Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Pauletta Reese shares this pickle recipe that her family has been using for at least 50 years.
"My dad managed a funeral home in a small southeast Missouri town. He was always invited to join the family for dinner prepared by the church and friends. Mrs. Dollar brought these pickles. She was happy to share the recipe and said the recipe came from relatives in Arkansas. It is an old recipe with measurements in familiar examples such as the alum was the size of a walnut so I've added the modern measurements.
"This is a forgiving recipe. I've gone over days and times to soak without any problems. Makes great relish!" Reese writes.
Editor's note: This recipe does not follow modern canning safety precautions. Food safety experts recommend processing pickles in a hot water bath.
Grandpa Henson's 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Canning salt
1 raw egg in shell
16 pounds small cucumbers, washed
1 (1.9-ounce) tin alum
2 gallons white or apple cider vinegar
10 pounds granulated sugar
1 (3.25-ounce) tin pickling spice, McCormick or Kroger brand recommended
In a 5-gallon glass or enameled container, combine 2 gallons water and 2 cups of canning salt. Stir to dissolve salt. Add egg (in shell) to salt water. If it floats, you have enough salt. If it does not float, continue adding salt, one cup at a time, until the egg floats. Remove egg. Add cucumbers and place a glass plate on top of cucumbers to hold them under the water. Push plate down so cucumbers are 6 inches or more under the water. ("To make sure cucumbers stay under water I place a jar of water on plate," Reese says.) Keep in cool place for 14 days. Mold may form on top; if it seems to be getting on cucumbers, skim it off.
After 14 days, remove jar and plate and pour pickles into clean sink. Carefully wash the cucumbers. Wash the 5-gallon container in hot, soapy water.
To the clean container, add 2 gallons fresh water, all of the alum and stir to dissolve.
Cut pickles into chunks and add to alum water. Soak 12 hours. Pour into clean sink and wash. Clean container, return pickles to container and add the vinegar. Let soak for 12 hours. Pour off vinegar. Do not rinse.
Add sugar 4 cups at a time, stirring well and waiting an hour or so between additions. Stir a few times a day until sugar dissolves. Tie or wrap spices in cheesecloth and push into pickles. Cover and let stand for 3 weeks before eating. The pickles stay crisp until gone.
Marilyn J. Paszkiet sent a note last week lamenting the loss of a recipe for ice cream made using Orange Crush soda and sweetened condensed milk.
These three are from our archives.
Orange Crush Ice Cream (With Pineapple)
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained, optional
1 (2-liter) bottle Orange Crush, chilled
Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk and pineapple, if using; mix well. Chill. Pour into the canister of an ice-cream freezer. Slowly add Orange Crush. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Makes about 1 gallon.
Orange Crush Ice Cream
2 liters Orange Crush soda, chilled
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk, chilled
Combine the soda and condensed milk and mix well. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
Variations: Can substitute Grape Crush or Strawberry Crush.
This one includes pineapple, but not evaporated milk.
Orange Crush Sherbet
2 liters Orange Crush
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 (81/2-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Blend soda into condensed milk. Stir in pineapple. Refrigerate until well chilled. Transfer to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Makes about 1 gallon.
Next week: Boston Cream Pie
REQUESTS
• Watermelon-Cucumber Soup like that served at Salut Bistro in Little Rock for Sallie Graves.
• Barbecue sauce like that at Casey's, Chicken 1620 like that served at 1620 and Chicken Prego like that served at Cafe Prego, all restaurants in Little Rock, for Karen Branton.
• Jalapeno syrup like that used in The Hive's (in Bentonville) The Belle Gone Bad Cocktail for an unidentified reader.
Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 07/02/2014