empties - I keep all my jars - full and empty - on 2 metal storage racks in my basement. They are all in boxes - I have post it notes on them noting the contents. When the box is empty, the post it note disappears. As I empty jars, I fill them into the empty slots of the partially full boxes. I have an empty box that is my "catch bin" - as empty jars come out of the dishwasher, they go into the "catch bin" box. Then, for instance, when I go get a pint jar of marinara, when I pull the full jar out, I grab an empty pint jar from the catch basin box and put it in it's slot. When I want to can something, I can just go to the basement, pull out a full box of empties. The empties are clean, so I can just warm them in my canning pot. Though if it's been a while and they've gotten dusty, I'll pop them in my dishwasher on the rinse and hold cycle. One "advantage" to my system is that like items are always together. In each box is only marinara, or chicken, or applesauce. One "disadvantage" is that I could end up with a lot of boxes with only 1 or 2 full jars. That becomes and "issue" in Aug/Sept when canning is in full swing and I really need my empties. At that point, I'll combine some boxes - peaches and pears in the same box, or all the pickles in one box.

I'll take the steps in chronological order instead of the way you addressed them - I pulled out my big stockpot (not the largest I use as a BWB) to cool the tomatoes in since they weren't all going to fit in my dishpan - the sink isn't much deeper and I don't like putting food in it b/c of the disposal, though I do bleach it once a week. I do sit a footed colander in it to wash each batch - I guess I should wash everything and put in a large bowl until they're all done, then start blanching? So all I had to boil them in was my 6qt. I could use the other (8qt?) and use my largest (BWB) to cool in, I do have an insert for the 8qt. But do all the tomatoes have to be submerged or will the steam be enough to peel them? I assume it's OK to let them sit in the ice water for a few minutes - but if I have to blanch in batches b/c I just don't have large enough pot or insert won't hold 12 lbs of tomatoes under the water, can I let them sit longer? You mention doing it in batches - how many batches does it take you to do 12 lbs of tomatoes? How long does it take? I was trying to do hot pack and peel a few lbs of tomatoes, throw them in roaster, while next few lbs were blanching/cooling. You're right, raw pack just has too much air. I'm not heating, peeling, packing a jar (even doing raw pack), then blanching, peeling more for the next jar. I had all the tomatoes blanched and cooled, ready to go before I took 1st jar out of canner, but was peeling them for raw pack a jar at a time, didn't think I should let them sit (in ice water? a separate bowl?) while I peeled all of them. If I ever do raw pack again I will peel them all first as you suggested. This is the sort of practical advice I need! For hot pack I was heating to boiling on the stove since my roaster didn't seem to be getting the middle hot enough, then packing 1 at a time. Should I give up on my roaster/Dutch oven when processing more than 5 qts? Will food get hot enough in 8qt pot with 10" diameter? I am limited to standard kitchen utensils (besides the PC) and I cook for a family of 4 not an army so don't have huge pots, or place to store them (canning stuff goes in the basement during the winter, no room in kitchen cabinets). I also have 2 large burners on the front of the range, smaller ones are in the back and it's hard to fit anything bigger than a teakettle back there when the front burners are in use. In fact, in 6 years I've probably used the back burners 5-6 times max. The control panel/knobs are on the back too, and I simply can't fit large diameter pot back there, couldn't reach knobs even if I did. But if I need 1 front burner for something else, I can heat the jars with hot tap water (100 degrees or so) as you suggested to someone else, they don't need to be hot for long, just as long as they're hot when you're filling them. But the canner is a problem - I really need to get the BWB boiling while I'm prepping (though I don't seem to have a problem organizing myself then). PCing doesn't require as much hot water (just a gal) - should I try heating 6C at time in my big Pyrex cup in the MW and pour in the PC so it won't take as long on the burner, I can put it on when I pull the blanching pot off? I'd use the blanching water but that gets nasty and I'm afraid a stray seed might float in under the rim of a jar and then I've got the siphoning problem again. As far as lining up all the jars and filling them, I thought you were supposed to fill 1 at a time and put in canner to keep warm, otherwise the food gets cold in the first jar and the last empty jar is cold by the time you fill it. It does take me almost 2x as long to fill quarts as pints (and 2x as long for pints as halfpints) b/c I only have 1 ladle, so I have to scoop 2x as many times to fill a jar. I do have to speed up on adding the CA, freeing bubbles, and wiping the jars - when I'm filling halfpints and even pints I just have to wipe the rim but maybe b/c I'm rushing with the larger jars I get sloppy and drip stuff down the outside of the funnel (and raw pack tomatoes I forgot to use the funnel, just peeled tomatoes over the WM jar and made a real mess). I will try the 2C Pyrex next time, and only use the ladle when I get to the bottom of the pan. The thing that drives me crazy about the 1 jar siphoning each time is that it's not sealing (the meat did but not the tomatoes b/c of the seeds getting caught on the rim after they boiled up). Thanks for the tips, at least the prep and filling the jars should go faster next time! I hesitate to ask, since I don't have much storage space, but what minimum equipment should I have to be able to do 1 canner load at a time (I don't think I'm going to get into marathons, even if I can speed things up so that I have time to do more than 1 load a day)?

For a reference on beans, here are a few things to think about. String Bean - old definition was any bean that had to have the strings removed as part of their preparation. String Bean - new definition is any bean that is consumed in the shuck usually by snapping them into lengths of about an inch. Pole Bean - Any bean that requires a support to grow on. You could grow a pole bean for snapping or a pole bean for green shellies or a pole bean for dried beans. Bush bean - any bean that does not require support to grow on. Bunch Bean - usually refers to a bush bean, but sometimes refers to a named variety such as Striped Bunch which is a pole bean. Runner Bean - sometimes refers to a pole bean meaning it has to have support, but also refers to the species known as runner beans. Generally speaking, true runner beans do not grow well in the deep south. Half Runner - usually refers to a bean that produces short runners up 4 feet long. The most famous of the type is the White Half Runner which has been pretty much ruined genetically by efforts to breed in disease resistance. These beans benefit from a support such as a piece of hog wire that the short runners can climb on. Interestingly, the half runner phenotype can be dated back to the days of the indians when it was one of the primary bean types grown. Cornfield Beans - refers to a bean that can be grown on corn stalks for support. These beans are usually very vigorous and tolerant of shade. There are numerous distinct varieties that are referred to as 'Cornfield Beans' to the extent that people argue over which one is the true Cornfield Bean. Butterbeans - depends on the part of the country you are in to define them, in the southeast, a butterbean is a sieva type lima. In other parts of the world, any lima bean is a butterbean. Some bush lima beans are known as butterbeans and others are called butterpeas. Are you confused yet? I grow some really old varieties of bean for pleasure and to produce seed. One of my greatest pleasures is to find a really old bean that still has ripcord strings. These beans tend to have exceptionally good flavor because they were selected to produce a bean instead of a green shuck. DarJones

tina, thank you, and yes, we lost our home and everything in it to Katrina. We built this new home last year, further inland, high elevation and a good distance away from the water. We moved into it in November, 2007, so have been here almost a year. Our old lot/property is for sale, along with many other slabs in the neighborhood. Losing everything, as you can imagine, had a big influence on how we wanted our new house to be - a simple, warm, backdrop for whatever furnishings and accents we could afford to come up with. For instance, a casual, open dining room suited our needs, more than a more formal one would. Since we lost our china and china cabinet, we focused more this time on windows and views, and the beadboard ceiling, brick, hardwood floors, etc. But, getting back to the mercury glass. Definitely check out Tuesday Morning - I was there a few weeks ago and saw a few that were left. So yours might, as well.