Canning String Beans

Much like my tomato soup fetish, I have a hard time swallowing any string beans that aren't home canned. And the best part about this recipe is that these are a very simple canned food. Only salt, water, and string beans go into these jars. You can feel good about serving and eating these healthy and delicious vegetables. So pull out your quart jars and pressure cooker, and before you know it you'll have string beans for the whole family.   

Canning String Beans in 10 Easy Steps

picking our homegrown string beans

 Step One: Snap off ends of beans.

Grandma snapping string beans

Step Two: Fill up sink with cold water. Cut beans into 1/2 to 1 inch lengths and wash in sink.

Step Three: Using a funnel, fill quart jars with cut and washed beans (squeeze as many as possible up to bottom of the neck).

Step Four: Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt to each jar and fill jar with water (up to the bottom of the neck).  

Step Five: Top jars with lid and rim (no need to boil lids).

Step Six: Fill pressure cooker with 2 quarts of water. Place filled jars filled on grate in pressure cooker, and close lid tightly, (be sure to read your pressure cooker instructions).

Step Seven: When you can hear water boiling, cover the seam nozzle with cap (that's the black thing) and watch until pressure reaches 10 psi in cooker. 

Step Eight: Maintain 10 psi for 25 minutes by altering heat on the stove (add more heat if psi is dropping, and lower heat if climbing too high). 

Step Nine: After 25 minutes, turn off stove and take off steam cap.  Wait until the cooker reads 0 psi (this will take a while, do not open until at 0 psi). 

Step Ten: Unlock lid and take out jars.  After 24 hours, check to see if cans are sealed (lids should not flex up and down when lids pressed).

Hooray! Now you have some lovely, healthy green beans to pour in a pot and heat up on the stove for an easy side dish, or to add to soups and salads.  Be sure to store in a cold, dry place. 

Let me know if you have any questions!