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Shuknechts Harvester at work!

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Country Onion Pie

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One of my favorite recipes of all time is from a long time friend, Daniel Thompson. He gave me this recipe when I lived in Medina. Because I am very sentimental about Daniel I have taken a photo of it in his handwriting to share as well.

Country Onion Pie by Sarah Thompson mother of Daniel Thompson 1995

3 lbs onions sliced

3 tablespoon butter

1 pint cream (use half & Half)

3 Eggs beaten

Pastry for pie

Peel and slice the onion. Fry in butter until golden. Lightly beat together creme and egss and add to onion. Pour over pie crust and cover with top crust. Cut slices in the top of crust and bake for 1 hour at 350.

Options are to add 1/4 lb. bacon or some garlic.

ENJOY!

Country Onion Pie
Country Onion Pie

Undercutting the onions

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Onions roots grow just below the surface on the dirt and and before they are harvested they need to be undercut. That is the process of lifting the onions out of the dirt and laying them back down. This process is usually done when the onion tops have started to dry down and the growing process has stopped. The process happens at a very slow pace and can only be done with the perfect weather conditions so that the onions are not damaged.

Onions tops laying over

Onions tops laying over

Undercutting the onions

Undercutting the onions

After being lifted

After being lifted

 

What is Muck dirt?

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Muck is a soil made up of humus from drained swampland. In the fall of 1936, Barre Wood and Vincent DeZetter purchased the 600 acres from individual owners and started to clear the swamp at the end of Bean Station Road. After the swamp was partial cleared and drained, what remained was a rich, black soil called muck.

The Prattsburgh muck does not have wind breaks but other areas in the state use windbreaks. Because the dirt is very light and can be blown around easily the windbreaks are grown. Fences and small cover crops can also used as windbreaks.

Muck Blowing from the wind

Muck Blowing from the wind

As you can tell from the photo the muck can be blown around easily and it is a main concern of J&G Squires.  You can find Muck land all across New York State including Elba, Batavia, Orange County and  Oswego.

So, if you are ever driving around and see that rich black soil it is called Muck.