These are not as salty as the commercial leaves, so you don't have to soak them after removing from the jar. Per pint: About 30 tender, light-green grape leaves 1 quart water 2 tsp. pickling salt 1 cup water plus 1/4 cup lemon juice or 1 1/4 cups water plus 1/2 tsp. citric acid Bring salt and water to a boil. Blanch leaves 30 seconds. Drain. Stack leaves in piles of 6. Roll stacks loosely from the side (not the stem or tip). Pack into a pint jar, folding over ends if necessary. (Ball wide-mouth are taller than Kerr.) In a nonreactive pan bring the water-lemon juice or the water-citric acid combination to a boil. Pour over the rolled leaves, leaving 1/2" headspace. Close jar and process 15 minutes BWB. Or for short-term use, cover and refrigerate. from "The Joy of Pickling" Linda Ziedrich Carol

It was fun reading all of this, especially since it goes back to '06. That first post of Lars with the cherry cream soda...yummmy. I only consume coffee if it's ice cream, Kahlua or some other dessert. I like tea, black, green, but not any spiced teas. Really dislike mint too. Mostly I drink flavored unsweetened seltzer, iced tea or lemonade. Occasionally I'll have a fruit soda, but I find them too sweet these days so I mix them with my seltzer. Alcohol? Not really. Don't like wine as a rule. I can deal with a little champagne or Asti. Will drink vodka, that Kahlua making it a Black Russian. Smiles. I can go several years or more without having any alcohol. Last year I turned my current [at the time] vodka into vanilla. This fall an old friend from high school came to visit and brought a bottle of vodka. I had 2 light Cape Cods and when he left I turned the Svedka into vanilla. LOL. In winter in the evening we either have hot tea or hot cocoa often. I do love hot chocolate made with cocoa or even a nice chocolate bar.

Mint doesn't need feeding unless it is in a pot or other confined space. As long as it is in reasonable soil and has sufficient moisture it will grow. Can't suggest why one mint has mildew and the other doesn't but I would just cut the scruffy one back and wait for new, fresh growth. Herbs vary in their requirements so you need to treat them as individuals, not just 'herbs'. However, most common ones do not need any coddling.

I'm not quite sure how to update the original post but I no longer have: Rich Sweetness 132 Melon Striata D Italia Squash Ronde De Nice Squash Lemon Summer Squash Very few left for trades: Beit Alpha Cucumbers Muncher Cucumbers Leutschauger Paprika Pepper I no longer need: Red Runner Beans Lebanese White Marrow Squash Lemon Cucumbers Ping Tung Eggplant Lipstick Pepper Rapini Broccoli Chinese Celery