Yes, as it would throw off the processing time, plus take a lot longer to reach the proper prtessure. Add ice cubes to boiling water and you have no boiling water anymore. Because pork exudes juices it may also be wise to precook it before canning, so its not all shrunken and liquid. I never grind meats if they are partially frozen, as it can stall a meat grinder. A partially frozen meat is easy to cut very thin slices, as it holds up a bit firmer for that purpose.

With all the after Thanksgiving sales going on in the states (if that's where you are)I would check your local fliers for better deals. Keep the specs for that one and see if you can find another (Toshiba, HP, Acer) with same or better specs for less money

So here's how the experiment went: I made a soup with the heavy prickly part of the vine, cut into inch-size pieces. I used onions, carrots, garlic, veg.broth (Imagine Brand No-Chicken Broth) zuchini, fresh corn, S&P and an herb I also bought from the Mexican farmer. The herb is reminiscent of cilantro, that fresh bright taste,but sort of more so. I'm not sure of the name - something like 'Pichu' I think. It's dark green with long stems and long thin leaves. I sauted the veggies, added the broth corn kernals, herb and S&P and let it simmer for about an hour. The soup is a murky grayish-green, sort of cloudy looking. I wasn't ready to try it right away so I put it in the fridge and let it 'think' for a day. I just got up the nerve to taste it this morning and was pleasantly surprised. It is sweet and fresh tasting and I think it might just be a good served cold, although it is not so pretty to look at. Oh, and I threw the tendrils in at the last minute and cooked them into the soup. They don't help the look very much. I might decide to blend the whole thing before I serve it, or add yogurt or sour cream to give it a better look. As for the leaves, I used them as a background on the platter for the blossoms, which I stuffed with ricotta and fried. Those were wonderful, but really are just an expensive and quirky way to fry and serve cheese! Next post I'll let you know how this soup goes over with guests. Thanks again for the encouragement! - M

Have fun, sleeper! The electronic bps are only offered at the airports that are able and equipped to accept them so you should be good to go!