Edible Blue Ridge Fall 2022

also featured highly in the stories I heard. Raising and preparing close-to-home foods requires many hands pitching in to accom plish the task. Picking and peeling apples, stirring the kettle, butchering the hog –– all these activities would be near-impossible with only one set of hands. So folks gather to make the work light, and of course to eat the food in good company. People rely on each other in a way that doesn’t happen in the easy-prep meal aisle. The following are a few of the recipes and traditions long time Highland County residents were kind enough to share with me: Use about 3 Tbsp. salt for every 5 lbs cab bage. Slice the cabbage thinly with a knife or use a cabbage cutter or mandolin (with care for your fingertips!). In a large bowl, mix the cabbage and salt, then “bruise” the cabbage by massaging it thoroughly with your hands. This begins the brining process as the juices from the cabbage emerge. Let the cabbage sit and produce its own brine for a spell, perhaps half an hour. Transfer it to a crock or large receptacle suitable for long term storage. With a wooden kraut stomper (any heavy, club-like tool will work), pound the cabbage thoroughly, until it is well submerged in its own brine. Use a plate and a heavy weight on top of it to push the cabbage down to ensure it will stay com pletely under the brine as it ferments. Store in root cellar or other cool place. Sample after two weeks and frequently afterward to determine the stage of fermentation that you like best. Once it is in this state, transfer to the refrigerator, or make sure it stays very cold. Don’t be afraid of grayish kahm yeast that may form on the top of the brine. Scrape the brine and the top inch or two off of the kraut and what is underneath will be delicious! Sauerkraut Recipe provided by Nancy White, Jim and Loraine White

Yellow Transparent Applesauce Recipe provided by Nancy White, Donna Hooke Yellow Transparents are an early variety of apple, usually harvested in late July and early August. Almost everyone I spoke with mentioned Yellow Transparent Applesauce as a unique food of Highland County. In the warm, lifelong home of Nancy White, I sampled my first-ever taste of Yellow Trans parent sauce, still warm from boiling. It has a texture smoother than any applesauce I have ever eaten and just the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Even unsweetened it is a heavenly treat –– in fact, many people I spoke to prefer it this way. Quarter and boil the apples, with the skins on, until soft. Run the boiled apples through a “Squeeze-O” or “Victoria Strainer.” Add sugar, if desired, to taste. Eat, store in the fridge for up to two weeks, freeze for up to six months, or preserve in jars according to a safe canning procedure (or follow the apple butter canning instructions below). Apple Butter Recipe provided by Fern and Glenn Heatwole “Once around the outside, twice across the middle / That’s how you stir the apple butter kettle” ––Glenn Heatwole The traditional preparation of apple butter is community-oriented, and a serious time investment. Help is needed to “snitz” the apples the night before (see below). At least two must trade off the arduous job of stirring the cookpot, and then a few more are needed to efficiently pour the final product into jars and seal them.

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