We were pensively searching for the right word, but it was eluding us. 

Dinner was over. I was sipping coffee. He was finishing some sweet tea. We discussed the garden’s bumper crop, his plans for gathering and my plans for preparing. 

We couldn’t think of the word the generation above us uses when they’re readying a “mess” of string beans. 

He looked at me and said, “Yeah, that’s it — they call it snapping beans.” 

From there, we launched into a discussion about the variety of verbs used to describe food preparation. 

We snap beans, a process that likely got its name from the sound made when the end of the bean is snapped off. 

We cap strawberries, taking those cute tops of foliage right off the berry’s head. 

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We husk corn, referring to the action of removing the outer layer, which we describe as “the husk.” Then we silk it, removing the thread-like silky fibers that grow in the ear of corn. These fibers are also called silk, probably because they feel like silk. 

We slice tomatoes to top our burgers, but we also chop or dice tomatoes to toss in our salads. 

We pick up potatoes. Never is the term gather used. Our ancestors seemed to like the alliteration of all those “p’s” — picking up potatoes behind the plow. Then we peel them, making the peeling as thin as possible to prevent waste.  

We pit a peach to remove what is called “the pit.” Visualizing this makes me think of peach juice running down my wrists and the lingering taste and texture of the sweet fruit. (The Leitersburg Peach Festival is Aug. 13 and 14, in case you were wondering. For information, go to leitersburgruritan.org/calendar.) 

We hull peas and lima beans, squeezing the pod until the side seam opens. The process might seem tedious, unless family and friends circle their chairs and share the work.  

On a side note, there used to be a massive pea hulling machine in Cearfoss, and I found it fascinating every time we’d visit with the peas we picked. The full pods went in the machine, which would remove the pods and send the peas cascading down a long ramp. It was a summertime experience that was fun to watch, especially when we had too many peas to hull by hand. 

We only need a “mess” of peas or beans for a meal. A “mess” equates to what it takes to feed the number of mouths that will be at the table, but more on that will have to wait for another day since “mess” is a thing and falls in the noun category. 

With the number of words we use to describe food preparation, no wonder it is challenging to find the right words for every action. 

Lisa Tedrick Prejean writes a weekly column for The Herald-Mail. Email her atlprejean@localiq.com.