Mother's Down-Home Country Lore

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Jim and Shawn Pannell of Chico, California have discovered a way to recycle half-gallon waxed-paper milk cartons into simple, stackable freezer containers. After rinsing each carton, the Pannells cut the spout section off (using a knife or pair of scissors) and then make a horizontal cut 1/2 inch down from the top and around three sides of the container. (Be sure not to cut the strip off, however.) The next cut is made vertically-beginning under the 1/2-inch band-from each of the four corners: Cut halfway down the remaining length of the box. Now all you do is fold down the flaps created by that last cut, and slip the strip over the bottom to hold the box closed. The result is a handy little freezer carton that won't cost you a cent!

Of course, once the freezer is filled to the brim, there's nothing left to do but make jams and jellies with the fruits and berries from your orchard or bramble patch. And those of you who have difficulty obtaining the paraffin needed to cover your precious preserves can try this idea from Charlotte Brown. After the jelly is poured into the glass containers and cooled, Charlotte beats some egg whites until they're frothy . . . then cuts out circles—one inch larger in diameter than the jars—from white tissue paper. The resident of Atwater, Ohio dips each circle carefully in the egg white mixture, places it over the top of the jar, and presses firmly (being careful not to tear the paper). She lets the sealers dry ... then stores the jars in the refrigerator or a cool, dry cupboard. (The jelly shouldn't be frozen, of course.) Mrs. Brown reports that she's used her unusual sealing method for eight years and hasn't yet experienced any spoilage or "bubbling out" (which does sometimes occur with wax).

For those of you who still prefer the paraffin method of covering jellies . . . here's a trick that may save you from a lot of the mess and bother that comes from working with hot wax. When Barbara Day makes jelly, she shaves slivers of hard paraffin into the bottom of her jars, then pours the hot jelly over that. The McLoud, Oklahoman says the waxy substance will melt, rise to the top, and seal the jelly! Barbara does warn, however, that—after the jelly has completely cooled—the paraffin will sometimes shrink and pull away from the jar, so she recommends that you pour another thin layer of the melted sub stance around the edges . . . to insure a secure closure.

After the work's done for the day, it's hard to beat a fine July evening for relaxing by the creek or pond and getting in some fishing. And Mike McCain knows how to make live bait a bit more appetizing to the lunkers you hope to snare for your supper table. McCain—who hails from Ocean Springs, Mississippi—suggests clipping off a little bit of the upper point of the minnow's tail fin. That way, the small fish will have to swim taster to maintain equilibrium . . . and its erratic movements will be more likely to attract a hungry predator for your family fishfry.

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