Extreme Canning: The Pickle Lady Reigns

Extreme Canning: The Pickle Lady Reigns FARM HOME Food If home canning was a competition Henri Truh would be a rock star Last year the 91-year-old canned more than 900 quarts of dill pickles plus hundreds of quarts and pints of other pickled vegetables relishes and salsas In the fall she hand-peeled 10 bushels of apples and canned them for pies she’ll make this summer for the De Smet Farmers Market and for an annual community event She even renders the lard for her homemade pie crusts The Carthage S Dak woman learned to can when she was 10 using a wood stove under the supervision of her mother At 83 Truh turned her garage into a commercial kitchen that meets food safety certification requirements to can and sell her goods under the business name Tru-d-lites Among the many variations of dill pickles she makes stuffed dill pickles Her son drills holes lengthwise through pickles and she stuffs them with different kinds of hot peppers “They’re hot and my son and I don’t eat them ” Truh admits “but they sell like hotcakes They look pretty when you slice them up to serve them on a relish tray ” She measures pickles and ingredients so that the brine is consistent and the flavor is the same in every jar They sell for about $5/quart depending on current ingredient costs “They call me the Pickle Lady ” Truh laughs “People tell me I should call them ‘gourmet’ and charge more ” Canning season officially begins in the spring with pickled asparagus 300 lbs last year then radishes which turn white when pickled but make a beautiful red pickle juice Canning peaks during the cucumber harvest and continues into early winter Last year Truh concocted “Golden Glow ” a pumpkin sweet relish recipe She pickles eggs and garlic all winter and makes a variety of jellies to stock up for the next farmer’s market season Hunters also contract with her to can their pheasants and venison Truh considers her commercial kitchen as in investment in a hobby but canning is a real business and one she thinks others can make a living at if they are willing to put in long hours and be dedicated to making quality products Truh emphasizes the importance of putting up fresh produce Typically food she receives in the morning is in jars before the end of the day She offers some advice: • Contact the health department to find out regulations for facilities and the classes and licenses required in your state • If you put out an excellent product word of mouth advertising is all you will need • Use quality produce Truh gets some from her son’s garden but buys most from the local Pearl Creek Hutterite Colony • Recruit others to watch for bargains Friends and family buy canning jars at auction sales and lids when they go on sale Truh buys lids by the case She likes to have 50 gal of 5 percent acidity white vinegar on hand at the beginning of each season • Take time to plan an efficient kitchen “Build it twice as big as you think you’ll need ” Truh suggests noting that her space is actually too small She appreciates her 6-ft stainless steel worktable and the low countertop stove which makes it easier for her to handle jars and canning equipment Wall ovens are also at a good height for the pies cookies and other treats she bakes • Diversify Truh keeps things interesting by trying new things or revising recipes such as her stuffed pickles and pickled miniature eggplants Besides her pickled items she sells baked goods and embroiders tea towels popular with visitors to De Smet’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant gift shop This year Truh plans to add something new to her product line She and her oldest daughter are putting the finishing touches on a high-end cookbook of her recipes They will help others reproduce her famous recipes and hopefully inspire readers as well “I keep telling people that recipes are only guidelines ” Truh says Into her eighth decade of canning she’s not finished creating recipes and has no intention of quitting “My son always says ‘Mom is 91 but she doesn’t know it yet’ ” Truh laughs Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Henri Truh P O Box 153 Carthage S Dak 57323 ph 605 772-5491

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