When most people find out I like to can they assume I’m Amish or preparing for the zombie apocalypse, and while n
either applies to me, the truth is even weirder to some people—I actually like canning! I knowI don’t have to, I know cans of green beans go on sale for 69 cents a can, but that changes nothing. I’m an addict.
One of my favorite things in the summer is fresh green beans. Sautéed, pressure cooked, baked. However you cook them I love them. Naturally, I don’t want to pay a fortune for them in winter months, so I can them, and so can you!
Canned Green Beans:
Ingredients:
- Green beans {as many as you have on hand or get from the garden. I usually save up until I have a big enough batch to warrant breaking out the pressure canner}
- Kosher salt
- Quart mason jars {you can use pint jars, but for more than one person I find there isn’t enough in a pint jar}
Directions:
- Sanitize jars, lids, and rims. You can do this by dunking into boiling water or simply running through dishwasher on sanitize cycle. Personally, I run jars through dishwasher & then dunk lids and rims in boiling water.
- Snap ends off green beans and break into 1”-1.5” pieces
- Rinse green beans
- Pack beans tightly into mason jars, leaving ¼” space at top of jars
- Place ¼ tsp salt into each jar
- Fill jars with boiling water to bottom of rim
- Slip a plastic spatula around the edges of the jar to work out air bubbles. If water level lowers, fill again to rim level
- Place sanitized lids and rims on jars. Tighten rims as much as possible
- Place jars in a pressure canner and follow canner instructions.
The pressure canner took me awhile to get used to, but it is necessary with green beans because they are non-acidic and risk spoiling without being pressurized.
I used to freeze green beans, but didn’t like how they tasted as much when they defrosted. I use my canned beans throughout the year, as a side, in soups or in casseroles. Always label your canned jars with the date so that you can use the oldest first.
- Photos: Sarah Kudlack
