Minnie Pearl Pickle Recipes, Elizabeth Simms on John Egerton and Writer Robert Gipe

by Amy Campbell


S11:E36, 08/31/2024

In this episode, we are setting the table with pickles.

I (Amy Campbell) share Minnie Pearl’s recipes for Curry Pickles and Mustard Pickles from her cookbook Minnie Pearl Cooks.

Fred Sauceman shares a pickle recipe from Distiller Jack Daniel’s great, great, gran niece, Lynne Tolley.

Who was John Egerton? Elizabeth Simms lets us know who this man was & Robert Gipe tells a humorous story of his days working in a pickle factory. Amy recorded Elizabeth & Robert at the Appalachian Food Summit in September of 2016.

Links:

Elizabeth Simms http://elizabethlsimsllc.com/

Robert Gipe: https://www.robertgipe.com/

Fred Sauceman https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman?fref=ts

Appalachian Food Summit: https://www.appalachianfood.com/

John C Egerton: [https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/john-egerton/][4]

Recipes:

Minnie Pearl’s Curry Pickle recipe:

Equipment you will need:

  • 4 pint jars
  • A pot that will hold at least 6 quarts of boiling liquid
  • Hot Water bath canner with the wire basket
  • Hand held Jar lifter, air bubble wand
  • Magnetic wand for lifting lids out of hot water
  • New, clean canning lids
  • A drying rack placed away from drafts
  • Several of clean kitchen towels

To Prepare:

  • Wash your jars in the dishwasher, or really well with hot, soapy water.
  • Boil your jars for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep these jars in the hot water on simmer until you need to use them.
  • Get a small saucepan out, fill with water to half full, bring the water to boil, and place your lids in the water. Keep them in this hot water until you need to use them. (I know, they say you don’t need to do this step, but I am stuck in old ways, so, do as you like on that step)

Groceries you will need:

  • 2 1/2 pounds 4-5 inch picking cucumbers
  • 1 c sugar
  • 2 T salt
  • 2 T mustard seed
  • 2 T curry powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • 1 2/3 c white vinegar
  • 1 c water

Directions:

  • Wash cucumbers thoroughly. Be sure to cut off both ends where bacteria can remain. Cut into chunks.
  • Combine sugar and remaining ingredients (except cucumbers)
  • Heat to boiling. Add cucumbers. Heat just to boiling point.
  • Simmer while quickly packing 1 hot, sterilized jar at a time.
  • Fill to within 1/8 inch from the top making sure vinegar solution covers cucumbers.
  • Seal and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 4 pints.
  • *And a note from me here: Always consult the Ball Blue Book for correct times and safe canning instructions.

Minnie Pearl’s Mustard Pickle Recipe:

Ingredient List:

  • 2 quarts medium-sized cucumbers
  • 1 quart green tomatoes
  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 2 sweet red peppers
  • 1 quart pickling onions
  • 1 cup salt
  • 3 quarts water
  • 6 T. dry mustard
  • 1 T. tnumeric
  • 1 c. all purpose flour
  • 3/4 c. water
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 2 quarts vinegar
  • 2 T. celery seed
  • 1 T/ peppercorns

Directions:

  • Wash and drain vegetables. Cut cucumbers into 1/2-inch cubes, tomatoes into wedges, and cauliflower into small flowerets. Remove seed from peppers. Cut into small pieces. Peel onions. Cut in half
  • Dissolve salt in 3 quarts water
  • Pour over vegetables. Let stand 12 hours
  • Rinse. Drain and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour
  • Combine dry mustard. turmeric, and flour
  • Gradually add the 3/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and peppercorns
  • Cook over medium heat until sauce coats a spoon
  • Add vegetables
  • Simmer 15 minutes
  • Pack, boiling hot, into sterilized jars. leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Makes 12 pints.
  • *Refer to the Ball Blue Book for directions on safe food preservation methods.

Overnight Pickle Recipe shared by Fred Sauceman:

Overnight Pickles adapted from the cookbook Jack Daniels the Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook, written by Pat Mitchamore and Lynne Tolley.

  • Peel slice 6 med cucumbers
  • 2 sm onions sliced
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 c apple cider vinegar/or white vinegar
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 1 tsp dill seed
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 T tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
  • Bring to boil, boil for 1 min
  • Pour over cucumbers and onions
  • Pour mixture in a no-reactive bowl, cover and marinate overnight These will be ready to eat the next day.

