Man a year goes by fast! It just seems like yesterday I was pickin' and a snappin'. Beans that is. Yesterday we had absolutely gorgeous weather with the temperature reaching only 84 degrees F but I unfortunately didn't get to enjoy much of it. Besides sitting on the deck snapping beans, I was inside canning. Two batches equalling 13 quarts. Canner takes 7 quarts at once but one was for eatin'. Canning one batch takes about 2 hours counting cooking the beans (hot pack), filling the jars, getting them in the canner, processing and finally the cool down to get them out of the canner. Actual processing time is just 25 minutes for quarts.
Even Asher helped with the snappin'. Of course we had to go in and investigate his beans or we might end up eating who knows what. We used bush beans, Kentucky Wonder this year.
These beans are out of our garden even though you see the Walmart bags. Once our buckets get full, we put them in the bags so we can keep picking using our bowls and buckets which are easy to spray with the hose to clean the garden dirt off.
This is a pretty good size sink, the best way to wash them in my opinion. Swirl the beans around then dunk a strainer in to fish them out then spray with water again. Easy peasy.
So here's the fruit of our labor. My labor. I was the only one canning. No one even came in for a drink while I was doing this... hmmm. I only had two casualties. Two jars fell from my counter with a crash and glass went everywhere. Good thing I guess the little fella wasn't under foot.
If you've never canned before, it's actually way less scarier than it sounds. Just get yourself a large canner, jars lids and bands, a jar puller outer thingy (technical name) and canning salt. You can either buy the fresh beans or grow them. Easy and very gratifying. I've got an awesome salsa recipe that you can can here.
Hopefully this is the first of bunches of more jars for the winter. We eat a lot of beans around here. It's just about the only green thing my kid will eat. We've got high temps of 105 Thursday, 106 Friday and Saturday! Thank God I won't be pickin' beans ;) at least for another week or so. Good water time temps.
Catch ya later,
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WOW!!! What I would give to eat some of your fresh beans!!!! They are beautiful and how fun to have Asher snappin' away with you...if I was closer I would come and help. Our weather is perfect right now, 74-76 degrees, it will get HOT in August.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite childhood memories is of sitting on the porch with my Grandmother (MawMaw)and snapping piles and piles of beans. She had a huge garden like yours and a road side stand. Every summer, we were always right there with her helping...thanks for reminding me of happy memories!
ReplyDelete"Artsyfartstyme" has been included in an edition of Thinking of Christmas Gifts in July for 2012. I hope this helps to attract many new visitors (not to mention customers!) to here.
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That is a fun hobby, Jaime !
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your summer treasures !
Asher is becoming quite the handsome young man! Lovely post bringing back childhood memories of my mother canning from our garden. I'm intimidated by canning equipment! I would probably blow up the kitchen! Stay cool......Janette
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. This is not exactly a fun hobby, well not when it's hot and humid and you're picking and itching and then the work that comes after but boy it is great to enjoy the harvest!
ReplyDeleteI have vague memories too of similar things Stephanie :) Most kids now days wouldn't have a clue on how to have a garden and put up food.
But isn't it a good feeling to open the cupboard and see the jars lined up...I always feel like a domestic goddess with my preserves. :)
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