Canning 101: Green Beans

It's not quite time to can green beans here in Iowa, but I've gotten some questions on how to can veggies, and for me, one of the easiest vegetables to start canning is green beans. The process itself is extremely easy, although if you grow green beans like we do, it will be time intensive. We usually grow several 75-foot long rows of beans, and by the time you pick, stem/snap, and wash them you've put in several hours (unless you have a buddy help you)....and you have yet to process them. But once you get to this stage of the game, the rest is just a matter of getting the beans processed and waiting.

As it's too early here for me to have taken pictures of my own canning station, I have borrowed pictures from http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-green-beans.html  This is a terrific site with so much information on canning, and I highly recommend adding this blog to your reading list.

To get your green beans ready for processing, snap off both ends of the bean. Inspect the bean for any blemish (bug bites, rust spots, etc.). Snap beans into bite-sized pieces and wash to remove any dirt and debris. Try to only work up how many beans you can do in one canning session. You can put the remaining beans in the refrigerator for another day to finish them, but once you snap them, they'll dry out if you don't get them processed.

When your beans are ready to can, here's what you do:


Step By Step Instructions For Canning Green Beans (Raw Pack Method)

• Carefully inspect all the canning jars you'll be using. No matter how careful you are, you're bound to have jars that develop nicks and chips. These are only good for display now...never use an imperfect jar to can with. Also on that note, while your mothers and grandmothers may have used whatever jars they had on hand when they canned, chances are they were using an open-water boil canner (and boiled the food for hours), do not use non-commercial jars in a pressure canner. They will not take the pressure, and you'll have a huge mess on your hands. Or if they seem to have survived the process, they may not seal properly, putting you and your family at risk for botulism, etc. While you can technically use other types of jars if using a water bath canner (and I have in the past), I've decided my family's health is too important to not use the proper equipment, and that means commercial-grade canning jars.
• Wash jars and closures (the rings) in hot soapy water. Rinse. Leave jars in hot water until you're ready to use them.
• Loosely pack green beans into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space (measure down 1 inch from top of the jar to see where this is). Do not shake or press down. Add canning salt to each jar:  1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar.

• Cover beans with boiling water, leaving a 1-inch head space. (You need this head space for expansion as the beans process.) Remove air bubbles using plastic spatula or other utensil (don't use metal...you could damage the jar). Wipe rims with clean cloth.

• Apply lids and adjust caps until finger tight.

• Process in a pressure canner, pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes, at 10 pounds of pressure.

• You'll want to have a constant pressure during the time required. I have a 22-qt. Mirro canner, and if you're new to pressure canning, the 35 minutes or 40 minutes is the time that the canner is at the pressure you need, not from the time you close the canner lid until you pull the jars out. All canners will have their own instruction booklet, but for my Mirro, when I start the canner on high heat, I have to wait until the pressure builds up (without my weight being used on top) and steam is released from the vent for a good 5 minutes. Then I put on the weight...and wait. When that weight starts to jiggle, I then turn down the heat on the canner until the weight is jiggling about 4-5 times per minute and stays at that level. It will take a little practice, but before long you'll know where that setting is on your stove and how far to turn down the heat. If the weight jiggles too much, you have too much pressure and could end up with broken jars. If it doesn't wiggle enough, the pressure is too low, and you probably won't end up with a good seal.

When you've processed the beans, you'll turn off the heat and wait again. Depending on your canner and the number of jars, you may wait 30 minutes to an hour for the pressure to come down before you can open the lid and remove your beans. Use a pair of canning tongs to remove the jars and set them in a draft-free place ( I put them on a towel on the table.)

You'll need to let the jars sit for at least 12 hours (overnight is fine) before you test your seals. If you keep count as you hear the lids seal (I call it a "ping" sound), that will make it easier to tell if everything sealed properly, but it's not necessary to listen all night for them. When you go to check the seal, carefully press down on the lid...if it doesn't spring back at you, it's sealed. You'll be able to see the center of the lid "bubble" and not be flat like the rest of the lid if it's not. Put the jar in the refrigerator and eat it as soon as possible. The seal isn't good, and you'll risk illness if you put it on the shelf and forget about it. Yes, you can re-can the beans if you like (I've done it before). Just use a different jar and new lid and process with your next batch of green beans. Never reuse a jar lid...they're only made for a one-time use (I'm talking about the traditional Ball and Kerr canning lids, not the ones that can be reused.)

Remove the rings. Wash and label your jars and put them on a shelf that will be cool and dark to store.

See...that wasn't so bad was it? You've just canned green beans! Wait until you taste them, if you haven't before. I swear you'll never ever buy canned green beans from the store again. :)