Paula Jones
Pickling...I love it! It started off as a little hobby. At that time I tried to do six jars of bread and butter pickles, a little bit of plum jelly because plums were plentiful, and a little bit of pepper jelly because I had a request for it. It snowballed! I do pickled okra, squash pickle, watermelon rind pickle, bread and butter pickle, and all the jams, jellies, and preserves. I got a hold of my grandmother Lindsey's pear relish recipe. That’s a lot more trouble than the other things, but I like the smiles on people's faces when they want another jar. I pickle 12-15 different varieties of fruits and vegetables each year. My big year was 1,200 jars and last year I pickled at least 6 bushels of okra, if not more!
I do not take money, it takes away from the pleasure. It’s my way of giving back. If a total stranger walks by he can have it. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. If I know you, and I like you, and I know you like that kind of stuff then you are welcome to it.
This giving snowballed and it does come back! My husband had a fit that I was spending too much money doing this and that I was going to have to slow down. First Mamaw said “can I have a jar of that to give to so and so?” and then before long Mamaw was bringing jars and sugar and not fussing about the costs. After Ronald took jars down to the plant to share with his friends he not only stopped fussing, he started finding bargains and jars and hauling them in. He has seen what has come back. I don’t mean in money, I don’t mean in jars and sugar, I’m talking about in bonding. I do believe the secret to happiness in life is doing for other people. There’s a difference in being used. Some will, you have to watch, but most people don’t, they just share.
If we had community events I would love to come in bringing a caramel cake, two chocolate pies and maybe three or four dozen cookies to go with it because the part I would enjoy the most is doing them and bringing them. I could teach canning to the community! I would love to teach, canning is a lost art.
Paula Jones
Greensboro, Alabama
Outsidein. A Community Space for Hale County.
outsidein: a community space for hale county. build space with your voice.
copyrighted material. for usage rights contact forest chaffee www.empathystories.org
© chaffee 2004