There was always plenty of food to feed our large family. We had two large gardens, one with potatoes, sweet corn, kohlrabi, turnips, and cucumbers. The garden near the house had peas, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, and onions. The small orchard contained cherries, plums, apples, and mulberries. Throughout the year we were kept busy picking, cleaning, and preparing fruit for canning, all for winter use.
There was always the supply of eggs, fresh chickens, ducks, and geese. In addition, in the winter months we butchered a couple of pigs and a steer for our meat supply. These butchering days were always busy. From the gunshots killing the animals to the last packages of meat being wrapped and jars ready to can, we worked from early morning to night.
After the pigs were cut in half, the intestines were removed and the halves were hung, skinned, and ready to lay on the table for cutting. The excess fat was removed, cut in small pieces and put in the rendering kettle to cook down into lard. Roasts and chops were cut up, the upper parts of legs were ready to be cured for hams, and bacon was sliced. Any scraps were ground, seasoned and stuffed into casings for sausage. Lard was drained off, and cracklings were pressed, all ready for winter. For supper that night my mother always fried pork loin.
The beef was skinned, hung, and cut up for roasts and steaks; the scraps were ground up for hamburger. The heart, liver and tongue were portioned out and with the rest of the meat readied for the locker to quick freeze the meat in town where the meat was frozen for winter..
Throughout the year we butchered chickens as we needed them. My father chopped off the heads; we removed the feathers after scalding (dipping in boiling water). The birds’ intestines were removed and then the meat was cut up for baking or frying.
Our grocery lists were rather small because of all the vegetables, fruit, and meat. We bought flour, yeast, sugar, and salt regularly.
Baking bread was an every-other-day activity. My mother was an expert in doing this along with cakes and cookies.
