I know that Farmerdilla is a knowledgeable gardener. And I have learned and continue to learn from his posts. DTM from transplanting is too vague, to me. You can have a plant/veggie in 6-pack or 4" pot that could be from two weeks to two months old. Of course this is not our fault that some growers convention do not make sense. But seed companies have a better description: For example for watermelons they say you will (most probably) have a ripen fruit in "x" days from sowing or in "Y" days from flowering. But again, it all depends on a lot of growing conditions and the vegetable in question. cyrus

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

I fixed the problem. I don't know how I did, but I did it. I researched the MS web site for word 2003 and found an update ad pack and downloaded it and then things seemed to work out from there. Thanks for everything. Regards, Piggy

You might be able to find a vegan pre-prepared pie crust, either in a pan or refrigerated. I know some are made with lard but some are made with all vegetable shortening. I know this because I had to find one to bring to a kosher party once. That way you can whip together a tart in about 15 min! Or as some have suggested, a press-in crust which you can make ahead, and then whip up the apples really quick. OR, do what I do and mix frozen peaches with frozen raspberries, or a mix of berries and cherries, etc. and have everyone rave about your "home made" pie! They sell lots of kinds of frozen fruits for pies in the freezer section of most groceries. Also pre-made pie crust. Just check the labels, a lot of them are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not the most healthy, but then it IS pie! You can make strawberry blueberry tarts or something like that with puff pastry too. Buy some flavored cream cheese, spread it on the bottom and then put some sweetened frozen berries on top and bake. Don't sweat the apples, they are not the only fruit for a tart! I make a crisp that is a mix of sweet cherries, dried cherries, fresh cranberries and dried cranberries. The sweet and tart elements combine perfectly. Plus it is vivid red, good for the holidays. If you have your heart set on apples, mix it with frozen strawberries or frozen blackberries or raspberries. Half as much peeling! This post was edited by lpinkmountain on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 13:36