By Melissa Taylor
Summertime is a child’s paradise filled with outdoors playing, picnics, and, for the Taylor family, Grandma NoNo’s famous pickles.
All of Mary Etta Taylor’s grandchildren could not wait to harvest their vegetables from the garden. Each child was given a special section to grow cucumbers or a crop of choice. After what seemed like years of waiting, the children harvested their produce and anxiously waited for the weekend of “Cinny” pickles and mass canning.
Grandma NoNo (Mary Etta Taylor) is a hardworking farmer’s wife who to this day tends her bountiful garden. She was given her nickname due to her simple correction of “no no no” when something wasn’t done right or orneriness was about. The tradition of pickling has been in the Taylor family for years. The family favorite is her red, cinnamon flavored pickles.
A weekend in late June or early July is always designated for this event. It consists of all the Taylor women and children. Early Saturday morning, the grandchildren begin collecting all of the ripe vegetables in the garden, while all the others sort through previously collected produce and begin setting up for the canning process. NoNo constantly monitors to make sure all is “good and well.” Once the initial set up is complete, the kitchen becomes a snake-like assembly line of cleaning, chopping, and stewing.
As each child steps through the door with his or her basket, NoNo asks, “What do you have here?” Each grandchild awaits her question and tells how his or her basket of vegetables is better than the other. She admires and sorts each item into a canning piles, too ripe pile, or garbage. “You never know what those darlings will pick up” was always said after looking at some of array of pebbles, weeds, and over-ripe vegetables.
During the prepping process the children play outside, while the women chopped vegetables and listen to NoNo’s memories. Stories of the 1930s living, her engagement to Grandpa, funny disasters on the farm and many others are shared. Once the prep work is complete, the canning begins. While waiting for the “best part” of this process, the adding of the cinnamon candies, family picture albums and videos are shown in the living rom. Each family brings an album and updates of the year. Naturally, a few cans of “Cinny” pickles from the previous years are always devoured. NoNo claims she always saves the “best batches” for this weekend.
After laughter and sometimes tears during the reminiscing, the pickles are ready. Everyone helps by carrying the cans to the basement for storage. Children converse about what they are going to grow next year and compare “their” can of pickles to the other. It’s always a competition in the Taylor household.
The “Cinny “pickles are well-known throughout Chanute and a must at family dinners and church events. This year’s canning weekend will be on June 15 at NoNo’s farm and home.
NoNo’s “Cinny” Pickles
By Mary Etta Taylor
1 pound large cucumbers
1 cup pickling time
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon powdered alum
1 cup distilled white vinegar
7 cups white sugar
2 cups water
1 cup cinnamon red hot candies
4 cinnamon sticks
Peel cucumbers, halve lengthwise, and scrape out seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumber into ¼ inch half circles, and place into a glass crock. Dissolve the pickling line in about 1 quart of water at room temperature, pour over cucumbers, and add additional water until the cucumbers are covered by ½ inch. Let stand at room temperature for 5 hours.
Drain the cucumbers and rinse well with cold water. Place into a large stockpot, and cover with cold water. Allow to stand for 3 hours, then drain and rinse again.
Return the cucumbers to the pot; add the food coloring, alum, 1 cup vinegar, and enough water to cover by ½ inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 2 hours. Drain and cool slightly. Then place pickles in the glass or ceramic jar.
Stir together 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups waters, cinnamon red hot candies, and cinnamon sticks in a sauce pan over medium heat until it is sauce-like. Pour mixture over warm cucumbers, cover, and let stand overnight.
Pack pickles into pint jars, and process in a hot water bath for 15-20 minutes. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal.
Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes Total: 1 Day 5 hours
Yield: 80 Pieces
