I know that many, many of you out there home can and have been doing this for quite some time. For those of you who fall into this category, the recipes today will mean very little to you.
If you fall into the category though of not being a canner for very long, or maybe not ever, then this may be of some help.
Deb and I both love to can, and I think the food tastes so good upon opening the jar and warming it for supper. This type of storage has no need for refrigeration, but can literally sit on a shelf, four to five years with no problem. This statement is true, IF prepared safely and properly. Just keep it in a cool, dark spot.
Today we’ll be canning fresh string beans and squash from the garden.
Canning String Beans and Squash:
String Beans:
Deb and I pop off the ends of the beans, just past where the bean attaches to the bush, and the other end. Very little pieces. We then break them into 1 to 1-1/2 inch lengths, and wash them well.
We have one pot of water boiling, and I roll the mason jars (quarts) in this water to sterilize our jars. I take them out, and run hot tap water in them, filling them up, and allow them to sit in the sink. I place the rings and lids in a small pot of WARM water too.
I’ve had my pressure cooker heating up the water in it, while preparing everything I just described above.
We then start taking the washed string beans and filling the jars with them, packing them fairly tight. I personally, though I’ve never seen it mentioned in any recipe, put in ½ strip of bacon in the jar once half filled with beans, and we’ve never had a problem…never. I do this only for flavor. At that point we finish filling the jar.
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‘Ridin Out The Recession With Dub and Deb in “Miz Judi’s Kitchen’!
Note to Readers: There are a few things that Dub doesn’t know but one thing he does know is that the word ‘Riding’ (as in Riding Out the Recession) is spelled with a ‘g’ at the end. But Dub not only walks the walk, but speaks like he is: down home, true blue, and plain speakin’ country folk.
Dub and Deb are both native Floridians, live in Central Florida, and run a small business as well. They have five children, and seven grandchildren.
Both love to cook, love to laugh, grow a garden, and generally try to “aggravate” most anyone around them basically…all in good fun, of course!
