Figsboro General Store, 3899 Figsboro Road, near the Henry/Franklin County line. Photo by Steven Swain

Anyone who believes that the rural way of life is not slowly disappearing has not tried to make a batch of pickles recently.

The summer's first garden harvests are beginning and at my house we ended up with a bushel of cucumbers, given to us by my cousin Janet, who had more than she could use.

Among her myriad domestic talents, my mom is a home canner from way back and takes particular pride in her sweet pickles, which she uses in her delicious potato salad. Armed with enough cucumbers to keep the basement shelves filled with pickles for months, Mom set out to find pickling lime, one of the key ingredients in making the best homemade pickles.

The usual sources -- local grocery stores and the supercenter (we all know which one) -- didn't carry pickling lime. Left in its place was something suspect called "Pickle Crisp," along with pre-made packs of sweet pickle seasoning.

Questions about why the lime had not been stocked were met with indifference or a "we don't sell that stuff anymore." Not exactly reassuring news for a person with a pile of fresh cucumbers.

Pressed for time, Mom decided to try the new method. While conceptually its promise of no pre-soaking and no-rinsing seemed too good to be true, the new-school duo's results tasted commercial and far less flavorful or authentic than Mom's usual pickles.

What's a pickle canner to do?

After calling around to various stores with no success, Janet suggested that the Figsboro General Store in northern Henry County may have the lime that she needed.

This store, located just over the Franklin/Henry county border along Virginia 108 near Martinsville, is a community institution. Laid back and friendly, the Figsboro store offers everything from groceries to gas to auto supplies to movie rentals, along with an exceptional deli filled with homestyle delights.

Sure enough, on a recent Saturday trip to Figsboro, a brief stop at the General Store was all it took to get the pickling lime Mom needed and the welcoming attitude and prompt service made the transaction all the better. The delicious fresh pound cake and homemade pies sweetened the deal.

After finally getting the right ingredients, Mom's pickles were as crisp and flavorful as ever. And I got some great desserts.

If you find yourself in a pickle (no pun intended) as Mom did, or are passing through the Martinsville area and want to sample a bit of country life, the Figsboro General Store is a great place to stop.

FIGSBORO GENERAL STORE

Where: 3899 Figsboro Road, 6.4 miles north of Martinsville, near the Henry/Franklin county line.

Call: (276) 632-4656