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I learned the hard way the using tap water can create mushy pickles, especially in the west where there's a lot of minerals in the water. Using distilled water works much better. My mother-in-law makes amazing pickles, and she gave me that tip.

Thanks for the great recipes, I can't wait to try them! My garden went in late, so I'm still waiting for swiss chard, but these recipes sound wonderful. :D

Doodle do- unfortunately you can't water bath anything with meat in it, they have to be pressure cooked. Water bath will not sufficiently process meat, and it may not be safe to eat. Pressure cookers can be expensive, but they are great to can stew, soup or any kind of meats. We've processed...

Another thought, if you really want the book, check ebay first. I've found books there for 1/2 the price listed in mail ads, and they are often new or nearly new.

I just read the book 'Lasagna Gardening', and if you have access to some compost materials, you might try that. It's much less labor-intensive than digging, and you can start transplants in it right away. I found the book at the local library. The basics of the system are in the first few...

What a beautiful garden! I'm in Cottonwood, in central AZ. Since the city took over our water system, water is pretty expensive and I've had to adjust my gardening a lot, so now it's more arid landscaping for me. I insist on having a vegetable garden still, but it's 1/3 the size I used to...

I'm in central AZ, and have a 3 foot rosemary bush. They're grown as ornamentals around here, but I use it for cooking year round. I try to keep it groomed and a little smaller, but it got away from me last year. Now it's woody inside, and I'm afraid to cut it back too much. I love rosemary...

Garlic and onions. I was traveling in April/May, so I didn't plant anything else until I got home. I'm in central Arizona, so it's almost too late to plant after early June, but I had to have tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. They're in, but too young to fruit yet. I wish I had fresh veggies...

These are not absolute essentials, but they make canning tomatoes, apples, berries, etc. so much easier- Steamer/Juicer- brand is Old Country. It allows you to cook fruit using steam, it's quick and keeps more nutrition. Once the items are steamed, I put it in a Squeezo Strainer- which has 3...

Yesterday I canned 19 pints of applesauce. My Mom lives south of Phoenix and has a yellow apple tree that ripens in the summer. She taught me to can 40 years ago, and now she brings me fruit rather than can herself. Of course, it's been 115 degrees there all week, I don't blame her for not...