This is a good cookbook Minnie Pearl Cooks written by the queen of country comedy Minnie Pearl. Copies can be found fairly easily for a reasonable price in paperback. Published in 1970.

Robert Gipe (left), Elizabeth Simms and Chef Travis Milton photographed at the Appalachian Food Summit, Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, Berea, Kentucky in 2016. Photo: Amy Campbell.


Celebrating the Pig and Bluegrass Music

by Amy Campbell


S11:E34 -8/17/2024

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We celebrate the “Pig” and Bluegrass Music with guests who share pork recipes. And a visit with singer and songwriter Evie Andrus and the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association Evie formed and their concert series. Our guests are: Aliceson and Barry Bales, Bales Farms, Mosheim, TN with a recipe for smoked pork shoulder and BBQ sauce; Fred Sauceman with a pork roast recipe; and Evie Andrus discussing the the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association that she formed. they have a concert series at Ijam’s Nature Center called “Pick’in on Nature with the concert taking place August 29th, October 10th, and December 14th.

ETBA: https://etnba.org/

Bales Farms: https://balesfarmstn.com/

Ijam’s Nature Center: https://www.ijams.org/pickin-on-nature

Fred Sauceman: https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman

Three Rivers Co-Op: https://www.threeriversmarket.coop/

Emi Sunshine (Sang our theme song when she was 9 years old!): https://theemisunshine.com/


CORN, CORN RELISH, AND CORN COB JELLY RECIPES WITH RACHEL ABBOTT DAVIS OF J AND R FARMS

by Amy Campbell


S11:E33 - 8/10/2024

Corn, Corn Relish, and Corn Cob Jelly recipes with Rachel Abbott Davis of J and R Farms, plus a beautiful audio essay on corn from author and gardener Kelly Smith Trimble.

Links:

Kelly Smith Trimble: https://www.kellysmithtrimble.com/ 

J & R Farms: https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/ Rachel’s Canning Corse: https://rachel-davis-s-school.teachable.com/p/canning-course Rachel’s instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/jandrfarms_mama/ USDA complete guide to home canning: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/usdas-complete-guide-home-canning

Recipe: This recipe came from a notebook of Rachel’s Great Grandmother Minnie Grindstaff’s canning recipes. Rachel and John had a truckload of corn they needed to do something with, so she decided to try this corn relish recipe out and loved it. They use it on everything as a side, and it is perfect on pinto beans with cornbread. The recipe calls for cabbage, but Rachel leaves that out.

Ingredient list:

  • 12 ears fresh corn
  • 1 large cabbage head, shredded
  • 6 small garden onions, or 1 or 2 large onions
  • 6 bell peppers
  • 2 red sweet peppers
  • 2 - 4 Jalapeno peppers
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 quart vinegar
  • 1 T Salt
  • 1 T Ground mustard

Instructions:

Cook corn and vinegar together for 20 minutes, add the rest and cook for 30 minutes. Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Clean jar lids with clean, damp cloth, apply lids and bands and finger tighten bands.

Process jars according to approved waterbacth canning instructions, or better yet, Rachel also has posted the complete recipe on her blog. https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/

Rachel also hosts an online canning corse that she calls a can along with details on her instagram page at: https://www.instagram.com/jandrfarms_mama/

Photo: Rachel Abbott Davis of Maryville Tennessee is a young mother of 5, a homesteader, Instagram influencer, offers a course on home canning, she and her husband John own and operate J & R Farm. Rachel is pictured holding one of her jars of corn relish. Rachel shares her Great Grandmother’s recipe for this corn relish on this episode. Find Rachel’s blog from this link: https://www.jandrfarmstn.com/ Photo: Amy Campbell 2022.


Carolina Malt House, Cleveland North Carolina

by Amy Campbell


S11:E32. 8/3/2024

Aaron Goss, Founder of the Carolina Malt House located in Cleveland North Carolina. Aaron works with local farmers within 10 miles of the Malt House who grow grains that the Carolina Malt House then makes into different styles of malted grains for breweries. Aaron also works with a Tennessee Farmer in Coffee County Tennessee who grows a specific barley for the Carolina Malt House named Tennessee 2 Row. Several award-winning Tennessee breweries use malts from the Carolina Malt House such as Blackberry Farm Brewery,Tennessee Brew Works, Common John, Yee Haw, and more.

Carolina Malt House: https://carolinamalt.com/

Emi Sunshine (she sang our theme song at 9 years of age!) https://theemisunshine.com/

Aaron Goss, Founder of the Carolina Malt House. Photo: Carolina Malt House.