Question
I have canned fruits (mostly) and veggies as long as I can remember but have not been happy with the results lately.  I live at 9000ft so have to water bath my jars longer and the produce seems a bit soggy.  Also, I have tried to find the "trick" for dill pickles so they are crunchy. Any iedas?

Answer
Dear Alta,
I have one suggestion, but I am still searching for the perfect crunchy dill, myself.  Alum helps increase crunch for pickles and also keeps the veges a bit crisper in the canning process.  Tread lightly and experiment, but I've added extra alum without changing the flavor.  My aunt has a great pickle recipe, not dill, though, and they are very crisp, she says alum is the secret.  I'm going to be doing some experimenting, myself this year, so if I find anything I will post it to our website.  I'm just now building the organic gardening and preserving page - nothing there yet, but check later in the summer.  I'll include the mainpage address.
Kind Regards,
Kindred
www.eingedi.us