Apple Packing in BC How d’you like them apples? When you are doing food history research it is so easy to get distracted. I was looking for information on another topic when I happened to come across the above heading in the History of Metropolitan Vancouver website.[i] It was part of an excerpt from the […]
Archive | Local foods
Garden Eats and Treats – Intergenerational Gardening
Garden Eats and Treats Written by Linda Peterat and Jan Hillis This small coil bound recipe book is written for parents, teachers, and anyone who gardens with or would like to garden with children. The recipes in this book were developed for or used in two Intergenerational Landed Learning Projects – one at UBC Farm […]
Book review – Freshly Picked
Book review – Freshly Picked by Jane Reid In Freshly Picked, Jane Reid’s goal is to help us better understand the food crops grown in BC – where food grows, when it’s available fresh, and ways of preparing and enjoying it. The book is organized according to Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and each section […]
Women and Okanagan-Shuswap Dairies
Women and Okanagan-Shuswap Dairies Laura Rose, author and dairy instructor at Ontario Agricultural College in the early 1900s believed that the operation of dairies should be women’s work. Marjorie Cohen (1984) reviewed the decline of women’s participation in the dairy industry primarily in Eastern Canada and concluded that: “While women remained in dairying in the […]
Freshly Picked Book Review
Freshly Picked: A Locavore’s Love Affair with BC’s Bounty. Halfmoon Bay, BC: Caitlin Press I can always count on BC Ferries to introduce me to new BC titles. On a recent trip I picked up a delightful read by Whistler resident, Jane Reid. Some of you may be familiar with her work from articles in […]
Chokecherries
By M. Gale Smith on September 29, 2018 in First Nations, Food Preparation, Local foods, Plants native to BC
Chokecherries Years ago when I was teaching in Hazelton (Gitksan territory), I remember children coming to school in the fall with mouths all purple from eating the chokecherries that grew on the paths to school. I tried one then and realized why they got the name. They are known for their astringency. The Gitksan name […]
Elder Flowers
Elder Flowers have almost finished blooming in the Okanagan Valley but as you gain altitude up Silver Star Mountain the bushes are plentiful and many are yet to bloom. I learned this week about Elderberry Fizz from a friend who was out searching in the early morning for the perfect elderberry blossoms. She says early […]
Bee Cee Honey
If you grew up in BC you’ll probably recognize the Bee Cee Honey trademark[i]. It was owned by Hodgson Bee Supplied Ltd. located in New Westminister, BC. Established in the late 1940s/early 1950s, the Bee Cee Honey packing plant handled honey from the Peace River District and became a popular recognizable brand throughout the province […]
“Let’s Serve Canned Salmon”
“Let’s Serve Canned Salmon” was a recipe booklet promoting BC canned salmon developed by the Home Economics Section, Department of Fisheries, Ottawa. In addition to the booklet, there was a filmstrip that could be borrowed by home economics teachers and women’s organizations “free of charge.” The booklet reflects the time when the Canadian Government promoted […]
Distilleries in the Okanagan
I stopped in at Okanagan Spirits last week looking for my favourite Haskap liqueur and was delighted to find a range of new products. Okanagan Spirits is a craft distillery that opened in Vernon BC in 2004 (www.okanaganspirits.com). They now operate in both Kelowna and Vernon. The range of products available shows considerable creativity […]