Preserving Traditions: Keeping the Past Alive Through Pickling

As autumn’s chill envelops the air, it marks a season of both nostalgia and harvest for many home gardeners. Take, for instance, Anita Smith, who can be found in her sprawling garden in Timberland, Saskatchewan, gathering the last of her cucumbers before the frost can ruin her hard work. With each tender touch upon the wilting leaves, she recalls the beginnings of her journey into the world of pickling, a journey steeped in family heritage and love.

“I guess I began really when I started washing jars for my mom when I was a little girl,” she muses, her nimble fingers deftly maneuvering around the prickly skin of the garden-grown cucumbers. What was once a chore has transformed into a cherished ritual, inspiring a newfound appreciation for the craft. “I would tell her, ‘Ugh, I’m never gonna do this when I’m older.’ Now I wash more jars than my mom ever made me do — by choice!”

Every fall season, Smith meticulously preserves hundreds of pounds of produce, utilizing techniques passed down through generations. Her immense garden is a celebration of the earth, filled with an array of fruits and vegetables — a sanctuary for flavors waiting to be immortalized in jars.

Old-Fashioned Canning: A Labor of Love

Smith passionately shares her methods, stating, “I do green beans, carrots, and corn the old-fashioned way, with glass lids and rubber rings in a water bath on top of the stove.” This traditional approach, though increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced world, remains dear to her heart. Smith’s dedication is evident not only in her methods but in the bounty of canning recipes she has acquired over the years. From jams and jellies to relishes and even preserving fish, her skills are matched only by her love for her grandmother’s cherished dill pickle recipe.

“My mom didn’t have a pickle recipe, so my dad took her to go see his mom and get her recipe,” she recounts, a twinkle in her eye as she reflects on the delightful family lore intertwined with their culinary history. The cultural bridge formed through her dad’s translation of her grandmother’s French recipe into English is a testament to the family bonds built around the kitchen table. “Good on Dad for getting it right!”

The dynamics within their family during pickle-making sessions were filled with playful rivalries, particularly surrounding the coveted “baby pickles.”

“It was always a fight to who got the baby pickles. When my sisters and brothers started canning, we made jars specifically with only baby pickles in them,” Smith fondly recalls, showcasing how tradition has adapted with time while keeping the essence alive. Although her own children may not engage in the same scrappy battles over pickles, they’ve nurtured an appreciation for these culinary crafts through their own experiences with canning.

The Importance of Passing Down Heritage

Smith’s reflections extend beyond mere recipes; she emphasizes the significance of family traditions. “I read this one thing that said it only takes two generations to lose family traditions. Once you skip a generation, it’s very easy for the next generation to skip it too. Then before you know it, it’s lost,” she explains, her expression tinged with concern. The urgency to retain and pass on these traditions resonates deeply in her narrative. Although she acknowledges the labor-intensive nature of canning, she firmly believes the time and effort invested each fall are well worth the outcome.

“For me, the only part of this family tradition that should disappear is the last baby pickle,” she admits with a smile, illuminated by the thought of preserving not just recipes but family legacies.

Anita Smith in her element, preserving flavors and memories alike.

As more individuals turn to convenient meals and processed foods, Smith’s resilience in maintaining the canning tradition serves as both an inspiration and a reminder of the values embedded within these culinary rituals. It reinforces the idea that food is far more than sustenance; it is a vessel for memory, culture, and love.

Canning, for Smith, is about so much more than the act of preserving vegetables and fruits; it encapsulates the warmth of her family, the legacy of her ancestors, and a commitment to nurturing those bonds. The jars filled with pickled goodness line her shelves but also embody the framework of relationships and histories that are alive with every bite.

Embracing the Future of Home Canning

As we delve deeper into the world of pickling, let us take a moment to acknowledge the relevance of tradition in our fast-moving lives. Canning ancient recipes encourages the continuation of culinary heritages, pulling family members together in communal acts of love and labor. It provides not only sustenance but also a sense of belonging, reminding us of where we come from while inviting future generations into the captivating world of preservation.

Will this art of canning and pickling continue to thrive in a landscape that leans ever more towards convenience? The answer lies in the likes of Anita Smith, who, with her jars and recipes, stands as a guardian of the past, ensuring every bite taken from those jars carries with it the essence of home and hearth.

In her hands, tradition lives on, one jar at a time, forever capturing the seasons of her garden and the richness of a family’s culinary heritage. Let that be a lesson to us all: to pick up a jar, wash it, and then fill it with love, stories, and perhaps the best part of all — a baby pickle or two.

Jars of memories — a collection of preserved family traditions.