Canning Grean Beans

There are two different categories when it comes to canning. High acid foods and low acid foods. Green beans are a low acid food. Generally, if you choose to freeze beans they will last anywhere from 12 months to 18 months.

When you can beans they are good for up to 5 years. Part of the success of them lasting that long is storing canned items in a dry, cool place. You do not want to store them where the temperature can rise and fall dramatically, this will shorten the life span of your canned items.

The first thing you need to do is prepare your jars and lids by sanitizing them. You can do this in a dishwasher or by boiling them for 10 minutes. You want to check all your jars for any cracks or chips on the rim. More important than the jars are the lids, make sure not to use old, rusty bands and never re-use the lids.

You want to use the freshest green beans you can find, make sure they are crisp and firm. It doesn't matter what varity of bean, they all can the same. One bushes will make between 14-20 quart sized jars. For each quart jar individually, you will want half a pound of fresh green beans.

To prepare your beans for canning you want to snip of the ends, wash, and cut them to the desired length. Now put the (raw) beans into your jars, leave an inch space at the top of each jar. This space allows for any expansion during cooking that may occur. If you want to add salt to your beans do it now, 1/2 tsp. per jar.

Pour boiling water into your jars, pour slowly until the beans are just covered. If you see any air bubbles, use a plastic spatula to remove them. With a clean cloth or towel wipe the rim of the jar, put your lid on and then put on the band. Don't twist the band super tight, put it on just until it is snug.

Fill your pressure cooker with 3-4 inches of water, warm water is best. Put your jars into the pressure cooker. Wait for the proper pressure to be reached, for beans it's 11 pounds. Cook for 25 minutes making sure to adjust the pressure as needed to keep it at 11 pounds.

Once done, carefully take out the jars and let them sit on a cooling rack until totally cool.

Because of the low acid contained in green beans, it is not recommended to use the water bath method for canning. The reasoning for this is because it will not kill the bacteria within the jar. High acid fruits and vegetables are considered safe to use the water bath method on because the high acid content doesn't allow for bacteria to grow.

The exception to this "rule" is put something in the beans like vinegar or lemon which adds acid. Then you can safely use the water bath method for your green beans.