Looking for an activity the whole family can enjoy this summer.  Not your usual summer craft,   but a great idea for a rainy day.  Who doesn’t love pickles, and you can make your own in 24 hours. Make it a family assembly line, there’s a job for everyone in the process.  My daughters used to do this with Grandma when they were just kids.  Being nostalgic the other day, my daughter and I got out the old recipe and whipped up a batch. We went through them quite quickly.  So we made more, everyone is always so amazed that they are home made.  We’ve been giving them away to friends, only problem with that is we don’t always get our jars back, hmmm how do we solve this problem. Got it…a stand up barrier zipper pouch, fill the bags and zip them up, since they aren’t for retail no real need to heat seal them. I’m giving you the recipe and I hope you will start your own family memories.

24 Hour Pickles  makes 3 Quarts  or 6 Pints           about 8-10 cucumbers peeled

1      cup white vinegar

5      cups water

1      Tablespoon sugar

1/3   cup kosher salt

Bring all of the above to rolling boil. Then set aside and cool completely.

Fill Jars with cucumber spears or slices.

In each jar put:     5 to 6 heads of fresh dill

                              2-3 cloves of garlic sliced  

Cover spears with cooled brine and put in refrigerator  for 24 hours.

Must be kept refrigerated.

Recyclable:

‘Recyclable’ products can be collected and reprocessed to produce new items. When we think recyclable, we usually think of, paper, cardboard, plastic water bottles, glass, and aluminum. The more items we recycle – less waste is dumped in our landfills.  Find out what kind of materials are accepted by your municipal curbside garbage program and how the materials should be separated to ensure they are processed correctly.

Biodegradable:

Biodegradable can be defined as being able to be broken down by natural processes, into more basic components. Products are usually broken down by exposure to moisture, heat and micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi. By this definition, most chemicals are biodegradable; the only thing differing would be the amount of time it takes to break down. Products that are labeled as biodegradable can be disposed of in your garbage.  

Compostable:

‘Compostable’ products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit: when they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil, aiding the growth of trees and plants. When these products degrade they produce no toxic residues.  More than 50% of our domestic waste is organic and therefore compostable. Also products that are made out of PLA (Polylactic acid) bagasse (sugarcane fiber) or vegetable starch are compostable. It is environmentally-preferable to use disposable products that are labeled compostable  rather than just ‘biodegradable’.

Yes, April 22 will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.   In 1970 people all over the United States made promises to help the environment. Since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. Now more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action. We have been celebrating Earth Day for 40 years but only more recently are people taking seriously the task of saving the environment and our planet. The packaging industry is continually working on developing Eco-friendly packaging options.  2010 gives us great choices in bags alone.  First, Non-Woven Totes and now you can blend that with Jute.  We are even finding ways to use things I used to just eat…  Tapiopca and Corn based bags are becoming more and more popular.  Earth Day 2010 is a perfect opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy.  Take advantage of this “green holiday” and use this opportunity to convey your business is committed to going green.