Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Green beans: the easy vegetable

I've canned lots of tomatoes this year. So many, in fact, that I suffered an overload and found someone who will come and take some tomorrow. Tomatoes are messy to can because of the way you have to put them in boiling water to loosen the skin, then transport them to a sink full of cold water, then take the skin off and remove the core. Yes folks, it's messy. And there's enough natural sugar in them that the jars are a little sticky when they're done.

Peaches are sticky and messy too; there's that syrup that must be poured over them in the jar, and some of that always ends up on the counter and floor.

Stickiest of all, the sweet pickles.

Now I'm not complaining, mind you. It was my choice to do all these things, and it's fun.

But today I canned green beans, and I realized how I love the simplicity of doing that.

Normally, when you pick green beans, it involves a lot of stooping and bending. Not so for me this year, though, because I planted pole beans, and most of them are well above ground level. So the picking was actually fun in the cool of the early morning.

The next step was breaking them and removing the ends. I did this sitting in the shade of a tree with Sadie by my side. It was a piece of cake, very relaxing.

Then all I had to do was pack them into pint jars, pour hot water over them, put lids on, and put them in the pressure canner.

No mess. No fuss. No stickiness. Sixteen pints, ready for winter.

Green beans, I love you!

*Thanks to my daughter for adopting a few of my butternut squashes this evening. They really needed a good home.

7 comments:

  1. I'm glad you found a home for some of the squash and tomatoes and that you had a pressure canner for those green beens too. It all sounds like a lot of work to me, but then I won't be enjoying all those good things this winter either.

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  2. I remember doing all that canning. I don't do that anymore but I sure miss the good eating in the winter. Good for Rachel taking those squash. Helen

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  3. That is the easiest canning to do, I think! I'm glad you found someone to come by and take some of your tomatos.

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  4. Anonymous6:17 AM

    mosie how i love to see that someone cans still it has brought me back in time when i was growing up my beloved parents did all that and then some i have to say them were the days my friend thats for sure and i sure miss them :0( but thanks to you and your shareing make me so happy to bo back way back then thanks :0)also them butternut squash send them to me that is my favoriate and as long as you keep them in a cool dark place they will last all year just about and i am not a farmer i just remember my beloved parents doing just that and we had that yummy squash all year long with some of our wonderful dinners :0) maria

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  5. Lindie9:07 AM

    My girls loved it when I had a garden! After they were grown, they would come "shopping" to my house! We all miss the green beans!

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  6. That does sound relaxing!

    <3 Lindsay

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  7. ms martyr1:11 PM

    Freezing broccoli is super easy also. Cut it up, put in boiling water for 3 minutes, then ice water for another 3 minutes. After it is drained, freeze on cookie sheets. Once frozen put in food saver bags and back in freezer.
    Tried fried green tomatos for the first time ever last night. Very nice.

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