Tips on canning green beans

Green beans are the one reason I started canning in the first place.  They are an easy side to have at the ready.  Green beans are very easy to grow.  I have grown my own, but if I don't have enough to can then I buy a bushel from a farmer's market.  A bushel usually yields about 20 quarts.

This is how I do it:

• I buy or pick the green beans.  
• I bring them and start snapping them.  
• I actually use kitchen scissors to cut mine which seems to have less waste than snapping. 
• Once they are all snapped you can refrigerate them until you need them.  If you are refrigerating them don't wash them just yet.  Wash them right before you can them so they don't get mushy.  And you should really can them within two to three days of buying them.
• When you are ready to can, wash the beans.

If you want a thorough canning green bean tutorial then you can check out Pick Your Own.

I do something easier than that.  Once I pack the green beans into the jars, I don't put boiling water in them.  I just put tap water in the jars.  I have done it this way for 2 years and it is a lot easier than boiling the water.  It is basically the cold pack method which can be found in Ball's Blue Book of Canning.

1 teaspoon of salt per quart jar

Pouring cold water

Make sure you push the the green beans

Don't forget to wipe the rim

And can away!

**Don't forget green beans must be pressure canned. Don't be afraid of pressure canning. If you follow the instructions you will be fine.