It helps me to know where people are located rather than just a growing zone, cause to be honest, the only growing zone I know for sure where is is mine! :P It also helps me if they have a trade list up. I understand some people don't always have time to do that, I know it took me a little while to get mine done. But when they're wanting to trade with me and just say they're interested in something I'm offering, and don't mention what they'd like to trade in return, and I go to their page to see what they might have, I'm a little disheartened to see a blank page. Unfortunately, it makes me a little leery. I don't mind offering to help someone get a list together and organized, and I offer to do so. I got a rather rude remark from one person saying she wasn't really new, had been at this for some time and didn't put a list up so she didn't get unwanted solicitations. I can understand that, but at the same time, if someone's going to trade, shouldn't they be kind enough to provide a list somehow? I also like to peek at their list to see if i have something I've not listed yet that they might like as an extra or part of the trade. I have several things that I'm waiting until I get planted, but know there's going to be way more than I can or want to plant right now, and wouldn't mind sharing it, but don't want to list it until I get mine planted. I understand there have been some here that have scammed other traders, and have addressed that one in another thread, but not taking the time to set up a page makes me really leery of trading with someone. Especially if I can't find a review thread for them. So the more info one can give, the better. I use to do a lot of trading with friends and neighbors when I lived in Texas and to a lesser degree in the last town I lived in, but I always knew the people and what they had and where my seeds were going and what they were on the look out for. A little different doing it over the internet where we can't even hear the enjoyment in someone's voice about the seeds they want. To me, and this is just MY opinion, the more info you can give me, the better I feel about sharing seeds I've harvested or that other people have entrusted me with :) Kathy~ My two cents

Hi Everybody, First, just to be clear Saltpetre (Saltpeter in the US) is NOT Prague Powder, PP#1 is a 6.25% mixture of SODIUM NITRITE. Saltpeter is POTASSIUM NITRATE (sodium vs. potassium, nitrite vs. nitrate). Frank is correct, Potassium Nitrate is not used very much any more, that is why Prague Powder is also known as "modern cure" and "pink curing salt". So, nothing wrong with using Saltpetre. You can get it at an old style druggist. If not, you can order it overnight from most major drug stores. I ordered it from Walgreen's, they sell the Humco brand using the chemical name of Potassium Nitrate. If you ask for saltpetre, any druggist under the age of 60 will probably look at you like you are nuts. Ask them to look it up in their computer. It is NOT food grade, which means it does not get inspected by the USDA for consumption, but it is produced in a clean chemical process. Everybody uses it, though if you call Humco, they will tell you that they can't endorse it for curing meat (with a wink). The chemical reaction that occurs has been known for years; the Nitrate in Potassium Nitrate breaks down into Nitrites due to enzymes and bacteria, which in turn create nitric oxide, which is what binds to the hemoglobin molecule in the blood in meat and keep it pink. This same reaction occurs naturally in the body through breathing and the cardio vascular process. If there is a problem getting nitric oxide into the blood extremities lose their pink color and turn gray. So most modern cures that require short curing times rely on a Prague Powder #1, which uses Sodium Nitrite to skip the step of going fron Nitrate to Nitrite. You also need less chemical to get the same cure, so DO NOT SUBSTITUTE IN RECIPES WITHOUT CORRECTION!. If you were curing sausages that need months to cure, you use a different formulation that has both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. The nitrite goes to work fast, while the nitrate does the normal breakdown over time into nitrite and then nitric oxide (this is PP#2). Keep in mind that the added function of the nitrates/nitrites is as a preservative. So the meat can be kept longer without the bad bacteria giving it their "funk". :) That's the start of the process, along with salt, good bacteria and mold, that allows raw meat to turn into dry cured sausages like salami without refrigeration. So if you want to do this in the future, just order from any spice house or sausage supply online, compare prices, and order some Praque Powder #1 or "pink salt". The remainder above the 6.25% of Sodium Nitrite is just table salt. They die it pink so that you don't mistake it for regular salt. Since you use so little, a 4oz bag goes a long way. And if you want to experiment, you can use any leftover saltpeter to make smoke bombs, flares, and gunpowder. ;) Hope this helps a little :)

Great idea you have someone? No one returns a phone call here. And if I am able to find someone where I live, you had better learn their job if you want it done correctly.

Slow cooker or braising are the best methods for corned beef. Low temp and moist cooking. What you season it with is up to you. I like to a more traditional pickling spice and mire poix, and a holiday brisket which has wine and tomato with seasonings in it. And sometimes a beer burble with different seasonings, kind of sourbraten mix. If you find corned beef too salty, soak it for 30-90 minutes in cold water before starting to use it. It is a brined product, so soaking it can help remove some of the salt. If you are looking for how to brine and corn a brisket, that's a different thing. For that you need curing salt, pickling salt, and most common corning spices are pickling spice mix. Some folks like to kick in some sugar, that's up to you. Boil a batch of brine, chill it. Then you brine your brisket for 7-10 days depending on the thickness of the meat. Make sure it is fully submerged the whole time. After brining, a rinse off and off to the oven prep it can go. Edit to add: if you have a really good cut of brisket for fine slicing. After brining you can rub it with peppercorns and coriander and smoke it low, then steam finish it... that's pastrami.