Canning - Pungent Green Beans

This is my favorite canning recipe for beans. We are picking a good size basketful nearly every day, even in our small garden.

Trimming and cutting the beans can be the most tedious part of the job. Here is Sarah and Abe helping. Sarah actually cut all of the beans without stopping. She is such a joy to have in the kitchen. I gave Abe his own bowl, butter knife and he cut about two beans into 1/4 inch long pieces and then he was bored, but happy to have "helped".

Yesterday morning, I canned 3 quarts of beans, 6 cups of blackberry jam, baked some zucchini bread and wheat bread - all before lunch. I sure was happy to step outside that afternoon!

~I also grow larkspur to dry and have been picking a bunch each day.~

Here is the recipe for Pungent Green Beans ~

It uses a boiling water bath canner; yields 3 quarts~

3 - 4 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups water

3 cups white wine vinegar (I used 1 cup white wine vinegar, and 2 cups plain vinegar to save money)

3/4 cup sugar

1 T. celery salt

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper.

1. Cut the beans to a uniform size - about 2 1/2 inches long is good.

2. Cook the beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft.

4. Add the water, vinegar, sugar, celery salt, salt, pepper to the onion mixture and boil until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Add the beans and boil in the vinegar mixture for 2 minutes.

6. Ladle into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.

7. Seal and process in a boiling-water-bath canner for 15 minutes.

Warm wishes, Tonya