If your pickles have been processed properly, they'll technically last indefinitely. However, after a year or so, they will suffer textural change (softening) and possibly darkening, depending on storage conditions. They will still be safe to eat though. Normally, the recommendation is to wait 4-6 weeks to allow the brine to fully penetrate the cuke. I haven't used the Mrs. Wages, but I believe it's just a seasoning packet so won't change the timing. I would definitely wait more than 24 hours! If these are NOT processed pickles (i.e. stored in the refrigerator), they should be good for a week or two at least. What was the vinegar/water ratio? Deanna

Do you want to make just a jar or 2 to keep in the fridge or are you looking to can and shelf store them? Canning and shelf storage may be a problem. Far as I know there is only 1 recipe approved for canning and it is in the Ball Blue Book. It's a Mustard Pickles recipe that calls for 1/2 c of prepared mustard but it also uses green tomatoes, green and red peppers, cauliflower and other vegetables in it. But Senfgurken is normally made with mustard seeds and just kept in the fridge, not canned AFAIK. Lots of different recipes available for it on Google. This one could be canned since it is packed in straight vinegar. But they will be mushy just so you know. It is from Cooks.com Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Senfgurken recipes

Melissa, Have you read Square Foot Gardening? I can't remember the author's last name for sure right now, but I think he's Mel Bartholomew or something like that. Very nice way to look at space and spacing issues. I'm thinking on my cuke wall I'm going to have two rows, staggered, with a foot spacing in between each plant. On a fifteen foot "row" that'll be 30 plants! MIGHT be too much weight for the netting, but I'm going to give it a shot. Worst case scenario, I can pull plants if needed. That netting has got me thinking of other spots I can go vertically too... for pole beans. My breaded okra is still a work in progress... LOL! When I first did it, I just breaded it like regular and froze it on a sheet of wax paper in the freezer. Worked, but the okra was fairly hard when cooked. Last summer I blanched the okra, THEN breaded it and froze it. This turned out better, but still not what I'm looking for. (I figured out it's better to thaw the okra a little bit before frying it on both ways.) NEXT YEAR, I'm going to pre-fry it in a tempura type batter, cool completely THEN freeze. I like cooking projects... LOL! NOW, on the loofah/loufa/dishcloth/vining okra gourd thing... LOL! Honestly, I have no idea what the "real" name is for these dang things I've been growing. A friend gave me the seed and I just love growing them. When they're young, you cook them like regular ol' okra. Mid size to a bit bigger, I took a steak knife and cut it straight down the length of it and pulled the outer "husk" from the inner fibers. Then I de-seeded it and laid the fiborous part out to dry, and LOW AND BEHOLD, a loofah! This is what I'm calling "dishcloth". I did try to use half as a body scrubber, but it's way too scratchy for me. Works great on dishes tho! It becomes soft when wet, but still scratchy to a point... then dries out nicely and rebounds to it's shape! I loved it, next year I will have many more. I also let a couple get as large as possible and dry out on the vine, with seeds still in them. My little boy uses them as musical "shakers"! I'll try to take a pic of them here today and post it so you can see what I mean. All that from just one plant, I LOVE it. I had them planted along the edge of my carport in a "wall", and the beautiful yellow flowers were a joy to see everyday! The vines were so healthy, they grew all up on the top of the carport. I had a few dried gourds on the top of the carport at the end of the season. THIS will be a regular plant for me, it's just easy and fun to grow! Dawn, I honestly do not think I've run into a cucumber beetle... YET. Watch this year be the year for them... LOL! My wall of cukes might just be too inviting for them not to show up. Yes, I hear of most people around here having either hybrid or wild blackberries growing, so I thought that'd be the way to go for me. Of course, strawberries are also very big around here too, but I don't have the space to devote to a huge bed of just ONE thing (in my mind). If I did, I'd do asparagus first, then strawberries. MIGHT try one of those hanging strawberry bags, but that's another project. :) The trees around my area are pecan and cedar... LOL! I've never heard of ANYONE having luck with apple trees around here. Well, we're having a rainy day here. The St. Francis river is up and we're under flash flood warnings too. I live in a higher part of town, so I'm not too worried about us. The farmers that farm along the river might have problems tho. Just been a wet, sloggy year for Northeastern Arkansas! Planting was late due to the wet spring, and harvesting was hard due to a wet fall! I really need to see what our rainfall averages are for the year, I'm betting we've set a record. But, of course, snow would be nice... but rain is better than ice! LOL! We're off to spend the rest of the day at my parent's house... ya'll stay safe, warm and dry! :) Beth p.s. My DARLING husband gave me an early Christmas present! It's a Veggie Tales t-shirt! On the front, it's got Bob the Tomato and it says "If you like to talk to tomatoes..."! LOL! I laughed so hard! I love that show... the theme song goes like this. If you like to talk to tomatoes... If a squash can make you smile... If you like to waltz with potatoes, up and down the produce aisle... have we got a show for you! Too cute, huh?

Something like this? Senfgurken Mustard Pickles Total Time: 40 minutes Yield: 3 quarts Ingredients: â¢4 1/2 lb. pickling cucumbers â¢1 onion, sliced â¢Fresh dill weed â¢2 c. white wine vinegar â¢2 c. water â¢2 1/2 c. sugar â¢1 T. yellow mustard seed â¢6 juniper berries â¢1/2 tsp. whole coriander â¢1/2 tsp. whole black pepper â¢1/4 tsp. whole caraway â¢1/4 tsp. whole dill seed â¢1/2 tsp. whole allspice â¢1 crumbled bay leaf â¢4 cloves â¢1/8 tsp. powdered ginger â¢2 T. salt Preparation: Peel the cucumbers, cut in half, scrape out the seeds, then cut into 1/2 inch chunks. Layer them in clean, canning jars together with the fresh dill and the onion slices. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and cook for three minutes or until sugar and salt is dissolved. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables to 1/4 inch of the rim of the glass. Close immediately. Store in a cool spot or refrigerator. Note: Some people say that the pickles made this way (raw pack) keep for several months without further processing. As they cool, a vacuum creates a seal, much like cooking in a water bath. Generally, I prefer to process or can anything I do not want to refrigerate. If you want to can these pickles they will become softer but keep for months on the shelf. If you do not want to process further, keep them refrigerated and they should last for a couple of weeks. They are ready to eat after 24 hours but the flavors get stronger as they age. /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: Senfgurken