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Donna Adkins of Decatur said she’s just keeping alive the traditions her mother handed down to her.

"My mother taught us to can, cook, sew, clean…the whole nine yards," Donna said.

And those sewing skills Donna and her sister, Linda Ellis, learned from a young age have grown into their own embroidery and screen printing business – Two Sisters Designs.

"Linda and I were really into quilting at the time and we had heard of a lady who had a quilting machine for sale. We went to look at her quilting machine and we bought her whole business," said Donna.

Donna and her late husband Roy moved to Decatur eight years ago to be near Linda and her family.

"He wanted to play more golf with my brother-in-law and I was pretty much game for it," Donna remembered.

While she cooks less since her husband passed, Donna is still a fervent canner and can’t wait for tomato season to arrive.

"Once the season is here, I’ll pick tomatoes on the weekend and we have to do something with them pretty quick after they’re picked, so we’ll put them up. Then we’ll skip the next weekend. And I’ll go back pretty much every other week until the tomatoes are gone or we get tired of canning. Last year the tomatoes ran out first," she stated.

Donna eats most of her canned goods herself, but shares with her two sons and their families who live in Atlanta.

"But I eat the rest of it. I especially like the hot salsa and tomatoes. I can take the jar of canned tomatoes and a shaker of salt, sit down at the table and eat them at room temperature straight out of the jar," she said.

And not just any tomatoes will do for Donna.

"There is a local place we call tomato heaven, and you can’t find anything better than a north Alabama tomato. There’s something about them that tastes so different from a tomato grown anywhere else," Donna explained.

In addition to canning, Donna looks forward to extended visits from her grandsons during the summer.

"We cook, play video games, watch movies, play putt-putt golf and go to my sister’s swimming pool. It’s wonderful to have them around," she said.

Donna enjoys golf and crafts along with watching movies and college football.

Though tomatoes may be Donna’s favorite canning treat, her preservation recipes don’t stop there.

"People think you need a lot of special equipment for canning, but it’s not hard. And it’s so nice to have things just the way you like them," she remarked.

Her Pear Relish is one such recipe that allows canners to customize the heat level by adding hot peppers to taste. And the watermelon rind makes a wonderful sweet pickle. And for those intimidated by the thought of filling all those jars, she includes her cool Cornbread Salad and a sweet and gooey ending with Orange Slice Cake.

Kellie Henderson is a freelance writer from Troy.

Pear Relish

1 peck pears, peeled and cored
6 medium sweet peppers, 3 red and 3 green
5 medium onions, peeled
Hot pepper to taste, if desired
2 Tablespoons mixed whole spices
2 pounds white sugar
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
1 Tablespoon salt
4 cups vinegar

Grind pears in food processor with peppers and onions.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook until thickened. Transfer hot mixture to hot, sterilized jars and seal.

Canned Okra

1 gallon water
1 gallon okra, cut
1/2 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Boil for 8 minutes. Seal in clean jars. Same method can be used for zucchini, squash and sliced green tomatoes.

Note: To use okra: Drain and rinse. Allow to dry before dredging in meal to fry.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

4 quarts watermelon rind, white portion only,
cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup canning salt
2 gallons water, divided
3 sticks cinnamon
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
1 Tablespoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 cup lemon (about 1 medium), thinly sliced
2 cups vinegar

Cover watermelon rind with salt and one gallon of water, stirring to dissolve salt. Let stand 12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

Place rind and remaining gallon of water in a large pot. Cook until tender; drain and set aside.

Tie spices in a spice bag or a piece of cheesecloth secured with twine. Combine spice bag, sugar, lemon slices and vinegar in large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add rind and simmer until transparent. Remove spice bag.

Pack hot rind and liquid into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Orange Slice Cake

2 cups pecans
1 (18 oz) package dates
1 pound orange slice candies
1 can shredded coconut
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 300^o.

Chop pecans, dates and orange slices. Toss with coconut. Pour butter over all and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add flour and soda, stir; stir in buttermilk. Gradually stir in nut mixture. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Salsa

12 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups jalapenos, seeded and
chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups vinegar
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender – 30 minutes to an hour. Ladle hot salsa into hot pint jars leaving ¼-inch headspace. Immediately seal with lid and ring. Jars will seal as they cool.

Green Tomato Dill Pickles

5 pounds small green tomatoes
Garlic cloves, to taste
1/2 Tablespoon dill
1/4 cup salt
1/3 to 1/4 Tablespoon whole cloves
1 quart vinegar

Quarter tomatoes and place in pint jars.

In a saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a rolling boil. Pour hot mixture over tomatoes in jars and seal.

Cornbread Salad

2 packages Mexican cornbread mix, prepared according
to package directions
1 (28 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups green onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix

Crumble cooked cornbread. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and dressing mix.

In a serving bowl layer crumbled cornbread, followed by the next five ingredients. Top with dressing mix and sprinkle on cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve.