My original plan was to freeze green beans, but since my freezer space is limited I'm thinking about canning them instead. I have the Ball Canning book but it's at home and I'm at work so I'm going to pester you with my questions.

Can I use a water bath to can green beans or do I need to use a pressure cooker? Is the pressure cooker that you use for canning the same as what you can use for cooking food or is it something different? If I have to buy one what should I look for? What's a good brand to get, are there any brands that are a waste of money?

PS Jim, Cindy or Joy: I put this in the Recipes category, but it seems like we need a Cooking or a Kitchen category. What do you think?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Answers

I do not work for the government. The only home economics classes I took were to fluff through High School. I do not have some sort of ulterior motive other than this is how I do it ;)

No you can not waterbath green beans. The only thing you can safetly water bath are jams and jellies. Water only heats to 212 degrees at a rolling boil, this does not kill bacteria. Boiling for 10 minutes or 10 hours still only gets you a 212 degree temp. When you pressure can you rasie the temperature significatly through pressure. Hence killing bacteria and giving you a long lived seal. I actaully pick my green beans as they ripen, freeze them in gallon zip locks, then when I have enough I can them. I have an old canner with the frankenstien bolts you tighten down, fine if you get the instruction books with them. The new ones are lighter weight and you have to replace seals periodically, mine doesn't have a seal. If you purchase off ebay etc. make sure the directions are with it. Canning is easy, quicker than waterbathing (especially if you go by the instructions some folks give to boil for 3 hours??) Not only is this the insturctions in all my canning books, but more important, my MOM said so!!! Vicki

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Sherri...as Vicki said, you could water-bath your beans forever and never get above 212 degrees. Please pressure can for your own safety! Water-bath high sugar or high acid foods ONLY. I bought a 15 quart cast aluminum pressure canner from Cumberland General Store several years ago. It has the metal to metal seal and will last a lifetime. Yeah, it's pricey, but well worth it. I pressure can all my Purple Pod beans and freeze my green and yellow beans. Canned beans have a shelf life of almost forever!! But always "sniff" before you eat! And, yes, pressure canning is fast once you get a system going. Good luck!

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

I was 99.9% sure that I needed to pressure can them, but since I've never done it before I thought I would double-check.

Vicki, do you blanch the beans before you freeze them or just freeze them raw? I have a lot of beans now that I've been giving away because I know that I won't have time to can them until next week. It would be nice to be able to stockpile them and just do one big canning blitz.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Sherri, no I am not a fan of blanching. My thoughts on this are simple. Blanching is really a sort of cooking of the outer skin of your vegetables. You are then breaking down this coating and letting water in, it then freezes and turns the outer layer to mush. Try this experiment. Freeze some beans just washed and patted dry. And freeze some beans after blanching. Now cook the beans and do a side by side test. The unblanched beans are far superior! Especially when you take into account you picked them, washed them, dried them and simply added them to the freezer, I keep the extra large ziplock bags in my freezer and simply add a layer to the top of the bag until full. Unless you are infested with bugs, and even then you can just pour boiling water over your vegetables to rid yourself of them, I think blanching is an old outdated step. Vicki

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

Hi Sherri,

I created a "Kitchen Science" category. I'm not sure if I like the name (I didn't know for sure what to call it) so if someone thinks of a better name, maybe Joy or Cindy could go in and change it.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Sherri, remind me to show you my 4 pint presto cooker-canner when you are here Sat. It is wonderful for just the two of us. The only thing I do in quarts are pickles and things that can be done easily without pressure. I cook in it also so it has dual purpose.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

No! No! Not pickles!!!!! aaahhhh!!!!!!

Sorry, I spent summers during my college years working at the Vlasic pickle factory and I still haven't recovered. I don't even like cucumbers anymore.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

So, does everyone like Kitchen Science? Or are there other suggestions? Kitchen Wizardry maybe?

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

How 'bout Kitchen Hints or Ask the Kitchen? Most folks have different ideas that work well for some, but not for others.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

By the way, Sherri. After you have done some canning of your veggies, when opening a jar for use, don't throw out the liquid! It's excellent for use in soups, sauces, gravies or at the very least, give it to your pigs and chickens! Unlike frozen veggies which retain most all of their nutrients during the freezing process, much of the "good stuff" ends up in the water during pressure canning. Just a hint from Marcia's Kitchen!!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

I like "Kitchen Wizardry". Since we're supposed to be an "alternative" forum, how about having topic labels that are a little different from the norm?

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

I also like Kitchen Wizardry, why not be a little different??

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Yes, and we ARE all such magicians in the kitchen, aren't we? [sigh . . . not really, I am barely adequate]

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Marcia something southern (I am from southern California originally, believe me it isn't the same :) anyway is to flour your meat, chicken etc. then use the extra seasoned flour and the liquid off your canned veggies or/and boiling potatoe water, to make your gravy! Now that is something they don't teach you in cooking school. Vicki

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Great idea, Vicki. I'm having deep-fried chicken wings tonight...guess I'll add gravy to the menu!!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001