The family is — originally from almost exactly on the North Carolina / Virginia line, gradually migrated south over the years to end up in Georgia and Florida and elsewhere.
My Dad’s parents were from South Georgia.
Well, now, that is interesting, because my grandmother’s family is from northeastern North Carolina - Nash County - and her husband’s family originated in Warren County, the northern border of which is the Virginia state line. I’d wonder if pickled watermelon rinds and fig preserves were an eastern North Carolina thing, except that you said those recipes were from your Georgian father. Still, it does seem like pickled watermelon rinds might be a southern thing, which would be why they’re unfamilar to other posters in this thread.
Cultural geography is a fascinating subject.
I had always heard that was why gelatin dishes became so popular. Gelatin/aspic used to be an expensive, labor-intensive luxury. The invention of powdered gelatin, and the widespread availability of refrigerators, made it cheap and easy.
I have Vivian Howard’s cookbook Deep Run Roots, which focuses on traditional Southern foods (and it is organized that way; there’s a chapter for each food). There is a recipe for pickled watermelon rinds in there. She’s from Eastern North Carolina.
When I was a kid in Chicago area, you could buy pickled watermelon rind at the grocery store over by the pickled crabapples other sweet pickle stuff. I loved it back then (in small amounts). The trouble is, it’s so sickly sweet. I’ve made it several times, and always end up tossing the last couple of jars’ worth.
I’ve never made it with candied/maraschino cherries, though. Just followed the Joy of Cooking and the red plaid Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook and Ball canning guide recipe. The BH&G recipe calls for 1/2 sliced lemon, which is nice. It does say “5 maraschino cherries, halved (optional)”.
She BAKES icebox cookies?
(Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Speaking as someone who ate plenty of airplane meals during the 1960s and late 1950s even, airline meals with china were something I never experienced. I assume it was a rarity outside the first-class compartment.
It was 1968. We had coach tickets, but the plane (United) was overbooked. Somehow we got bumped up to first class.
id show you the mermaid with sea green salad project they had on mid century but due to idiots all the taste testing is behind a pay wall
https://www.midcenturymenu.com/blog-format-change-and-temporary-changes-to-social-media/
I don’t think I saw pineapple upside-down cake mentioned so far. It was one of those things that I heard about all the time when I was growing up in the '70s, and my mom made it a few times, but I don’t think I’ve seen one, or heard of someone making one, in decades.
Ooh, I used to love pineapple upside-down cake - it’s been a long time! I’ll bet there’s a good updated version to be had letting it caramelize similar to a tarte tatin.
In the 60’s or was it the 70’s, my mother served a store bought angel food cake with hot chocolate pudding poured over each serving…Pineapple upside down cake was a regular dessert, baked in a cast iron skillet and served with whipped cream.
Red White and Green Jello salad. The recipe was something like…
Mix up some lime jello (hot water to dissolve, then add cold), pour liquid into 9 x 13 cake pan. Let set. (There’s the Green in the title).
Take brick of cream cheese, mix in crushed pineapple, maybe some lemon juice and/or sugar? When lime jello has set, spread this mixture over it (There’s the White in the title).
Mix up some cherry jello (hot water to dissolve, then add cold), pour over the cream cheese and pineapple mixture in the 9 x 13 cake pan. Let set. (There’s the Red in the title).
Pretty tasty. I bet it started as a Christmas recipe but we’d eat it any time.
I’ve made upside down pineapple cake in the last 5 years, not exactly sure when.
I’ve also made angel food cake, from scratch, which is one of my favorite cakes. My mom’s side of the family would always have it with caramel icing, but my mom doesn’t like caramel, so she never made it. I have the recipe, but haven’t tried it.
I believe instant butterscotch pudding is easy to come by. Anybody ever made it from scratch?
Sugar cream pie and vinegar pie are ones my grandmother made, but I’ve never made them. I don’t think I’ve even had vinegar pie.
The foam, the sauce, and the jelly jam.
I have. With actual butter and scotch, even. It’s a bit of work if compared to making a simple vanilla or chocolate pudding from scratch, but well worth it, IMHO.
My brother’s favorite dessert is German Chocolate cake, and I’ve started making these German chocolate cake bars for his birthday every year. So much easier than making the cake and icing from scratch, and he says it’s a good substitute.
I’ve lived in Nash County all my life, with family in Franklin and Halifax counties. I grew up on watermelon rind pickles and fig preserves, and my dad actually gave me a jar of each the last time I was at their house. There’s even a local grocery store (Smith’s Red and White) that sells their own version of each for those who don’t can their own.
Nice!
School lunches in the 1960’s.