I picked up $8 worth of cukes at the farmers market (locally grown,
Ellen. :-) for transforming into Rob's B&B pickles. HOLY CRAP,
Batman! The guy I bought my half peck from was selling a bushel of
small pickling cukes for $60. SIX-ZERO dollars.

I'm slightly annoyed with myself for buying mine from him because, 1) I
don't like the guy but didn't have time to peruse the whole place due to
time constraints, and 2) some sweet teens were selling theirs (more
perfectly sized for my used than what I bought) for $2 a box and $6 or
$8 would have gotten me at least as much as what I paid the guy I did
buy from. Oh, well. Maybe next week. . . . I'm thinking I'll put up
some half pint jars of them, too, for gifts. Then I won't have Rob's,
"Hey! Quit giving away my pickles!" LOL!

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water). I'll
get them out and commence to slicing them and salting them down. They
will lie in sweet repose in a salty ice bath whilst I catch forty winks.

Weather is sheer perfection for what I need to do this afternoon.
Like Jorge says, life is good.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

In article ,
Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water). I'll
get them out and commence to slicing them and salting them down. They
will lie in sweet repose in a salty ice bath whilst I catch forty winks.

And now they are resting in salty ice. :-) Or maybe it's icy salt.
I've a 3-hour break while the salt draws moisture from the slices.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene

--
Spin the auto-sig generator, and she says:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is insufficiently
documented." -- kabdib on slashdot

In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene

Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water).
Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene

Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin

No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin'
ways. I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine
admiration of the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .

Cool!

Serene
--
Spin the auto-sig generator, and she says:

Discordianism: Where reality is a figment of your imagination

On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:54:35 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

I picked up $8 worth of cukes at the farmers market (locally grown,
Ellen. :-) for transforming into Rob's B&B pickles. HOLY CRAP,
Batman! The guy I bought my half peck from was selling a bushel of
small pickling cukes for $60. SIX-ZERO dollars.

I'm slightly annoyed with myself for buying mine from him because, 1) I
don't like the guy but didn't have time to peruse the whole place due to
time constraints, and 2) some sweet teens were selling theirs (more
perfectly sized for my used than what I bought) for $2 a box and $6 or
$8 would have gotten me at least as much as what I paid the guy I did
buy from. Oh, well. Maybe next week. . . . I'm thinking I'll put up
some half pint jars of them, too, for gifts. Then I won't have Rob's,
"Hey! Quit giving away my pickles!" LOL!

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water). I'll
get them out and commence to slicing them and salting them down. They
will lie in sweet repose in a salty ice bath whilst I catch forty winks.

Weather is sheer perfection for what I need to do this afternoon.
Like Jorge says, life is good.

Wish you were closer to me. I have cukes coming out my ears right
now. I have made hamburger dills, Kosher dills, bread & butter and
sweet pickles. I also have some cukes brining. And they are still
coming in. Guess I should send some over to the Ark and the next door
neighbor.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Serene wrote:
Melba's Jammin' wrote:

In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting
scrubbed (I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold
water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene


Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin


No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways.
I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of
the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .


Cool!

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you
also will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll
have to will her the one I have.

On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 14:06:13 -0700, Serene
wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water).
Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene

Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin

No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin'
ways. I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine
admiration of the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .

Cool!

Serene

It's amazing what you can do with the washing machine. Best possible
way to clean a hugh batch of greens (Swiss chard, beet greens,
spinach, mustard greens, etc.) Takes a bit of cleaning out of little
bits and pieces of leaves, but still worth it.

In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting scrubbed
(I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold water).
Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene

Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin

No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin'
ways. I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine
admiration of the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

Serene

I don't pretend to claim it was an original idea; I've been doing it for
so long, though, that I don't remember where I first picked up the
notion.

Am about 20 minutes away from jarring them. Never did get my 40 winks.
Dangitall!

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

In article ,
George Shirley wrote:

Serene wrote:

No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways.
I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of
the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you
also will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

Hey, I think there are a couple young 'uns. Kathi's got little-ish
kids.

OK, so you're right. . . .

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll
have to will her the one I have.

Never mind the tape with my name on it, eh? Get one o' them engraving
tool thingies. . . .
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

George Shirley wrote:

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you
also will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

I imagine so!

