I guess to give a true review, I ought to have followed the recipe to the letter, but I never do that anyway! With the few changes I made, though, this made a very nice pickle. It's pleasant to eat and the whole family enjoy it. Those who have commented on the saltiness, this is easily remedied by rinsing the veg after soaking. The "mushy" consistency can also be resolved by chopping the veg into slightly bigger chunks so it doesn't cook down as much. My veg is still fairly crisp, despite cooking for a long time.