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| Clockwise, Bottom R: Draining washed beans, 5 gallon buckets of beans, Canners ready to go, Happy Results, ! |
I encourage you to pick and can the same day. The quality is the best this way. Picking and canning every day or two during the heavy producing season is easier than big batches.
Don and Bonnie let us pick beans from their big country garden for these beans that we will enjoy all winter. This is a simple recipe from Practical Produce; it is basically the same as the one in the Blue Book.
I prefer to raw pack beans, although you get more in a jar if you hot pack. Remember that low acid vegetables like beans must be pressure canned. Review your equipment and refresh your methods by clicking HERE.
Green Beans
Raw Pack: Wash and trim. Cut into 1 or 2” pieces. Pack tightly into hot jars. Add ½ tsp. salt to pints and 1 tsp. for quarts. If desired, salt may be eliminated. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids.
Hot Pack: Wash, trim and cut as above. Cover with boiling water, boil 5 minutes. Pack hot beans into hot jar with slotted spoon. Add salt as above. Cover with boiling cooking liquid, leaving 1” head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids.
Process in a pressure canner; pints 20 minutes and quarts 25 minutes.
Process at 10# pressure for elevations up to 1000 feet above sea level, 15# pressure for elevations above 1000 feet above sea level.
I use about 4 ½ to 5 pounds of beans for 8 pint jars or about 8# beans for 7 quart jars.
I use about 3 ½ quarts of water for 8 pints and 6 ½ quarts of water for 7 quart jars.
How many quarts do you go through in a year's time? We have just a 2-person household, and I haven't figured out how much of anything we might eat before the next season.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Juli
I've found that 2 to 3 dozen PINTS of most foods are enough for our 2 person family. That's a pint or the equivalent of a 15 1/2 ounce can every other week. I can tell you, however, that I sometimes can more if I have it, as the next year I may not have any to can. Family and friends are often happy to have your extras, if you can trust them to give your jars back.
ReplyDeleteThat's the case this year with cherries, plums and the like; frost while they were blooming. I'm happy to have a little jam left over from last year. This year hail also got our source of strawberries, for example. We usually use up most things before they are 2 years old.
Thanks, Sue!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a pressure canner. How long in a water bath?
ReplyDeleteVegetables are not safe to can in a water bath unless they have been pickled. I know great-grandma did it, but it not only isn't safe, the quality isn't great either.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to try 3 bean salad instead.
http://iowasue.blogspot.com/2012/07/home-canned-three-bean-salad.html
I read on another website, that it isn't safe to can anything without insuring that there is an extremely high acidity level to prevent botulism. However, if I am reading correctly, you are saying that it is safe to can such things, as long as it is in a pressure canner. Is this correct? I am new to this entire process, and I seriously don't want to endanger may family!! Thanks, a concerned and beginner canning mom:)
ReplyDeleteYou are right - you need a pressure canner to can low acid foods like vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. You can find good information on this HERE or in the front of a newer Ball Blue Book.
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteI dont know much about canning so I was wondering if you blanche your beans before you cold pack them will this kill botulism... and boiling on the stove is that considered a water bath... or exactly what is a water bath?
ReplyDeleteSusan
Basic Canning Equipment
DeleteThe link above shows you what a water bath canner is. Simply boiling the beans on the stove in an open-kettle is not a safe method for canning anymore, if it ever was really was safe.
Green beans must always be canned in a pressure canner, not a water-bath canner, unless they are pickled with an approved recipe.
You do not need to blanch your beans before canning in a pressure canner.
Both of the canners on the stove in the picture on this page are pressure canners; the one on the left is a Mirro brand, and the one on the right is a Presto brand that's fairly inexpensive at most Walmart stores.
Check out the information at this website - it's clear and easy to understand.
Safe canning information from Clemson University
Good Luck
Hi Sue, I canned green beans for the first time yesterday. I did the "Hot Pack". Everything went well, I thought I had gotten all the air out of the jars prior to canning but this morning whenever I checked the jars....All where sealed....but when I moved them to their storage area I noticed small bubbles in the jars. I didn't shake them up when moving them but I guess just the movement of the jars made the air bubbles, I don't know.... Will these Jars still be safe to eat??? Is this normal???
ReplyDeleteThanks
Linda,
DeleteCongratulations on your green beans! If you processed your beans in the pressure canner for the right length of time and at the right pressure for your altitude, I wouldn't worry about the bubbles in your jars - it is often hard to get all of them out of a tightly packed jar. It is still important to try, however, as you did, so that they don't "burp" and you lose a lot of water out of the jar. However, that only affects appearance, as the veggies or fruit out of the liquid "may" discolor a bit; that does not make them unsafe. Occasionally that may also make them not seal, as bit of food may get under the seal. Sounds like you are good to go.
Thanks Sue, Yes I processed them ..pints @ 20 minutes and the Quarts @ 25 minutes at 10PSI for my area.
ReplyDeleteOne more question please....Since I hot packed them I did "PACK" the jars pretty tight.
from what I read I shouldn't have packed them so tight, just loosely but I didn't want them to float. Will it matter since I packed them so tight? Next batch I was thinking I might not pack them so tight since I prefer the hot pack.
What do you think, will they still be ok in the long run???
By the way, they still as of this morning still have air bubbles in the jars.
Thanks, Linda
Linda,
DeleteI think it's perfectly OK to pack them fairly tightly, as long as you keep your headspace. That way they won't float. I wouldn't worry about your bubbles, they won't hurt anything.
Your beans should be good to go.
Thanks Sue, I really like coming here for advice. You always seem to know what to say to ease my pain with being a newbie canner. As time goes by and I venture out to try new stuff I'll probably encounter additional issue that I will need your help with. I hope you don't mind me asking you all these questions.
ReplyDeleteGreat Web Site!!!!
Take Care and Thanks so very much for all your help.
Hello. I was about to embark on my adventure in canning, when I saw this information about using the pressure canner. (I have fresh picked green beans from the garden) Unfortunately, I only have the water bath canners on hand. So, now I will be embarking on a new adventure of locating and purchasing a new pressure canner. I see that Home Depot carries a Presto Pressure Canner. I am off to the store. Thanks for saving us from Bolism!
ReplyDeleteWish you luck on your canning efforts...you'll like your pressure canner.
DeleteBotulism, ugh. Sorry, you knew what I meant. Lol
DeleteI just pressure canned my Flat Italian green beans.. They also have some small bubbles... So good to know they are ok! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are finding success with your canning.
DeleteWill you allow me to comment here. As we in the Showboat Brand make beans and Sausages recipes. So, follow us for showboat beans.
ReplyDelete