Last year (or was it the year before? time flies), I made some
citrus jelly, and y'all told me I did it wrong, and you were
probably right[1]. It didn't kill anyone, thank goodness, and since
then I've been using my lack of a canner as an excuse not to try
more stuff. But I'm determined to press on. My partner has plums
on his tree, and I'm going to make jam from them first. I will do
my homework and then give it a shot. Really, what I'm hoping is
that I eventually am able to make pickles and chutneys and hot sauce
and stuff -- we don't actually use all that much jam/jelly around
here, but condiments are another story.

Oh, and if I can figure out how to can my mother's spaghetti sauce,
that will be a bonus. The stuff takes a day and a half to cook, and
she just gave me the pot she's made it in all my life as a gift
(because she prefers another pot I gave her a few years ago). It's
HUGE, so if I can can the sauce instead of freezing it, that will
make me a very happy Serene.

Serene

[1] The Certo box said to just turn the jars upside-down; y'all told
me it should've gone in a boiling-water bath, so I put it all in the
fridge, and it was used up quickly enough that it wasn't an issue.

--
Spin the auto-sig generator, and she says:

"Faith is believing what you know ain't so." [Mark Twain]

"George Shirley" wrote in message
.. .
Serene wrote:
Melba's Jammin' wrote:

In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting
scrubbed (I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold
water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene


Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin


No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways. I
can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of the
geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .


Cool!

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you also
will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll have
to will her the one I have.

Mr. George and Mistress Barb:

.....what exactly is a Grip-Tite jar lifter??

Kathi,
obviously a novice, after all these years...

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote in message
...
In article ,
George Shirley wrote:

Serene wrote:

No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways.
I can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of
the geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you
also will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

Hey, I think there are a couple young 'uns. Kathi's got little-ish
kids.

OK, so you're right. . . .

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll
have to will her the one I have.

Never mind the tape with my name on it, eh? Get one o' them engraving
tool thingies. . . .
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

yep, I got young'ens....and I hope one day they'll be interested in 'all
this' that I'm doing (I know Holly, 8, really likes my latest Cherry Jelly).
Y'know, neither of my grandmothers were big on preserving, which surprises
me, because they both lived a frugal life.

Anyway, one Grandmother still enjoys life to her fullest, at 92, and I give
her some of everything I put up every year, and she, in turn, shares it with
the folks that live with her in the 'retirement home' that she lives in.
I'm proud. She's proud. Life is good.

Kathi

"George Shirley" wrote in message
.. .
Serene wrote:
Melba's Jammin' wrote:

In article ,
Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting
scrubbed (I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold
water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene


Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin


No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways. I
can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of the
geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)

I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .


Cool!

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you also
will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll have
to will her the one I have.

Hey! y'know what's funny? If you Google Grip Tite jar lifter, the 3rd hit
is Georges' post from May 24 when Barb was visiting!!! And after my limited
research, George, you should put a hefty price tag on that thing-a-ma-jig ,
cuz it's an antique or something....as in, ther's no way Barb, or anyne else
for that matter, is gonna get one new!!

....so, I start the bidding at $20 bucks!....;-P

Kathi

Kathi Jones wrote:
"George Shirley" wrote in message
.. .

Serene wrote:

Melba's Jammin' wrote:


In article ,
Serene wrote:


Melba's Jammin' wrote:


Anyway, the cukes are currently in the washing machine getting
scrubbed (I've a couple terry towels with them; gentle cycle, cold
water).

Really? The washing machine? That's fascinating.

Serene


Fascinating? Interesting, maybe, but fascinating, Serene? grin


No, I'm totally enchanted with all you people and your preservin' ways. I
can be a sarcastic ass sometimes, but this is genuine admiration of the
geeky tricks y'all come up with. :-)


I just posted a couple pics to my jamlady.eboard.com site (link below)
if you want to see. . . .


Cool!

Serene

You preserve food as long as this bunch of overage geeks has and you also
will come up with some labor saving tricks. B-})

George, still looking for a Grip-Tite jar lifter for Barb. Guess I'll have
to will her the one I have.


Hey! y'know what's funny? If you Google Grip Tite jar lifter, the 3rd hit
is Georges' post from May 24 when Barb was visiting!!! And after my limited
research, George, you should put a hefty price tag on that thing-a-ma-jig ,
cuz it's an antique or something....as in, ther's no way Barb, or anyne else
for that matter, is gonna get one new!!

...so, I start the bidding at $20 bucks!....;-P

Kathi



One sold on eBay for nine bucks this year. If I sold it to you I would
have to use one of those cheesy things they call a jar lifter. You have
to squeeze the handles together to grip the jar whereas the Grip Tite
does it by gravity. Besides that Barb would kill me just so she could
inherit the thing.

George