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| Canning My Mother's Famous Salsa |
McDonalds in my kitchen
I
have a shirt that has amazing powers. If I put it on in the morning,
my children will groan and moan and even break down into hysterics at
times when they see it. What is this shirt?? Well, that’s a long story
that started 25 years ago!
The
summer after I graduated from high school I attended a camp at BYU.
During that camp my group did a silly dance with props - McDonald's
hats, trays and styrofoam take-out containers. Our group leader managed
to get us some t-shirts to wear during the performance. They were
bright yellow with the words “Good Food, Good Folks, Good Fun” on the
front, and “In search of M” with the big McDonalds logo on the back.
Other uses
It’s
the kind of shirt you send to the thrift store when you’re cleaning out
your drawers, but for some reason I didn’t get rid of it. It was
certainly not something I would ever wear outside my home, so I decided
it would be the perfect canning shirt. When I’m canning, my shirt gets
filthy. I use it as my hand towel! It’s now so stained it all just
blends in. I’ve worn it proudly nearly every time I’ve canned for the
past at least 20 years. So when I put it on in the morning, the kids
know they are in for a super fun day of helping me can - thus the groans
and hysterics!
My
son made a funny comment a few weekends ago when I was sporting “the
shirt”. He said if someone only visited our house in September, they
would think I loved McDonalds! I wear the shirt every Saturday!
He’s right. And we all got a chuckle yesterday when we were watching
some old home videos. There I was, 16 years ago, canning peaches in the
shirt. Both the shirt and I looked much younger then, but we’ve both
stood the test of time!
Tradition, Tradition
This
got me thinking about family food traditions. Have you ever thought
about how food plays such an prominent role in most family events?
Family get together - what are we going to eat? Birthdays - cake?
Reunions - grandma’s potato salad. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day,
Memorial Day, Easter - they all have food that goes hand in hand with
our celebrations.
So
I have two questions for you - why do we have these traditions, and
second, what are your traditions and how have they molded you?
Interesting
questions. I found a good definition for tradition: “any activity you
purposefully repeat together as a family that includes something extra
that lifts it above the ordinary ruts. Traditions, when done right,
lend a certain magic, spirit, and texture to our everyday lives.”
Why Traditions Are So Important for Families
Traditions have played a role in families since the dawn of time. There are some reasons they persist:
They Provide a source of identity. Traditions
and rituals often tell the family’s story. Traditions teach us about
where we come from, and remind us of who we are. They even help create
our identity. Psychologist Marshal Duke has found that children who
have knowledge of their family’s history are typically more
self-confident than children who don’t. Understanding who you are brings
that confidence.
My
grandma started my canning tradition (I don’t know if she had a shirt
though…) and my mom continued it. That’s where I learned to can, and
where I learned to appreciate the fruits of these often long, hot
labors. A few weeks ago, my mom, now living far away in Kansas,
commented that my pictures of canning jars full of peaches made her
homesick. “There’s nothing quite so satisfying as filled canning jars,”
she said. I even use three canners - my grandma’s, my mom's and mine
(see photo). It’s kind of like they are there with me in the kitchen -
right where I remember them being. Hard work and providing for my
family - that part of my identity came from those two wonderful women.
They strengthen the family bond. Research
has found that families that frequently do things together have
stronger connections and unity. Especially in today’s day and age,
face-to-face interaction is seriously lacking.
I think the perfect example of this is the quintessential Sunday
family dinner. For years in both my husband's and my families, this
meant roast, potatoes and gravy, and jello salad of some sort. I don’t
always make this Sunday dinner for my family, but I did this week. It
just feels comfortable and safe...like family.
They teach values. One
of the main purposes of traditions is to reinforce values. Daily
family prayer teaches the importance of faith and gratitude. Nightly
bedtime stories reinforce the importance of education - and teach it is
okay to dream. Family dinners and family activities show that it’s okay
to be with family, and that family will be there for you.
I
can’t tell you how many times I’ve choked through tear jerkers like
Island of the Blue Dolphins and Where the Red Fern Grows with my kids.
It’s really hard to read when you’re crying!! And my boys in particular
always look up when my voice starts to get that almost crying tone to
it - they want to watch mom lose it! But I wouldn’t trade those quiet
days, snuggled in a bed next to them, for anything. We talk about hard
things and use examples of these characters that have become our friends
to learn life’s lessons together.
They connect generations. In his book The Secrets of Happy Families,
Bruce Feiler explains that grandparents serve as humanity’s “ace in the
hole.” Grandma and Grandpa being involved in their grandchildren’s
lives leads to lower mom stress and happier kids.
One
tradition we have with my husband’s parents is rolling tires. I
believe I’ve written about it before, but it’s worth writing about
again! It is the ultimate redneck activity. Grandpa brings a whole
bunch of old farm tires to the top of a large hill. There is some farm
junk at the bottom - rusted out refrigerators, old cable spools, etc.
The kids roll the tires down the hill and if they hit some junk, grandma
pays them a quarter. Grandpa goes to the bottom with his tractor and
picks up the tires, brings them to the top, and they do it all over
again. Now who wouldn’t want to go to grandma and grandpa’s house if
you get to roll tires?!
I
know traditions have certainly helped mold who I am today, and I hope
they continue to mold my kids as well. In honor of my canning shirt, I
want to share one my family traditions. This is my mom’s famous salsa
recipe that I cover my shirt with every year:
Sue’s Salsa
30 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 green peppers, chopped
8 onions, chopped
12 long chilies, chopped
6-12 jalepenos, chopped (please wear gloves!)
3/4 C white vinegar
1/3 heaping C non-iodized salt
2 t celery salt
2 t garlic salt
1 t mustard seed
1/2-3/4 C sugar
Mix
all together in a very large stock pot. Put in oven and cook uncovered
for 5 hours at 325. Stir every hour or so. Process for 20 minutes in
water bath/steam canner.
Have a great week!
Love,
Dr. Michelle Jorgensen
