Just canned some green beans, and they turned out kind of pale. Did I cook them too long? Maybe it's the variety, Top Crop. They were very fresh and the plants were very healthy. The raw beans might have been lighter than some varieties. Maybe I should have used hot pack instead of cold?
If you're up for an experiment, try blanching and freezing some of them. It goes much faster and I like the flavor/texture better in the end. I steam blanch for 3-4 minutes, put in a colander and dunk in ice water, spin dry in a salad spinner, then freeze 3-4 cups in a quart ziplock bag (with as much air squeezed out as possible). By doing this in a repetitive batch process I can crank out one ziplock bag every 4 minutes.
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Thanks! I'll try freezing sometime. My freezer isn't very big. I've got a lot of sweet corn and berries in it. Hoping to fill it up with venison this fall.
I think I'll try freezing some beans and canning some sweet corn next year to compare.
Joseph Lofthouse
author & steward
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Location: Cache Valley, zone 4b, Irrigated, 9" rain in badlands.