Well, it's that time of the year again — time for Grammie to get up off her rocker, leave the porch and return to the kitchen. After such a great summer spent outdoors I start to look forward to long evenings spent knitting by the fire and cooler days great for baking cookies and pies or roasting beef, pork and chickens. This is one of my favourite times of the year when all my love and hard work in the garden pays off with a glorious harvest.

Dear Grammie, I am wanting the recipe for Chow Chow made in the Maritimes. Can anyone forward this to me? Thanks, Marie Tozer

Marie, I just finished making 25 bottles of Chow Chow. All I do is cut up the amount of tomatoes I want, and about half as many onions.

I pour about a half-cup of salt over the tomatoes and let them set overnight. In the morning I wash the salt off by running water over the tomatoes, and then squeeze the water out, taking a handful of tomatoes at a time.

I put them in a large pot with the onions, and add vinegar until it nearly (but not quite) reaches the top of vegetables. Using gauze cloth, I put about a half-cup of pickling spices in the centre of the gauze then tie it up.

This goes into the pot of tomatoes and onions. I bring it to a boil and then let it simmer until the tomatoes and onions turn light brown. Then I add about 4 to 5 cups of white sugar and let it simmer a little longer.

You can put a little chow in a bowl to taste and see if it is sweet enough. Add some more sugar if it isn't.

If this isn't quite what you had in mind or not specific enough, here are a couple of alternative Chow Chow recipes.

2 1/2 lb onions
7 1/2 lbs green tomatoes
1/2 cup pickling salt
4 T pickling spice
1 qt white vinegar
6 cups brown sugar
water

Cut onions and tomatoes into slices and soak in water with the pickling salt overnight. Drain in the morning. In a pot, combine the vinegar and brown sugar. Put pickling spices in a gauze or cheesecloth bag and place in pot. Add onions and tomatoes and boil on medium heat until soft. Bottle while hot.

1 medium head of Cabbage chopped
3 cups chopped Cauliflower
2 cups chopped Onions
2 cups chopped green tomatoes
2 cups Green bell peppers
1 cup Red bell pepper
3 tablespoons Salt
2 1/2 cups Vinegar
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons dry Mustard
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Celery seed
1 teaspoon Mustard seed
Hot peppers to taste

Combine chopped vegetables and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 4 to 6 hours in a cool place. Drain well. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a non-metal pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer 10 minutes. Bring mixture to a boil. Pack boiling hot into sterilized jars leaving 1/8 inch for headspace. Adjust caps and allow to cool and seal, add screw down lids.

Enjoy the Chow Chow, but it's time to get the pickling done for the year ahead too, so here are some recipes for pickles.

6 large cucumbers (fewer seeds the better)
3 large sweet red peppers, seeded and diced
3 large green peppers, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons pickling salt or coarse salt
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 large onion, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped fine
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups granulated sugar
5 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup cold water

Wash and finely chop cucumbers. Seed and dice sweet red and green peppers. Place chopped cucumbers and peppers in a large bowl. Sprinkle over with pickling salt, cover and let sit overnight.

The next morning drain off the liquid and discard. Finely chop cauliflower, onion and celery and mix in with the cucumbers and peppers. Transfer vegetables to a large cooking pot. Add vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until vegetables are just tender, do not overcook. In a small bowl, mix mustard and turmeric in a half cup of cold water.

When vegetables are nearly done, mix in mustard mixture and stir until well blended and bring mixture back to just boil. Sterilize and prepare canning jars of your choice. Fill jars to within 1/4 inch of the top of the jars. Apply lids and screw tops and process according to the method you are most familiar with. When jars are sealed and cooled, label and store in a cool, dark place.

7 1/2 cups yellow beans (about 1 lb)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 1/2 cups white vinegar, divided

Wash, tail and cut beans. Cook in a large saucepan in boiling salted water until beans are just tender, about 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, dry mustard, turmeric, salt and whole peppercorns. Add 1/4 cup vinegar and make a paste.

Heat 1-1/4 cup vinegar in the large saucepan to boiling point. Add paste to vinegar, and on medium heat, stir mixture until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add drained beans to mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and ladle into warm sterilised jars. Seal with lids and water process for 10 to 15 minutes. Makes two 500-ml jars.

And while you're in the kitchen bottling, the season wouldn't be complete without putting up some preserves and jellies.

Pumpkin
Sugar
2-3 oranges
1-2 lemons
A dozen cloves, whole

Cut the pumpkin meat into cubes. Measure out one cup of sugar for every two cups of pumpkin and layer in a roast pan along with small slices of lemons and oranges. Leave overnight.

Over medium heat, add cloves and allow to cook, stirring frequently until pumpkin is transparent (a couple of hours). Fill the mason jars, seal and refrigerate until used.

1 pkg. pectin
1 lb. choke cherries
1 cup water
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Wash, stem and boil the fruit in the cup of water or to cover. Cook about 15 minutes or until soft. Crush and squeeze juice through clean cheesecloth. Measure 3 cups of juice. Place 3 cups of choke cherry juice, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 package pectin, in large kettle and bring to a boil over medium heat, stir constantly - don't let scorch. Add 4 1/2 cups of sugar stirring well, bring to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down). Boil hard exactly 3 minutes. Skim foam off the top, and pour into sterilised glasses of jars.

Pour melted paraffin wax 1/8 inch thick over the hot jelly. When cool, pour another 1/8 inch over the top. Prick the air bubbles. Store in a cool place. To make choke cherry syrup follow the above directions but use only 1/2 package pectin.

5 lbs. crab apples
5 cups water
1 3/4 oz. pkg. powdered pectin
9 cups sugar

Wash apples; remove stems and bad spots. Add water and cook apples until soft. Strain through a jelly bag to make 7 cups of juice. Combine juice and pectin in a large kettle and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar completely and while stirring, return to a full boil. Keep stirring while you boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim foam from surface. Pour into hot sterilized jars. Wipe drips from inside and out of jars. Seal with hot lids and screw bands. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

What recipes are you interested in? If you'd like to request a recipe or share one of your own please send me an email care of editor@breadnmolasses.com I love getting your letters and answering your questions.

Until next time, remember, I made it especially for you!

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." -- Mark Twain

Grammie is waiting for you in her kitchen, rocking in her favourite chair by the stove, knitting needles clicking away the seconds. Drop by and join her for a spot of tea, a warm molasses cookie and some wise advice. Every month she answers all your letters as only she can. So, if you have a kitchen-type question or comment for Grammie, send an email to editor@breadnmolasses.com and put Grammie in the subject line.