Aunt Dot's Salmon Patties & 14 Day Sweet Pickles

Family traditions come in all fashions- from celebrating traditions such as Decoration today to special dishes that are passed down as old family recipes.  I hope that you enjoy the following two dishes that were passed on to be by my Great Aunt and are definitely a taste of the Blue Ridge!

It doesn't matter where in the Blue Ridge you are, at some point you will probably be served a traditional meal of  Salmon Patties, Macaroni & Cheese & Peas.  The first time I made this meal for my husband, he laughed and said that his momma used to make the same meal when he was little/  Since today would of been her birthday, I would like to honor her memory as well as my Great Aunt who passed on this family recipe in today's entry.  These patties are so good that my grandfather used to have me come over to his house and make these for him when I was in high school.  I hope that you and your family enjoy them as much as our family does!

Salmon Patties

• 1 (16 oz) can pink salmon- drain, debone and remove skin
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup Ritz Crackers, crumbled
• 1/2 Tbl salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Butter Flavored Shortening (for frying)

Beat eggs.  Combine with crumbs and other ingredients and add to salmon, mixing well.  Shape into patties and place into skillet in which shortening has been melted over medium heat.  Brown well, turning once.

Growing up our Great Aunt Dot made the best 14 Day Sweet Pickles that were always a treat for us. Her pickles and her beautiful roses (and love of Days of Our Lives) are things that I will never forget about her! Aunt Dot kept my sister and I when we were little- and spoiled us rotten! These take a little while to make, but the old saying is true- good things come to those who wait! They are so good that I have seen teenagers devour a jar in minutes!  Enjoy!

14 DAY SWEET PICKLES

• 2 gallons sliced cucumbers
• 1 pint salt
• 1 gallon water
• 1 tbsp. alum (heaping)
• 2 1/2 pints vinegar (white)
• 10 c. sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons of Whole Cloves
• Sterilized jars

Into sterilized stone jar, put 2 gallons of cucumbers, washed and sliced into 1/4" pieces. Regardless of size, they must be sliced or they will shrivel. Dissolve salt in 1 gallon boiling water and pour, while hot, over pickles. Cover and weight down the pickles and let stand (have water cover plate) and cover with a cloth for 6 days.

On the seventh day, drain, then pour 1 gallon boiling water over pickles; let them stand 24 hours, repeat this step for days 8 and 9.

On the 10th day, drain. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water with 1 heaping tablespoon of powdered alum over the pickles; let stand 24 hours.

On the following day (11th day), drain again and pour pickling mixture (see below) over pickles. Let stand 24 hours, and on day 12, drain the mixture into a pot to reheat to boiling and pour over the pickles. Repeat this process of draining the mixture and reboiling it and re-pouring it over the pickles on day 13. On day 14, collect mixture and reboil while you pack the pickles in hot, sterile mason jars, leaving ~ 1/2" headspace in jars. Pour boiled mixture over pickles and seal. (With the hot liquid and hot jars, they should seal without having to be processed in a hot water bath.)

For the pickling mixture, combine 2 1/2 pints of vinegar, with 10 cups sugar, and create a cheesecloth pouch for your cinnamon sticks and whole cloves); bring this to a boil and pour this over the pickles.

Marinara Sauce Recipe

We have a bumper crop of roma tomatoes in our little garden this year!  Of everything that we've planted this has by far done the best.  We have been so blessed that we have had to support our cages with sticks and are on the verge of supporting the sticks with rocks the plants are so heavy with little green globes waiting to ripen in the warm summer sun!

I came across this recipe [via the VintageMixer] to try this year.  Hopefully our results are as good as the reviews on their page!

[I have always been taught to be careful with tomatoes and tomato sauces because of the risk of botulism with their pH not being acidic enough if you use hot water canning, however with the addition of the White Wine, this method should work, although you could process in a pressure canner if you would prefer.]

White Wine Marinara Tomato Sauce Recipe for Canning

Yield: 8 quarts or 16 pints

Ingredients

• 24 lbs roma tomatoes, 1 case
• 3 stalks of oregano, chopped
• 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups olive oil
• 3 large onions
• 9 cups white whine
• 6-8 stalks of basil, whole
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
• more salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut tomatoes in half, remove hard core and stem, and scoop the seeds out into a separate bowl, set aside. Lay tomato halves in roasting pans, cut side up.
3. Scatter the garlic slices and oregano on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with half (2 cups) of olive oil and Roast for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. When tomatoes are almost cooled, remove the skins from the roasted tomatoes (they should be easy to remove at this point). Placing skins in the bowl with the seeds and the roasted tomatoes in another large bowl.
5. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 cups of oil in a large stockpot and add onions and white wine. Simmer until reduced by half (15-25 minutes).
6. Mash the roasted tomatoes with your hands (this is the fun part!) then stir them into the simmering onion mixture.
7. Pour tomato seeds and peel into a sieve over the tomato sauce pot, pressing them so that their juice drips into the pot. Discard seeds and peels.
8. Bring to a boil then add whole basil stalks and 2 teaspoons of salt. Lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes or more to thicken.
9. Remove Basil. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour simmering sauce into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace in the jars. Process in a hot water bath for 40 minutes.