This is my great great grandma's pumpkin pie recipe. It turns one pound of pumpkin puree (or one 14-15oz can of pumpkin) into two pies. Because it stretches the pumpkin out, the texture is a bit thinner. I usually whip the egg whites to get some more air into it, but you don't have to, and it will taste delicious anyway.

The Effort version involves whipped egg whites; the Non-Effort version is a dump, stir, pour & bake recipe. The photo has the Effort version I made today.

To stay true to the spirit of the recipe, you must follow one rule:

Do not make your own pie crust.

The copy I saw had get pie crust from Lucille written across the top. Nobody knows who Lucille is; my great aunt's best guess was that it was a neighbor. For the past few generations, nobody, even my grandmother, has made this recipe with their own pie crust. This recipe is yours to do with what you will, but please-- don't make your own pie crust!

Recipe and some notes:

This recipe comes from my late grandma's recipe cards. I don't have any of the physical cards-- those went to my aunts-- but I do have transcriptions of my favorites: this pickle recipe, and the pumpkin pie recipe.

It's a sweet recipe, but the "secret" spices take some of the edge off.

The recipe is sized for batches of 3 pint jars-- that's how much her stockpot held, and is also about right for a batch from a home garden.

Ingredients for 6 pints

• 3.5lbs total of cucumbers and onions, amounts of each to your preference, sliced thinly
• • I like a 2:1 ratio of cucumbers to onions by weight, my dad prefers (and Grammy preferred) 1:1, my mom prefers 1:2, and my sister liked no onions at all. (She's now allergic to ginger and can't have this recipe at all. )
• 2 TBS salt
• 2.5 cups white vinegar, 5% acidity (592g)
• 2.5 cups packed brown sugar (562g)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds, whole
• 1 tsp curry powder (McCormick is traditional, but use your favorite)
• .5 tsp ginger powder (the stronger the better-- make sure it's fresh)

Steps

1. Toss cucumbers, onions, and salt together in a large bowl. Cover and set in the fridge to draw out the water for 1-3 hours. Add a weight to them if they seem like they need it. Rinse & drain well.
2. Set up your canning station.
3. Dissolve the brown sugar & spices in the vinegar on the stovetop.
4. Stir in the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Follow your usual instructions for water bath canning or fridge pickles. Instructions for both can be found at Ball and general information, recipes, and guides on the process at NCHFP.

If I get handed a lot of yellow squash this year (unlikely, but possible) I'll end up making squash pickles & share that recipe too!