There are safe ways to pickle and some very UN-safe ways to make pickles that pose both listeria and botulism threats to you. So go with a tested and approved recipe - see the source linked below and please take note of the warning posted there: Caution: The level of acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is to taste and texture. * Do not alter vinegar, food, or water proportions in a recipe or use a vinegar with unknown acidity. * Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. * There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. You can always buy some additional cukes to make a proper safe recipe if you don't expect additional production from you plants anytime soon. Or you can simply save the 1 cuke in the fridge until you have enough to do it properly (and safely). You'll find a friendly bunch of trained preserving specialists and a number of current discussions on proper techniques over on the Harvest Forum here at GW. It is linked at the top of this forum's front page. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Pickling Instructions and Recipes

This hollowness may be a condition which could be from the strain of cukes grown. Because most cukes tend to need a lot more water to grow, in order for them to become long. Also, there are a few types that farmers prefer to grow that are long keepers, which, in turn, could have less water content. The hollow cukes I have seen are usually ones that the seeds are seperated in triangular rows inside. This same condition sometimes shows up in overripe watermelons too. Keep in mind that if your making pickled cucumbers, and even though they may be fresh, the person who grows them may be choosing a strain that gives better yields, but need less care and watering. Simply an economic issue, at the expense of those who pickle cukes at home. When I grow them, I usually choose varieties like the Heinz, or county fair types, which are of a strains that are firm and solid. Another issue with cukes is bitterness, and the ones I have grown have also had a few bitter ones. I've read a lot about this and it seems to affect almost all varieties when the plants are in the earlier production. Hybrids are Ok for somthing things, but you need to find out what is the actual type your farmer or supplier is growing. There is nothing more disappointing then biting into a pickled bitter cuke. Sometimes it tends to make the whole jar unpleasent tasting. I was almost tempted to taste a small amount of each cuke before its put in a jar, but if you have a bushel or more to work on, that would be a bit much. Even for that, if you do find a bitter tasting one, your taste buds are not going to be able to easily detect a sweet one afterwards. My grandmother used to cut off an end and rub the two cut pieces together and see if there was a clear color liquid, or a whitish slime. If they showed the white slime, she didn't use that one. Not sure if this was really a way to tell though.

loki, the problem with pickles is that they aren't cooked further, they are eaten right out of the jar. If the vinegar brine is not acidic enough, the low acid vegetables can spoil, causing food poisoning or even botulism. I regularly cut sugar in things like jam, because they are high acid fruits, a much safer medium than vegetables. The rule of thumb for brined vegetables is 1:1 vinegar and water. Also, sugar is a preservative and the tested recipes are carefully balanced to be sure the acidity level is safe and that the final product won't spoil. Low sugar items tend to spoil more quickly than their full sugar counterparts. As for peppers, you're talking about another low acid food. You need a ratio of acidity to low acid foods, whether that acidity be vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, etc. The more low acid foods in a recipe, the more acidity that's required. Testing recipes? Best of luck to you. You can have it tested at a private lab but I can't even conjecture on the cost. It took me 5 years to get my salsa recipe tested and approved and that was years ago, when I had a good friend who ran the local extension service and intervened with the university. I couldn't even imagine trying to get something tested by the federal government. Canning is a science. If you are new at it I wouldn't fool around changing recipes, I'd find one that suits you that's been tested and follow that recipe. when you are more familiar and know the safety rules, then it's your choice. As another option, The Center for Home food Preservation still has the on-line canning/food safety classes, or did the last time I checked. They were free when I checked also. You might take some of those and become more familiar with the process and that might help you. Annie

Unless you're buying local...bare roots are hard to deal with except for trees and roses. It does sound like your fruit salad tree--if all you have is the trunk--is not likely to be as advertised. I suggest you research a small fruit tree if what you want is a fruit tree in a pot. I know some limes and Meyer lemons will grow in containers--maybe some satsumas (a type of citrus similar to tangerine but sweeter). The garden watchdog site is excellent and will help guide you to reputable websites--there are hundreds selling plants, but some of them are notorious for ripping people off. Looks like your climbing lily vine is what is called a gloriosa lily vine. Be careful--it also says all parts of the vine are highly poisonous if ingested, and that handling the tubers may irritate the skin. It sounds like it may also be capable of being invasive. Here's a website on that one: http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/Gloriosasuperba.htm If you can eat habaneros without hurling, you are a better person than me. Those suckers are far too hot! Enjoy the planting and growing. Enjoy the learning part, too. Most of us have plenty of stuff that we find out later is a bust---it's the successes that keep us going (well, that and the temporary insanity that strikes every Spring).