Sunday, July 19, 2009

Green Bean Harvest and Canning

It's that time of year again, when preserving food begins. Yes, I had my first crop of Green Beans from my container garden. Very exciting that it has worked out so well. It seemed like there was less damage to the beans from bugs or laying on the ground. Nice, crisp, beautiful beans - our favorite! It was nice to move the pots around to get all the beans picked. Look at all those yummy beans!
Then we took off the ends and snapped them up. Washed the beans really good, washed and prepared the bottles and the pressure cooker.
I washed 12 bottles and had enough beans to fill them all. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each jar.
Fill the jars with boiling water and run a knife down the sides to get all the air bubbles out.
Boil the canning lids for a few minutes and put on the jars and tighten with the ring.
Add to the pressure cooker. Since I had 12 bottles, I did 6 at a time.
Use 10 pounds of pressure on the pressure cooker.
Since it was a VERY hot day - record 106 degrees.... I did not want to process this in the house. I decided to do it outside on the side burner of my barbecue grill. This is the first time I have tried this and I'm sold....I will process food this way from now on. I really think the sun helped in the process - solar rays hitting the shiny metal. The process seemed a LOT shorter to jiggle the 10 pound pressure. After it starts jiggling you process it for 20 minutes.

It was wonderful to get 12 bottles done on my first harvest. I am confidant it will be a great year for beans in my container garden. I also have TONS of tomatoes - just waiting for them to ripen. Yippee!

Saturday I do a lot of washing too. I always change the sheets on the bed and wash them every Saturday. I didn't want to heat up my house because of the warm day - so I pulled out my retractable clothes line and dried my clothes.
A trick I read several years ago was to hang the clothing upside down. To me, it seems like there are less wrinkles drying this way and the top of the pants, the arms on the shirts seem to dry quicker blowing in a gentle breeze.

I love the smell of clothing hanging on a line. mmmmmm

Brady kept teasing me that I was getting old - with all of the old way of drying clothes, washing dishes by hand - because I didn't want to turn on the dishwasher - and that heat.

It worked too - because the air conditioner was able to keep the house cool on a 106 degree day. I love air conditioners.... and I'm going to use it - no matter what "green freaks" think or the government does with their cap and trade bill.... It's my house and I'll keep it cool!! (sorry about the rant ;-) *wink!

9 comments:

CB said...

I've been watching my beans grow but yours are WAY ahead of mine.
Fresh green beans from the garden are definately my summer fave!

Good job getting a dozen in jars!

Kimmie said...

Lucky you...I hope our green beans do well! We've never planted them before...this is our first year. Our neighbors always seem to plant too many and always give us a bunch each year and so I haven't ever planted any, but decided I would give it a try this year.

I LOVE how you used your grill outside to pressure cook them...that is awesome and I love your clothes line as well!! Lucky you to have a clothes line to help keep the heat down in the summer!

My favorite thing to make each year with Garden FRESH green beans is "Shepherd's Pie". I never make it unless I can make it with fresh beans.

You are going to be reaping the blessings of your harvest this winter when you pull out your jars of things you planted in your garden for dinner times.

You are SUCH an ambtitious, hard working woman and I hope you know what an inspiration for goodness you are to me!!

Have a wonderful week!!

Connie said...

I'm waiting patiently for my green beans to be ready! Yours look beautiful and I do like the way you kept the heat outside! I'm going to try it here when the time comes.

Right now I'm dealing with apricots.

Ann Marie said...

Yay! I love to see you benefit from your harvest! :)

I love green beans from the garden. They are just OK otherwise..

Happy Sunday! :)

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Wow, canning in 106 degree heat! Yikes! Glad you got so much. My beans are still in blossom. That's OK, I'm not ready to start all that hard work. Last year I was a canning fool and ended up canning over 500 jars of foodstuffs. I canned meat for the first time. I've loved having that convenience food on hand.
I think you should still feel "virtuous" even though you ran the air conditioner....hanging clothes out, washing dishes by hand...yup yer a pioneer!

Scrappy Girl said...

I {heart} AC too. Ours is currently on the fritz and we have to order a new part...thank goodness for cooler weather. I can't stand being hot and sweaty!

Love the green bean pics...I have never canned...I know you are shocked...LOL! My fave green beans are called Half Runners. I love the big kernels.

Rhonda said...

That is how I canned when I did my peaches and pears a few years ago, except I used my dutch oven burner to put my cold pack canner on. It worked great. I may have to start drying my clothes on a clothes line I about croaked when I got my electric bill and it hasn't been that hot out until now. Autumn went to see HP on Sat. and really liked it, I can't wait for Rich and I to go.

Small House said...

Looks like we had the same kind of weekend. I thought the washing would never end. Your beans look beautiful. Ours will be just around the corner. I'm sure you'll be canning beans all week. It seems like, once they decide to come on, they are here!

Have a good week!
Sandra

Zoey said...

I didn't realize that you could do it on your grill outside. How clever. Also, I will have to try the hanging clothes upside down trick!

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