The lack of nickel results in lower corrosion resistance.
Sterling silver and 18/8 stainless steel are both resistant to most foods or chemicals commonly used in the home. However, both of these alloys are soft and do not provide satisfactory edge-holding ability for a knife blade. Therefore, it is common to use a hardenable grade of stainless steel for cutlery blades. To get the best combination of hardness, toughness and corrosion resistance, a straight chromium grade of stainless is usually used. However, this grade of stainless is subject to pitting when in long contact with chloride-containing foods such as salt or salad dressing.
Prolonged soaking (overnight) in water should be avoided especially where several pieces may be in contact during the soaking period. The “rinse and hold” cycle on an automatic dishwasher is particularly hard on cutlery because the pieces are warm and wet for an extended period of time. It’s best to wash and dry good cutlery by hand.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
