COLLECTIBLES

It's the time of the year when seeing a family heirloom sparks a memory.

The house is filled with a spirit of generations and family traditions full of times spent together and memories of grandma's great taste tempting lefse, donuts, mouth watering divinity, or some of those thin, crisp, delicate Scandinavian cookies we call krumkake.

Have you ever wondered how long it took, and what grandma uses to create those luscious goodies? Have you ever asked what is that thing with the long handle and the small round holes?

Stacy's Grandma could not have made the lefse without it. Stacy believes the proper name is a "ricer.". After cooking the potatoes, you put them in the ricer and squeeze the handle. The potatoes are perfectly riced for the lefse dough. Stacy thinks that was her dad's job.

You can still buy these new, however as any good cook knows the new ones are not like the old construction. They just don't seem to cut the mustard, if you know what I mean. So if you want to carry on the tradition keep your eyes out for an old ricer; you can pick them up for under $15.

We get a lot of requests for the donut droppers. In production since the 50's or 60's, the first droppers were plastic and later were made of tin.

Stacy's mom has the dropper her Grandma Simonson used. It was made to last over the years.

Before droppers were invented families used a cookie cutter to cut the donut batter and then fry it. Cookie cutters are not as easy to come by as the droppers, but when we find them they are very reasonable and a fairly inexpensive kitchen collectible.

If you are lucky you may find one in the form of a hand, with a strap handle. The one pictured, made of tin with an early hand-made design, is valued at $145.

Anybody still make krumkake? The vintage krumkake iron pictured looks like an old cast iron waffle iron, but smaller and more detailed.

We really don't see a lot of the antique krumkake irons and we hope it's because they get handed down to family members. The one in the picture says "Alfred Anoresen & Co." Minneapolis.

It is stamped with what we think says "Kornakopia Krumkake patented." It also had the number 8 on the handle of the cradle. We have not been able to find one like it in the antique books so experience would suggest that we wait to price it until we can do some more research

If you are lucky enough, you may still have a loved one in your family who has a knack for baking and can make these tantalizing traditions.

Go ahead and ask them to show you how. These traditions are those that have earned the right to be handed down and cherished generation after generation. Next time you hear that your mom or grandma or maybe aunt are going to the kitchen for the day, ask her if you can join in and if she will share her secrets.

Enjoy the day and learn how to make donuts with a dropper, lefse with the old ricer and the old rolling pin. (you know the one that the handles don't move, not the new ones that the dough sticks to and the handles don't stay in place.) Then ask her if she can show you how to make krumkake.

Lucken Hanson owns Lucken's Collectibles in Fertile and Cueller works with her. Reach them at (218) 945-6660 or e-mail her at: collectibles.gvtel.com