Crossing Lines

Reading the Tomato Jam recipe by Irene McFadden, my mom said "The McFadden's were a Black family that lived down the road. My Dad used to hunt squirrel and trade them with Mr. McFadden."

Photo by Eric Eberhard

Squirrel stew anyone?  And what did my grandfather trade for? Hooch, probably. Or maybe some of Mrs. McFadden's fabulous Tomato Jam.

What I wonder is how did racial lines work pre-WWII? Did they all hang out together, or was it strictly squirrel-bartering, recipe sharing business?

I don't know, but either they were friends or Mrs. McFadden was an amazing cook-- her name pops up more than once in Lucie's collection.

A Barrel o' Pickles

Ever wonder how they made those giant barrels of pickles back in the day? Here's a recipe just for you.

This would definitely be a day-long project for more than one person-- imagine harvesting and washing that many cucumbers. And the ingredients are a little vague, so this is one of those "go by feel" recipes. The last line especially made me laugh. Just roll with it.

Dill Pickles

by Sarah & Walter

Put washed cucumbers in layers in barrel with dill and grape leaves. Make 3 layers, putting 5 pounds salt on the bottom, center, and on top, 15 pound in all.

Mix 1.5 pounds mixed spices the same way. Add 2 gallons vinegar and fill barrel with cold water and put top on. Let work. Roll occasionally.

Tomato Jam

This is really more like a chutney, a sweet chunky relish that can accompany meat or be poured over  cream cheese and served with crackers as an appetizer. Unlike true jam it contains no pectin and although it’s thick, it's not meant to set up like jam.

This recipe grabbed my attention the first time I read through Lucie's recipes, but finding 3 hours to string together while it cooked was a challenge. When I spent a fall afternoon cooking my husband’s birthday dinner, it turned out to be the perfect time to try out the Tomato Jam. I could watch it while working on other things-- otherwise I’d put it on the stove, take a nap, and scorch the whole thing. And we had tomatoes left over from canning-- not enough for another batch of quart jars, but too many to eat fresh—so everything sort of fell into place.

The toughest part of this recipe was figuring out how to tie up the spices. I thought I had cheesecloth but couldn't find it (of course, I stumbled over it a week later). Your kitchen MacGyver tip of the day: Teabags. Tear them open, dump out the tea, and tie with a bit of string you find in your junk drawer.

Besides that, it was super simple to make. When the jam was finished cooking I didn’t have time to can it up right away due to the birthday feast. Glenn stole some from the pot for his chicken tandoori, with tabbouleh and baba ganouj on the side. He claimed this accidental addition to the meal pulled it all together, and since then it’s been a staple condiment in our kitchen.

Tomato Jam

by Irene McFadden, friend of Lucie's

Ingredients

5 lbs. ripe tomatoes

5 cups brown sugar

2 ½ cups cider vinegar

1 Tblsp. whole cloves

1 Tblsp. whole allspice

1 Tblsp. stick cinnamon

3 cups seedless raisins, chopped

Blanch, peel, and chop tomatoes into 1” chunks. Tie spices in cheesecloth. Place all ingredients except raisins into a large saucepan and boil slowly for 2 hours. Add raisins and boil 1 hour longer. Remove spices, pour into hot jars, and seal.*

*See the Canning Page for links to food preservation techniques.