Putting Things By

Autumn is the time of year that folks "put things by," a phrase which is old-fashioned, but much needed these days! As a child, I have vivid memories of helping my Grandma and Grandaddy wash and scald Mason jars so that they could be filled with stewed tomatoes and set aside for use throughout the following year. Of all the things he cans, my Grandaddy is probably most famous for his chow-chow. If you are not familiar with this Southern delicacy, chow-chow is a pickled relish that you put on other things to eat, primarily pinto beans! It is a combination of chopped cabbage, green tomatoes, cauliflower, onions and green & red peppers, cooked with pickling spices and vinegar and then canned. A steaming bowl of fresh-cooked pinto beans with chow-chow on top and a big hunk of buttermilk corn bread were a common and much-anticipated meal around my house growing up.

My Grandaddy is now 91, and a week ago I sat him down at his kitchen table and told him that I simply must have his chow-chow recipe! To me, the idea of this tradition being lost one day was unthinkable! Of course, like many folks who are working from age-old traditional recipes, Grandaddy doesn't work from a written recipe, just years of experience and eye-balling amounts and ingredients. But after a while, I managed to write out the gist of this family secret, and rushed home to begin preparations for attempting my first batch! Sunday night, I chopped and chopped vegetables and soaked them in salty water overnight. On Monday morning, I began the cooking process and canned my very first chow-chow! David and I tried some on the four-bean soup I had made the day prior, and while I can't say that it's as good as Grandaddy's, it was very good for my first attempt, and I think Grandaddy will be pleased! Most of all, I was excited that a tradition was being preserved (no pun intended). It was also a reminder of how quickly our heritage can be lost. One generation is all it takes for us to forget about our past. How urgently important it is, not just to preserve our family's story, but to instruct our children in the ways of the Lord, lest the next generation forget.

Putting Things By:

Today, the smell of vinegar-soaked vegetables waifed through the house hitting anyone who entered with the unmistakable smell of Autumn. I carefully followed Grandaddy's instructions, constantly testing, tasting and worrying whether or not I was doing it correctly. After all, this was not just chow-chow, it was a family tradition! This was my childhood memories being packed into pint-sized glass albums! Completed, I stood back and admired the colorful product -- green, gold and red. Each pop of the lid upon opening a new jar releases a flood of images and feelings. As the tangy-sweet smell escapes I recall suppers of pinto beans and corn bread around my childhood table; standing tip-toed in my Grandma's kitchen struggling to reach the jars I was helping to wash, my tiny hands perfect for the job, she said, because they could reach all the way inside; the smell of stewed tomatoes; the sweet taste of purple grapes picked from the vine; the feel of October beans in my hands as my brother and I shelled and admired their pink stripes and speckles; the warmth of the wood stove in their den, and the feeling of perfect contentment . These were Autumn activities which repeated themselves every year at my Grandparent's house. Grandaddy's mother taught him the importance of "putting things by," and his basement shelves are proof that he heeded her words of wisdom, row after row of canned tomatoes, pears, jellies, and of course, chow-chow lined up like colorful, glass soldiers awaiting their orders! The days of really needing to can vegetables, make jams, store apples, onions and potatoes, and chop firewood for winter are gone, but I tell my kids, as they watch me pour the hot relish into another jar, stories of my childhood, of their Grandparents and Great Grandparents, traditions we have kept, and most importantly, faith that must be passed down. Indeed, the importance of "putting things by!"