Well I can only tell you how we use it - some are kind of far out. ;) We mix it in with plain rice for a side dish, mix it with cream cheese for a cracker spread, wife makes a mean salad dressing with in by mixing it with a basic vinegar and oil salad dressing. I like to use it on baked potatoes instead of butter and sour cream and I mix in into plain yogurt for a snack. Makes a great relish on hamburgers and ham and cheese sandwiches too. If you make panini or grilled sandwiches of any kind try it on them too. A nice thick grilled ham and cheese with chutney stuffed inside before grilling can't be beat. And here is the weird one - or so the grandkids tell us - we mix it with ranch dressing and a dash of hot sauce for buffalo wing dip. Dave

but I'm wondering if I could can it? It has basically the same ingredients as the above recipe except the onions and celery. Personally I would probably be comfortable with it but my opinion and $1.25 gets you a cup of coffee when it counts and I sure wouldn't recommend it to others as safe. The olive oil is VERY restricted in canning use can easily be left out but even with a detailed list of the exact amount of each ingredient there is simply no way to know for sure because it isn't a tested recipe so we'd just be guessing. #1 cardinal recipe of canning safety - You can't safely can your own made up recipes. Don't know the pH or the density, and density could be a real issue with this, so can't compute the PC processing time that would be needed. Sure, if you added citric acid it would be safer but still no way to know if it would be safe enough. Stick with freezing. :) Dave

tumblingtomatoes - Lots of determinate suggestions in the discussion just down the page called "a good tasting determinate, anybody know 1?" My personal favorite for my garden is Rutgers (the det. strain) and several recommend Mozark but most any of them will work in Florida as long as they are planted at the right time. That seems to be what is crucial to success for Florida growers and unfortunately it isn't the same as when most of us plant. ;) Right now thru spring is your best tomato growing time from what I understand from other Florida growers so it will likely all depend on what varieties you can find transplants for. If they offer Bradley, give it a try. Dave

"Am I correct in my belief that this recipe is a recipe for potential disaster?" While it obviously the recommended or approved method it isn't a recipe for disaster so much as walking a tightrope over the canyon. She might make it to the other side. Then again she may not so what is the point? What is gained? Given the real potential for illness why would anyone do that? Re-using the boiling water is clearly not recommended but many do it assuming that the boiling has killed any and all bacteria. We all know that isn't necessarily true. Plus anyone who has ever scrubbed beets knows how difficult it can be to truly get all the dirt off them. But the brine is a 50/50 vinegar to water brine so even though it is the recommended 2:1 ratio of vinegar to water, it meets the MINIMUM standards. It is supposed to be enough prevent any bacterial or fungal growth assuming processing. So in theory, any that remains in the boiling liquid would be compensated for by the brine. But then to not process them in any way - that crosses the line out of the realm of common sense. Leave all that air in the jar, in a vacuum, and with only a minimum brine and potentially contaminated water? Just plain dumb. We all have varying degrees of acceptable risk. But most accept a bit more risk in order to gain something in exchange. There is no gain here, just risk. Dave