I have not written in a few days. Life, busy, not to mention the beautiful weather!!!
I started staying with my Grandma and Grandpa Delk at the tender age of 6 months I believe. The story goes that Daddy worked third shift in the mill and Momma worked first ,so Daddy was to keep me during the day. Grandma and Grandpa came by to check on things and found me wet and crying and Daddy asleep. So Daddy was informed that I would be staying with Grandma from then on!
This is how I spent my childhood on the dairy farm. Grandma was the best cook in all the world! She taught me some of her secrets and I can guess some of the others. But Pear preserves were a speciality of hers. Old family recipe (my Great Grandma Delk’s I think) There is an old timey pear tree in the yard and it has hard, juicy, big , tasty pears. (Long as the frost does not kill the blooms in the spring) I have watched her make the Pear Preserves all my life. But I never helped except to peel a bit maybe. I knew she cooked them all day long till they thickened up. That was it.
Last year in the fall when she was 90 years old, she made me several jars and I still have one. They are my favorite preserves. Grandma was ailing a bit but she still made me those jars of Pear Preserves. I wanted to learn how to do it, but was too lazy ,and she did make them for me …I was smart enough to get the recipe from her. 2 cups of pears, 2 cups of sugar , 2 cups of water, dash of salt. (plus two secret ingredients) then cook them till thick.
Les and I went and picked up pears. Took them home and I started peeling pears. I peeled and peeled and peeled. I got tired, I peeled some more. Then I put them in the pot and started cooking. SEVEN HOURS latter I had Grandma’s Pear Preserves.
My second batch the following day during peeling it hit me. I realized just how much my Grandma loved me and how she must have felt while fixing the Pear Preserves for me. All that time she had to imagine how I was going to enjoy the preserves. Isn’t it amazing how people show us they love us and we have not a clue. !!!
I guess mine turned out pretty good. My brother Kenneth said they were hard to tell apart from Grandma’s. And he ate the whole jar (small) in one sitting! A friend allowed I could sell them.
Hey maybe I will donate a few jars to the NESR Auction in the spring!!!
