There's a higher risk of seal failure with inverted jars. Processing (or just jarring for refrigeration and short-term consumption) is a better alternative. Madelaine Bullwinkel's Gourmet Preserves is a stellar resource with fabulous unique recipes to die for. Her spiced blueberry preserves and her raspberry red currant preserves are stellar. Don't get too hung up on the age of a recipe. Good food is timeless. In that vein, I recommend Helen Witty's Fancy Pantry. Mustards, vinegars, brandied fruits, sauces and toppings (i.e. White Chocolate Sauce with Toasted Hazelnuts), Ginger preserved in Syrup and candied nuts, just for starters. Her book was published in 1986 but there's a reason it's a collectible classic. I don't know of any current book that's its equal. Consider also: Homemade granola Shortbread (a shortbread trio is nice - traditional, brown sugar and chocolate for example) Curds (lemon, boysenberry, cranberry, lime) Mostarda Nuts in honey Pesto (traditional basil, sun-dried tomato, chive) Baclava Homemade cheese Glace fruits Sourdough starter (with some recipes) Quick bread, cookie or cake "kits" Carol

I canned all but the two or three chunks I tried along the way. I brought one of the six jars to a baby shower today and they were very well received! I think I was told how good they were by everyone who tried them (several of the ladies told me more than once) and there was even one friend who said she doesn't normally like sweet pickles, but she liked these! So yeah hurray! And now for the confession. I don't like sweet pickles. (At least I didn't.) I thought the recipe and the response to it would make me into a lover of them; and even if it didn't, my oldest brother likes sweet pickles, so I thought I would give several of the jars to him no matter what. Now, as odd as this sounds, I was so distracted when I tasted them by not knowing if they were objectively good sweet pickles, I didn't realize they were growing on me. They have a definite charm and I would like to try them with some other ingredients. Before I officially ask for an idea, I will search a bit. Tuna and mayo with chopped LLSPC on toast sounds pretty appealing right about now! Thank Linda Lou for the recipe and the guidance. And the guidance. And the guidance... Helen

Pam, We are nothing here if not enablers. We all enable each other, whether it comes to gardening, preserving or cooking. I have heard of Linda Amendt's book, but don't have it. I think you could do a search on the Harvest Forum and find reviews of it there. The three non-Ball canning books on my bookshelf that I use the most are these: "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving" by Ellie Top and Margaret Howard. My copy is from the second edition, published in 2007. They may have a newer edition or a more current revision out, or even a newer book. I haven't checked lately. This book has marvelous small batches many of which make only 2 to 6 half-pint jars, which is a great way to try new recipes without making huge batches you might never eat. It also is ideal for items you grow in smaller quantities or can purchase at the Farmer's Market. This book has a lot of great recipes for everything from the usual jams, jellies, salsas and pickles to flavored vinegars, mustards, marinades, dessert sauces, syrups and even liqueurs. I use this book pretty often. "The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden and Market" by Linda Ziedrich. I have the second edition, published in 2009. This book has a huge variety of recipes and they are different from a lot of the standard pickling recipes. For example, she has a whole chapter on recipes for sauerkraut, kimchi and other cabbage pickles, and a different chapter on rice-bran, miso and soy-sauce pickles. There's a full chapter on fermented pickles, and also full chapters on sweet pickles, quick pickles and freezer pickles....as well as chapters on pickled meat, fish and eggs, and a chapter devoted to chutneys, salsa and other relishes. I love this book. "The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits" by Linda Ziedrich. My copy shows a copyright date of 2009. I am not positive if all the recipes in this book are free of commercial pectin, but nothing I've made from this book has included commercial pectin. It is full of amazing recipes for anything and everything you possibly could make from fresh fruit, including these: apple cider syrup, apricot-pineapple jam, cantaloupe jam with mint, maraschino cherries, fig jam, rose petal jelly, rose petal syrup, red grapefruit marmalade, lemon curd, lime syrup, orange jelly, peach-fig jam, hot green pepper-lime jelly, plum-apple conserve, pomegranate syrup, pumpkin butter, quince jelly, raspberry jam, raspberry vinegar, strawberry-orange jam, tomatillo jam, tomato marmalade, yellow tomato-pineapple preserves, watermelon rind preserves and watermelon molasses. If you are looking for recipes that are a little different from the usual fruit recipes in canning books, this book is full of them. I was watching the same football game and thinking at times that it looked like they were playing the game inside a snow globe. I know you'll be busy today ahead of the brutal cold front. It is almost noon and we're still below freezing. It is hard to imagine that a week ago we were in the 70s and hit the 80s a couple of times. Today it is a whole different world, and a very cold one at that. Dawn

I am so "on the cusp" it's hard for me to keep from calling vodka based drinks served in martini glasses "martinis", but totally get that gin is the only martini. Here's my favorite vodka based "martini" drink. What else can this generation call drinks that are made in that style (pure to almost pure liquor/served in a martini glass)???! Godiva Chocolate Martini recipe 1 1/2 shots Godiva® chocolate liqueur 1 1/2 shots creme de cacao 1/2 shot vodka 2 1/2 shots half-and-half Dip a glass in liquid (your choice, 1/2 and 1/2, vodka, chocolate liqueur...). Rim the glass with powdered chocolate drink mix (I know, I know, but it looks so pretty :). Swirl a glass with chocolate syrup. Add all liquid ingredients in a shaker along with ice. Pour into glass and garnish with either a cherry or a coffee bean. The coffee bean is more traditional, but cherries are becoming more widely seen. Very ultra decadent. -Robin