Perfectly and Properly Pickled
Just the other day I opened a jar of home-canned dill pickled cucumbers. Yum! I could taste them already, even as I went about breaking the seal. I remembered the tangy blend of the salty sourness, the crispy crunch as I bit in and the way my sinuses would clear as the tiny chunks slid down my throat! Moments later we sat down to enjoy our dinner. I helped myself to a pickle and ..... with utter horror realized this did NOT match up with my previous experiences with pickles! Now, I’ve been pickling for over forty years and never before come up with a similar product. What could have gone wrong?
I took another bite and tried to analyze. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I must have forgotten the salt. There was definitely enough dill, garlic and vinegar; even the faintly sweet edge added by the minuscule amount of sugar the recipe called for.
I remembered the day I made them, how I was just a tad rushed and had to cook up two separate batches of brine. The previously opened jars had produced pickles just as they should be, proper proportions of vinegar, salt, garlic and dill. Now I began to believe that one of the brine batches was definitely ‘sans sel’ ( and that, my friends, is the extent of my French ).
True horror began to set in as I remembered how I had proudly gifted many friends and family members with my efforts at home canning. If you are one of the lucky recipients, please know that this is simply a game of roulette; you may get a good jar, on the other hand....
So for all you unsuspecting loved ones, maybe you should refrain from trying the lovely looking Rhubarb Marmalade; it’s just possible I mistook the sugar for salt!
Seriously though, it made me think about what Jesus said about salt. He actually called His followers ‘the salt of the earth’ Mat. 5:13. And then I began to wonder if I’m one of those people who adds a little flavour to the lives of those I meet, or am I one who should be ‘thrown out and trampled underfoot’?
Adding a tiny sprinkle of salt enhances the taste of just about anything. Sprinkling a little kindness, compassion or well-doing can make life much more palatable for most people, not to mention the sense of joy and fulfillment it brings to the ‘sprinkler’.
What kind of person are you? Do you add a little flavour to the lives of those around you? Or have you lost your saltiness? I believe the reason Jesus likened us to salt was so that we can understand that when we touch people’s lives for good they will become thirsty for an experience with the One
we follow. Then we can have the joy of leading them to Jesus who has promised to give them a drink from the living water ( Himself ) and they will be forever satisfied!
As I walk this life path, I pray that I will always be reminded to spread a little ‘salt’ wherever I go till I arrive at the party.
I took another bite and tried to analyze. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I must have forgotten the salt. There was definitely enough dill, garlic and vinegar; even the faintly sweet edge added by the minuscule amount of sugar the recipe called for.
I remembered the day I made them, how I was just a tad rushed and had to cook up two separate batches of brine. The previously opened jars had produced pickles just as they should be, proper proportions of vinegar, salt, garlic and dill. Now I began to believe that one of the brine batches was definitely ‘sans sel’ ( and that, my friends, is the extent of my French ).
True horror began to set in as I remembered how I had proudly gifted many friends and family members with my efforts at home canning. If you are one of the lucky recipients, please know that this is simply a game of roulette; you may get a good jar, on the other hand....
So for all you unsuspecting loved ones, maybe you should refrain from trying the lovely looking Rhubarb Marmalade; it’s just possible I mistook the sugar for salt!
Seriously though, it made me think about what Jesus said about salt. He actually called His followers ‘the salt of the earth’ Mat. 5:13. And then I began to wonder if I’m one of those people who adds a little flavour to the lives of those I meet, or am I one who should be ‘thrown out and trampled underfoot’?
Adding a tiny sprinkle of salt enhances the taste of just about anything. Sprinkling a little kindness, compassion or well-doing can make life much more palatable for most people, not to mention the sense of joy and fulfillment it brings to the ‘sprinkler’.
What kind of person are you? Do you add a little flavour to the lives of those around you? Or have you lost your saltiness? I believe the reason Jesus likened us to salt was so that we can understand that when we touch people’s lives for good they will become thirsty for an experience with the One
we follow. Then we can have the joy of leading them to Jesus who has promised to give them a drink from the living water ( Himself ) and they will be forever satisfied!
As I walk this life path, I pray that I will always be reminded to spread a little ‘salt’ wherever I go till I arrive at the party.
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