By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Fermenting of foods a lost art in modern world
Placeholder Image

This week we had a special guest in our home from Vermont. Sarah Reynolds, who works for a radio station, had made a request a few weeks ago to get a flight from Vermont into Tennessee to interview your writer about sour kraut making for her Southern Foods research. Her particular interest was fermented foods. You know the old saying "it’s a small world" would be an understatement of how she heard of our family making sour kraut and sour dough, (a friend of a friend of a friend etc.) Sarah brought the cabbage and cans, so off we went on making the kraut. She recorded every part of the process and was persuaded to leave with one jar to slip into her checked luggage. We had about five different recipes for canning sour kraut, but the process we demonstrated came from the late Jim Cripps’ recipe, which we believe came through her sister- in- law, Georgie Cripps. We enjoyed sharing the information and helping this young lady out with her research and taping.

In the afternoon Sarah went to the home of Lisa Cripps to continue her fermentation interview, this time on the topic of sourdough bread. She taped the feeding of the starter process, baking, and tasting the final product. She was interested in how the starter was handed down many years ago from a church friend, Bonnie Rigsby. Sarah was shocked that Lisa had continued on for all these years feeding and making the bread. She noticed Lisa’s family pictures on the wall of her twin sons and twin grandsons. Again "small world", Sarah is a young mother of twins, a boy and girl, so they had a long conversation on raising twins.(bird walked) It was a pleasure to meet and work with this young lady. She has already been in contact with us since she left by text with some additional questions. We have truly made a friend though opening our homes to this adventure. Sarah believes the way we preserve foods is considered a lost art in some areas of the world, but through her team’s efforts someone will get interested in continuing the natural preserving process through fermentation. It was a joy to share our story with her audience. The show will be on December 15th @ SouthernFoodwaysAlliance.org. She will email Lisa a copy of the final story.

We had a nice visit from our dear friend Marlene Prichard of Alexandria and her friend, Wanda Ray.

Our friend and neighbor Nora Harvey is back from her trip to London. She sent Louise Frazier a nice card during her travels. Welcome home Nora!

Happy Birthday wishes to Levi Reynolds (5). He celebrated at a Bounce U last Saturday afternoon in Murfreesboro with his family and friends. He is the son of David and Monica Reynolds, sister, Molly of Dry Creek.

Sunday dinner was held this week at the home of Jordan and Nicole Cripps, Dry Creek. The kids enjoyed playing on Christian and Claire’s new swing/gym set. It is always good to be around family.

Sympathy goes out to the family of Mr. Charles Owens. He was a dear friend of our son-in-law, Jerald Cripps. We pray God’s blessing on his dear wife Beatrice and all the family.

We will end this with a "Thank You" to the Veterans for serving our country and protecting our freedom. May God Bless America!