Remember our parents and grandparents used 15% Vinegar for pickling! Now it’s only 5% Vinegar and you are cutting it 3:1!! Not a good idea! You have 2.5% Vinegar just using a 1:1 ratio! Your canning salt ratio needs to be 1 measuring cup per gallon of brine (vinegar + water combined). i don’t know if you are boiling them on a low boil for a minimum of 12-14 minutes for ”low-temperature pasturization” and making certain they ”set up properly” or stay sealed prior to storing them on the shelves to cure for 30 days, or if you are planning on refrigerating them once you finish canning and allow them to cool down! if you fail to boil them and place them on the shelf, they will develop a botulism that can be fatal! Just my thoughts! Been putting up pickles for over 40 years and two of my proteges have used my recipe and won the Blue in the Minnesota State Fair 2007 & 2014

A fresh tomato in a sauce will be a bit watery, unless its cooked a while first. You know, that if you make a fresh sauce it never tastes as good as one that was made yesterday. Sometimes I make pizza with sliced fresh tomatoes, and coat the dough with olive oil before adding the sliced tomatoes. Because many are watery, I usually slice and place on some paper towels, and add a sprinkling of salt to draw out some liquid before they get placed on the pizza.

i have googled use of bacon grease and also bing search and asked about it with a bunch of different audubon societys in different states. the majority of them recomend useing bacon grease as long as the birds have sufficient water supplys. I have used bacon grease for many years and have lots of birds but i do keep fresh water or heated water trays in winter. I usually mix equal parts of suet or lard or bacon grease or tallow or shortning with peanut butter and add some chopped nuts and then thicken it with cornmeal and rolled oats or grits or flour to make a paste. we don't eat a lot of bacon or fatty meats anymore but do save the fats and freeze them. and mix whatever i have on hand into the mix and the bacon grease is usually pretty well diluted down. Most say it attracts the woodpeckers and chickadees and nuthatches but i get almost every kind of bird i get eating mine. including the jays and juncos and finches ect.

Linnea56: You can do just about what what you had in mind. Sub the Corned Beef for Ham. ***************************** Here is a recipe for Lou's - Pasta e Fagioli ( I've been spelling it wrong!) 1 lb. Great Northern Beans (soaked overnight & drained) 3 quarts of water Or use your canned Northern Beans or, Chick Peas ( Ceci ) 3 Garlic Cloves (chopped small) 3/4 Cup of Tomatoes, diced small 1/3 cup of shredded Carrots 2 Whole Cloves 1/2 pound of cubed Ham or more ,to taste 3/4 cup of Onion chopped small 3 Bay Leaves 1/3 cup of Instant Mashed Potatoes ( or more if needed ) 3 tablespoons of Chicken Flavored Soup Base or 2 cups of Chicken Broth. 3 cups( or more) of cooked Elbow Macaroni or # 9 Spaghetti Salt and Pepper to taste, when beans are almost done. Cooking: Put 3 Quarts of water in a pot, large enough to hold 2 more quarts. Add the beans and start cooking them. Add all the ingredients , except the Ham and Mashed Potatoes. Cook the Beans till they are almost done & add the Ham. When the Beans are cooked soft, add the Inst. Mashed Potatoes, and more if needed to thicken slightly. Add the cooked drained Spaghetti or Elbow macaroni. Add more water if and when needed. You can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese if you like , when serving. Makes about 8 servings, maybe more. Here is another dish, almost the same as Pasta Fagioli.