Subj : Aunteeks was: Towing the To : Dave Drum From : Ruth Haffly Date : Wed Jul 31 2024 14:25:02 Hi Dave, DD> Dill, and with the little guys - Senf Gherkins. When she closed DD> the house to move to assisted living I had an antique dealer drop DD> by and make a bid on her stoneware crocks (up to 10 gallons) glass DD> jars, etc. As well as the old laundry stove in the basement. He DD> added almost 10K to her bank account and amazed her. She had no DD> idea "that old junk" was worth anythng. RH> One man's junk is another man's treasure. Just to be on the safe RH> side, I'd probabbly not buy/use old canning jars for putting up, RH> might buy one or two crocks tho. My mom used to store her Christmas RH> baking in a stoneware crock so some years ago I asked my brother RH> about the possibility of getting one. He said that they (she had RH> 2 or 3) were all cracked or broken so he'd thrown then out. Sigh! DD> I think this was mostly for the antique value. She even had gallon DD> size Ball Mason jars w/glass lids. The gaskets were pretty much DD> crumbled to dust. But, still ...... Probably could have found replacement gaskets at Amish/Mennonite stores. My mom had some canning jars with the glass & rubber gasket lids, don't know where/when she got them but always managed to find the rubber rings. Most of her jars were like all of mine, with the metal screw band and lid; I've probably gone thru hundreds of lids in my canning lifetime. DD> 8<----- HACK ----->8 RH> That's OK. If we ever get out that way, I can drop off either some RH> dried figs or preserves in the off season, fresh figs in July/August. DD> That's a wonderful offer. RH> Just have to figure out when we'll be out that way. Do need to visit RH> the Chicago Public Library and make a donation of some of my great RH> grandfather's papers to add to their collection of his. DD> I nearly bought a smoker - but, the "reality" side of my brain said, DD> "You'll buy. Set it up. Use it once or twice than spend the rest of DD> you life dusting it and working around it." So, I passed. I do have a DD> charcoal grill w/offset fire box that I can use to smoke stuff if I DD> care to. I find, though, that the older I get the less time I spend in DD> my tiny kitchen. Steve found one on the side of the road when we were in AZ. It was a charcoal one, no instructions and most everything he tried was heavy on the charcoal and smoke flavors. That stayed in AZ when we went to HI and he got a (new) gas smoker. He was more successful with that so has kept smoking, with gas and/or electric. Found an egg shape (not the name brand) wood smoker on a close out sale a few years ago and bought it; he said that does the best steaks he's ever eaten. Nice for me is that he does all the clean up. RH> Understandable; our kitchen is bigger but I usually don't spend hours RH> in it. Got to have Steve finish moving some stuff to his new shed and RH> finish the indoor work on the new (2021) windows so I can rehang the RH> curtains. DD> I just got a letter from a realtor wanting to know if I'd consider DD> selling my house. Seems (he says) he has an "interested, motivated DD> buyer". Steve got a call a couple of weeks ago from someone "interested in buying the house" so he said "yes, it is for sale, for half a million dollars". Guy asked if we would really sell for that, so Steve said "yes, so we can afford a new house and the cost of moving". Offer was declined and Steve asked to be taken off his calling list. Try that with solicitors. (G) DD> As if! This is the first house I've ever owned and it will be the DD> last. My will gives my housemate lifetime tenancy then the house goes DD> to the DD> local Habitat for Humanity for their affordable housing program. Sounds like a good idea. We're still debating moving out west eventually, still tied to the East Coast at the moment. DD> Title: Senf Gherkins DD> Categories: Squash, Preserving, Pickles DD> Yield: 7 Pints DD> 5 qt Cucumbers or Gherkins; 1 1/2 DD> - to 3 inches length DD> 1/2 c Salt DD> 8 c Sugar DD> 6 c Vinegar DD> 3/4 ts Turmeric DD> 2 ts Celery seed DD> 2 ts Whole mixed pickling spices DD> 8 (1") sticks cinnamon DD> 1/2 ts Fennel; opt DD> 2 ts Vanilla; opt RH> Where's the mustard? Senf is German for mustard. DD> I did not kow that. But, here's some pickling spice - the lead call is DD> for ..... mustard seed. DD> Title: Homemade Pickling Spice DD> Categories: Spices, Herbs, Preserving DD> Yield: 1 /3 cup OK, that works. --- Catch you later, Ruth rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28 .... Are you sure you really want to know that? --- PPoint 3.01 * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28) .