This is a fantastic topping that might be just what Lexilani was originally looking for. It's perfect to go on top of cheesecake. I did find that my second batch was thinner than my first. To up the natural pectin, you could include the lemon seeds in a mesh bag during the simmer and remove them before canning. Look up the jell tests (put some on a plate in the freezer, check whether it sheets when running off a spoon, cook to 218° F) if you need help checking the set. You can use all blueberries and leave out the mango if you can figure out the yield (in cups) of 2 mangos so you have the same total volume of fruit. Melissa Blueberry-Mango-Frangelico Topping 2 mangos, peeled & diced 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 2 tbsp. Franjelico Combine all ingredients (except liqueur) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until liquid has thickened. Stir in Frangelico and cook for 5 more minutes. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. BWB for 10 minutes for half-pints and 15 minutes for pints. This made a little over 2 pints for me. I've used lime instead of lemon...and peaches instead of mangos and both variations also taste good :-) I believe this came from Topp & Howard's 'Small Batch Preserving.' SuzyQ2

So I finally had access to enough cucumbers to try out the famous recipe. Some of the cucumbers were bigger than called for and I included them anyway. Well there must be a reason why you don't use big ones, because they turned to complete mush inside their skins and had to be discarded along the way. The remaining cukes are on day 3 of the sugar syrup. I have a question about trimming the ends. In the version above, you trim the ends before beginning but in an older version, I saw that Linda Lou had said not to trim the ends until slicing them into chunks. I trimmed the ends and wondered if that would make a difference. I'm using my German Harsch crock. I was perusing other recipes and read the one I'm pasting below. I wondered whether I should be cleaning the crock each day? That crock is a 10 liter model and weighs quite a bit. I have it sitting next to the sink since that way I can take it to edge it and tilt it over to pour out of it rather than have to try to pick it up. The only other suitable container I have is plastic and I really wasn't crazy about pouring so much boiling liquid into even though it is food grade. My last question is about room temperature. I usually keep the house between 77 and 78 degrees this time of year. Will that affect the pickle process? After the first day or two, I moved the thermostat down to 76 for the duration but that is as low as I'm willing to go. This recipe is a bit different than linda lou's. It uses salt in the water which is changed every other day. Then the sugar solution is gradually increased. 14-Day Sweet Pickles Can be canned whole, in strips, or in slices 14-day Sweet Pickles * 4 lbs of 2- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers (If packed whole, use cucumbers of uniform size) * 3/4 cup canning or pickling salt (Separated 1/4 cup on each of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days) * 2 tsp celery seed * 2 tbsp mixed pickling spices * 5-1/2 cups sugar * 4 cups vinegar (5 percent) Yield: About 5 to 9 pints Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning. Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached. Place whole cucumbers in suitable 1-gallon container. Add 1/4 cup canning or pickling salt to 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. Add suitable cover and weight. Place clean towel over container and keep the temperature at about 70ºF. On the third and fifth days, drain salt water and discard. Rinse cucumbers and rescald cover and weight. Return cucumbers to container. Add 1/4 cup salt to 2 quarts fresh water and boil. Pour over cucumbers. Replace cover and weight, and re-cover with clean towel. On the seventh day, drain salt water and discard. Rinse cucumbers and rescald containers, cover, and weight. Slice or strip cucumbers, if desired, and return to container. Place celery seed and pickling spices in small cheesecloth bag. Combine 2 cups sugar and 4 cups vinegar in a saucepan. Add spice bag, bring to a boil and pour pickling solution over cucumbers. Add cover and weight, and re-cover with clean towel. On each of the next six days, drain syrup and spice bag and save. Add 1/2 cup sugar each day and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Remove cucumbers and rinse. Scald container, cover, and weight daily. Return cucumbers to container, add boiled syrup, cover, weight, and re-cover with towel. On the 14th day, drain syrup into saucepan. Fill sterile pint jars, or clean quart jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Add 1/2 cup sugar to syrup and bring to boil. Remove spice bag. For more information see "Sterilization of Empty Jars" Pour hot syrup over cucumbers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or use low- temperature pasteurization treatment. For more information see "Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment,". Table 1. Recommended process time for 14-day Sweet Pickles in a boiling-water canner. Process Time at Altitudes of Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft Raw Pints 5 min 10 15 Quarts 10 15 20

Weekendweeder, I didn't plant them there to stay. . I only had a few weeks home and just stuck a few plants there to move later as S & S grew. . Seems like "later" keeps getting later here. . lol. . . So many hosta, too little time. . . I only everyone would quit being such great enablers. . . hah! Here's a closer shot. There's a path around S & S leading to another path. ruth_mi, Hang in there. If you planted more than one Majesty. . woozers! You'll have some serious pretty soon. . . she was a fast grower here. Majesty is the first one I look for. . I really enjoy her. You're going to love her. That picture doesn't do her justice. I'm not the best picture taker. . lol

Back to the original question about hardiness of Passiflora manicata 'Linda Escobar'. I just ran across this, from the Monterey Bay Nursery site. This is very explicit, and I'm guessing they know what they are talking about. I'll just quote the entire description: "manicata 'Linda Escobar' arguably the showiest variety and nicest flower of any species of Passionflower. The intense orange red color, dark blue coronal filaments, excellent flower size and petal conformation, and nicely held flowers that face out and up on the outside of the foliage canopy make this one hard to beat if you have the climate to grow it. It is an improved version of the species, differing as far as I can tell only in that critical point that it is facultative or simple long day initiation whereas P.manicata itself seems to be long day or very long day initiation, restricting its flowering to three summer months. This selection can flower for 7-8 months. This is right up there with the finest Salvias and Grevilleas for attracting hummingbirds, with its easy-to-find and copious nectar supply and perfect color. It is a close partner to 'Coral Seas,' matching it in almost every way except tint, and that 'Coral Seas' may have a slight edge on it in the way of flower production. Expect the same unparalleled vigor and rampant growth (can cover a house or bring down a oak if not controlled) and essentially identical behavior in frosty conditions (severly damaged below 27F, and often killed to the ground or beyond at 25F). Sun, average soils, rather drought tolerant when established and much better controlled by restricted watering. Northern South America. rev 3/2008 " Here is a link that might be useful: Brought to you by the letter P at MBN