stage_rat, yes it is I who has an interest in heirloom tomatoes. I WSed about 35 varieties this year with astounding germination rates. I only wish that I had been better prepared to bring more with me to share but my decision to come to the swap was literally last minute so I threw what I could in the car. If anyone happens to be in the western burbs this week and wants some though I still have plenty to share after farming out what I could to family and friends. All those that haven't found homes by Friday get brought to the year-end picnic at the kids' school with a "free to good homes" sign. I'd love to talk tomatoes anytime. I'll be scouting out the farmers markets this summer for some fun new varieties to save seed from since my saved seeds from last year did so well. Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful plants. I came home totally inspired and have been ripping my way through previously neglected beds and overhauling them dramatically. Ellen, that gorgeous bleeding heart is the star of a new little shade garden in a newly-beautified corner of the garden...speaking of stars, shooting stars you say? I was just admiring them at a nursery the other day...making notes for next year's wish list :o) -Corrie

Grazzie figfan.Era importante per me saperlo.Forse non hai fatto caso,ma io sto in Bulgaria.Se queste varieta hanno matturato da voi,alora sono ottimista.Dopo tutto,la mia pianta e ancora giovane e questo e il suo primo anno in terra.Estate era veramente caldissimo anche da noi...eppure settembre ed ottobre alcuni gradi sopra la media.Speriamo bene per l'inverno che viene...Grazie ancora ed "in boca al lupo"... pako

First of all, Carlk is telling it straight, these peppers are canned at home and in regular oil, the cheapest vegetable oil you can find, using traditional home canning methods. He's not lying when he says that in old Italian neighborhoods, every house with "older" people has these peppers. Make a roast and a sandwich with these peppers and you'll know exactly why they all have them. Old Italian women seem to have, in my experience, a habit of never really showing how something is made, like it's their legacy, like, "those peppers Eva used to make unbelievable". I've been on the same quest to duplicate the Italian Frying Peppers my grandma used to have. I've searched for 20 years to come up with the recipe. Branco's peppers are sort of okay, but are basically crap compared to homemade one. Barnco's used to use good oil and now they got cheap, they use preservatives and they leave the seeds in, which most people don't like. They also get bad REALLY fast once opened. I've talked to many people, people have made attempts to make these things and nobody comes close. The peppers are cubanelle peppers and they are very mild, just like a green pepper. Many people who can't digest green peppers substitute cubanelles because the skin is easier to digest. One thing you notice right away with Italian frying peppers is that they have a little "bite", not spicy, but kind of hot. This is strange since it's a mild pepper. I've been told that nothing is added to make them hot. In most people's attempts, the peppers stay yellowish, with few red ones in each jar, but the oil looks orange. Almost too orange to have turned orange from so few red skinned peppers in the jar. Most people's attempts yield peppers that are too stiff, unlike the "family made" ones. Someone told me that if you freeze the peppers first and then thaw them when you can them, they will soften. I'll actually be glad to give anyone $100 that can give me a recipe that works and I'm not joking one bit. The old Italian women take their recipes and pratices to grave. My grandma used to make a thing called a falalone, I've yet to ever find anyone that even knows what I mean. I've posted a picture of one of the last 2 jars I have left. I've been told they'll stay good for 2 years or so. There's a link to the pic below. You can contact me at mike AT mjsawyer DOT net http://bit.ly/uhOrmY And having worked in Bellevue for 5 years and selling Internet to about half the population there, I'm kind of curious who CarlK is if he's from there??? And Branco's peppers are a far cry from homemade ones! I'd also like to know how they take a mild pepper and make them hot. The "mild" versions of Italian frying peppers even have bite. This is Branco's business listing on Yahoo - http://local.yahoo.com/info-33246360-branco-s-gourmet-italian-fremont I haven't made it through the entire Internet yet, but I've been using the following search phrase: +recipe +canned +"Italian frying peppers" -stuffed

Hi may_flowers and jams, thanks for your suggestions! jams, I think I'm with you. Although I might still keep small containers in the kitchen and larger ones in the mudroom. may_flowers, thanks so much for your suggestion on the tile. The beauty of the photocopy is that I can try it both ways! I did try the tile on the sink wall but it looked somehow a little off to me, especially because I have a big switch and stuff there. And the Moroccan tile looks a little nicer next to the warmth of the wood. The rest of the BS is plain glossy white 4x8" 'subway.' Although I like the tile a lot, I don't want to run it throughout as it starts to have a wallpaper look that isn't what I'm going for. This post was edited by robotropolis on Mon, Feb 24, 14 at 13:17