This hollowness may be a condition which could be from the strain of cukes grown. Because most cukes tend to need a lot more water to grow, in order for them to become long. Also, there are a few types that farmers prefer to grow that are long keepers, which, in turn, could have less water content. The hollow cukes I have seen are usually ones that the seeds are seperated in triangular rows inside. This same condition sometimes shows up in overripe watermelons too. Keep in mind that if your making pickled cucumbers, and even though they may be fresh, the person who grows them may be choosing a strain that gives better yields, but need less care and watering. Simply an economic issue, at the expense of those who pickle cukes at home. When I grow them, I usually choose varieties like the Heinz, or county fair types, which are of a strains that are firm and solid. Another issue with cukes is bitterness, and the ones I have grown have also had a few bitter ones. I've read a lot about this and it seems to affect almost all varieties when the plants are in the earlier production. Hybrids are Ok for somthing things, but you need to find out what is the actual type your farmer or supplier is growing. There is nothing more disappointing then biting into a pickled bitter cuke. Sometimes it tends to make the whole jar unpleasent tasting. I was almost tempted to taste a small amount of each cuke before its put in a jar, but if you have a bushel or more to work on, that would be a bit much. Even for that, if you do find a bitter tasting one, your taste buds are not going to be able to easily detect a sweet one afterwards. My grandmother used to cut off an end and rub the two cut pieces together and see if there was a clear color liquid, or a whitish slime. If they showed the white slime, she didn't use that one. Not sure if this was really a way to tell though.

I make the recipe in Joy of Cooking, about a 1965 version, and the women at my parents' church followed the same recipe for many years before then. The Texas Monthly recipe I've linked to below is the same except that I use only 10 pounds of sugar to 10 pounds of rind, and we put it up in half-pints; we also often begin with 5 pounds of rind and reduce the other ingredients accordingly. We always remove the green rind with a potato peeler, but we leave a little of the pink melon for color. The house smells divine when this is cooking! New recipes I have read require processing for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath after filling the jars. Oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon, usually by LorAnn, are available in some pharmacies and at cake decorating stores. Yes, we use an eyedropper to measure the oils. Here is a link that might be useful: Watermelon Pickle recipe in Texas Monthly

I like the combination of ham and asparagus both in crepes and in an omelet with Swiss or brie cheese. When I get down toward the bone, I usually cut it into cubes and grind it in my mini chopper. Some ways to use ground ham: 1) Add ground ham and cheddar cheese to turn twice-baked potatoes from a side dish to a microwaveable main course. 2) Add to hollandaise sauce and pour over a whole steamed cauliflower. 3) Stuff halved zucchini or eggplant with ground ham, rice, chopped tomatoes, seasonings, sauteed chopped onions and the zucchini centers. Top with cheese and microwave or bake. 4) Ground ham can be mixed in when making scrambled or devilled eggs. 5) Substitute ground ham for sausage when making stuffed mushrooms 6) Sprinkle on cooked green beans 7) Mix with some cream cheese and finely chopped sweet red peppers and scallions. Stuff mixture into hollowed out cucumbers, chill and slice 8) Stuff large pasta shells with ground ham, spinach and ricotta cheese 9) Ground ham mixed with cream cheese, a bit of drained crushed pineapple and curry powder makes an interesting filling for tea sandwiches. 10) Saute ham, finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. Add drained and chopped cooked spinach. Mound on top of slightly scooped out halved tomatoes. Cover top of mixture with Parmesan cheese and bake. Baked eggs - Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put about a tablespoon of cooked sausage or ground up leftover ham in a custard cup. Break an egg over it and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of milk or cream. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve with toast fingers. Can sprinkle grated cheese on top or add a bit of herbs.

I made candied jalapenos for the first time this year and they are my new best thing. We don't like extreme heat here but appreciate a little so I end up chopping them up and adding to just about everything here lately. I, too, had about 3 pints of leftover syrup and decided to can it as is. Last night I made both chicken and beef enchiladas for our family dinner so I cooked a beef roast in the slow cooker, with a jar of that syrup. WONDERFUL!!! Probably even better over a pork roast. Another odd thing I did.... our local volunteer fire dept has an annual nut/chicken dinner for free-will donation and while I'm not into the nut portions, their chicken is always fabulous. I mixed a little of that syrup in with some ranch to use as a dipping sauce. A friend of mine who can handle a little more heat uses them whole on sandwiches and dips everything in that syrup. I see this is an older thread but I'm always curious about how others use their canned goods so thought I would share. Lori