Finding Cabbages in the Snow

My Grandpa Schmitt was an entrepreneur and that determination of spirit grew from a time where people set out to achieve self sufficiency.  He had a connection to that past even in his still time of old age.  Around his house, in corners, or in his shop, he kept several reminders of that simpler life he had lived as a boy.   Now some of those simple reminders are displayed out in the open in my home and are a constant reminder of the stories he told.  One of those stories I would like to share with you today…


              We had just finished with an elaborate meal of corn beef and cabbage as the conversation at Grandma’s fine table lead to the crock that was sitting in the corner of the dinning room.  I am a collector of antiques, especially from the early 1900’s, and loved his collection of crocks.  The one in particular was a Western Stoneware #6, in great condition, with a design of two maples leaves painted with a cobalt blue slip.


            Now my Grandfather was a quiet man, some say it was because Grandma was such a drama queen that he didn’t have the chance to say much, and so when he began to talk about the crock everyone at the table stopped to listen.  I had asked him if he ate corn beef as kid.  I know that to some that would seem like such a silly question but to me it was opening up a world that I wanted to belong to.  He told me that his mother would use a crock, just like the Western Stoneware #6, to store her corn beef in.  She would cook the meat of choice then layer it with homemade lard and grease in the crock.  When she needed some meat she would then go to the crock and take out the needed portion.  She would rinse off the meat and reheat it for the meal.  


            I have to be honest and tell you that I found that hard to believe.  How would it keep from spoiling?  He assured me that meat would keep for months that way, and that he had watch the women from his childhood do it repeatedly.  He was some what amused at my shock and decided to add to it by explaining the way his family would keep cabbages.  He described that in the fall, when the cabbages were ready for harvest, they would dig a deep hole in the field and layer it with dry straw and leaves.  They would place the cabbages in the hole head first and repeat the process, straw, cabbages, straw, cabbages, until the hole was full.  The finish product would almost be undetected except for the stick that would label its existence.  He went on to tell of the winter they had, where the snow was so deep that he had an awful time trying to retrieve some of the cabbages.  After locating the stick they had dug down to find the cabbages in great condition.  The family had a feast of corn beef and cabbage in the middle of January.  Wow, I got to tell you that blew me away and began my passion for the “old way determination”.  Check it out for yourselves.
 

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-125.pdf

My Grandpa Schmitt was an entrepreneur and that determination of spirit grew from a time where people set out to achieve self sufficiency.  He had a connection to that past even in his still time of old age.  Around his house, in corners, or in his shop, he kept several reminders of that simpler life he had lived as a boy.   Now some of those simple reminders are displayed out in the open in my home and are a constant reminder of the stories he told.  One of those stories I would like to share with you today…


              We had just finished with an elaborate meal of corn beef and cabbage as the conversation at Grandma’s fine table lead to the crock that was sitting in the corner of the dinning room.  I am a collector of antiques, especially from the early 1900’s, and loved his collection of crocks.  The one in particular was a Western Stoneware #6, in great condition, with a design of two maples leaves painted with a cobalt blue slip.


            Now my Grandfather was a quiet man, some say it was because Grandma was such a drama queen that he didn’t have the chance to say much, and so when he began to talk about the crock everyone at the table stopped to listen.  I had asked him if he ate corn beef as kid.  I know that to some that would seem like such a silly question but to me it was opening up a world that I wanted to belong to.  He told me that his mother would use a crock, just like the Western Stoneware #6, to store her corn beef in.  She would cook the meat of choice then layer it with homemade lard and grease in the crock.  When she needed some meat she would then go to the crock and take out the needed portion.  She would rinse off the meat and reheat it for the meal.  


            I have to be honest and tell you that I found that hard to believe.  How would it keep from spoiling?  He assured me that meat would keep for months that way, and that he had watch the women from his childhood do it repeatedly.  He was some what amused at my shock and decided to add to it by explaining the way his family would keep cabbages.  He described that in the fall, when the cabbages were ready for harvest, they would dig a deep hole in the field and layer it with dry straw and leaves.  They would place the cabbages in the hole head first and repeat the process, straw, cabbages, straw, cabbages, until the hole was full.  The finish product would almost be undetected except for the stick that would label its existence.  He went on to tell of the winter they had, where the snow was so deep that he had an awful time trying to retrieve some of the cabbages.  After locating the stick they had dug down to find the cabbages in great condition.  The family had a feast of corn beef and cabbage in the middle of January.  Wow, I got to tell you that blew me away and began my passion for the “old way determination”.  Check it out for yourselves.
 

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-125.pdf