Putting Up Food is Our Life || Canning Our First Runs of Green Beans

Canning green beans is a staple of this household's winter diet, relying on a multi-generational process that has been simplified over time to prioritize efficiency without sacrificing quality.

• Preparation method — Beans are broken by hand to remove tough strings, which ensures a better texture when eating the canned product later [04:00].

• Handling "shellies" — Over-mature beans, which feel rubbery, are opened to extract the seeds for canning rather than discarding the entire pod [10:49].

• Cleaning process — Produce is washed in large stainless bowls, changing the water multiple times until it runs clear of dust and garden debris [12:07].

• Process simplifications — The hosts have abandoned two traditional steps to save time:

  • Blanching beans before packing the jars [17:04].
  • Pre-sterilizing jars, as the heat inside the pressure canner is sufficient to sanitize them [17:55].

• Canning routine — Jars are filled at room temperature with 1 teaspoon of pickling salt, then processed for 20 minutes at 15 lbs of pressure [19:14].

• Canner nicknames — The pressure canners are given names, such as "Doe Mate" for a well-used pot and "Granny" for a newer, previously unused unit [31:54].

• What are "shelly beans"?

• Why did the hosts decide to stop blanching their green beans?