Green beans; Can in boiling water bath?

Howdy,
15lbs. of fresh green beans =19 pints of Dilly Beans. Boiling water bath canning...been doing it for oh so many years...Still alive

randal cranor wrote: 15lbs. of fresh green beans =19 pints of Dilly Beans. Boiling water bath canning...been doing it for oh so many years...Still alive

The Dilly bean recipe I have calls for vinegar - is that true of yours? Vinegar is an acid and that makes the whole process safe.

Lime or lemon juice can be a substitute, but recipes will specifically exclude Meyer Lemons as they aren't acidic enough. Tomatoes used to be acidic enough to be safe as a salsa (or any recipe where you're added extra things that are low acid), but many modern varieties are lower in acid than they were 30 years ago before food production became industrialized and everything needed to taste the same all the time.

I need to find a local shop that carries the pH test strips so I can buy one in range of food safe for boiling water bath canning. I love making salsa, but I know it's on the edge. I add some vinegar, which is not traditional, but keeps it safe.

Yes, I made 11 pints of peach salsa yesterday, and the recipe calls for only a 1/2 cup of vinegar.  To that, I also added a glug of lemon juice which wasn't in the recipe but it seemed like a good thing (and it was delicious!). All the other salsa recipes called for salt, but the peach one didn't have that as one of the ingredients. I think it must've been an oversight and added in a few teaspoons which made all the difference in taste. Last year, I didn't notice the omission until tasting my first jar! I plan to harvest another peck tomorrow and make another few batches. The Ball book specifically mentions not using white peaches because they're not acidic enough, so I figured adding some extra acidity to my Red Haven peaches (which are fine to can) in the form of lemon juice was just good insurance.  I eat the salsa like a side dish throughout the winter; sometimes a pint will be my lunch.  We've been fortunate with some cooler temperatures. It makes the process of working around steaming pots for hours possible!

Hey! Jay ,
Around here they sell little bottles/canisters of test strips at the brewing supply store… if you prefer local to online retailers.

It says Precision Labs on the label and a phone number:  1 800 733 0266.

One set is 4.6  to 6.2.

The other is 2.8 to 4.4

I bought both though the 2.8 to 4.4 covers the range for botulism free canning.  I’m have no idea why I thought I needed the other!

Howdy,
"
The Dilly bean recipe I have calls for vinegar - is that true of yours?"

Yes, I use vinegar when the recipe calls for it.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Hey! Jay ,
Around here they sell little bottles/canisters of test strips at the brewing supply store…

Thanks Thekla. It never occurred to me to try the brew places. There's one fairly close.

And wrote:

I bought both though the 2.8 to 4.4 covers the range for botulism free canning.

I don't need more stuff around to confuse me, so if 2.8 to 4.4 stops botulism, that's what I'll get.

Jay,
Check somewhere reliable, but I think pH below 4 is safe for water bath canning at sea level, but it will be published somewhere that has done copious research.

I know i found it once when I grew a LOT of tomatillos and I wanted to add chilies and garlic and onion for salsa.  I found that pH number, and made salsa way down around 3.  Probably excessive, but yeah, I really want to be safe

You cannot buy pressure canners here in Germany. We process everything using the water bath method.
To do this, the beans are blanched for about 5 minutes and then immediately shocked in cold water. Next, pack them tightly into the jars, pour in cold water, seal the jars, and process the beans for a full 2 ​​hours at 100°C (timing begins once the contents of the jars reach a boil).

https://www.pressurecanning.de/en/%C3%BCber-uns  

Will this help?  I can’t tell if you order or they have it in a store, but here’s text screenshots from their website