Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Green Beans

While I love the idea that I am somewhat self sufficient and that I am providing delicious and nutritious food, I wonder if green beans pencil out.

Plant the beans. Grow the beans.

Get the pressure cooker and other canning supplies from the attic. Sterilize jars. Pick the beans. Wash the beans. Snap ends of each bean. Cut beans into 1" lengths. Fill caner with water, boil and cook beans for 5 minutes. Put jars in boiling water bath. Drain beans. Pack beans into hot jar. Cover with boiling water. Put on two part lid. Put into pressure cooker. Add boiling water. Vent for 10 minutes. Add weight. Cook with weight rocking for 20 minutes. Wash, snap and cut next batch of beans. Let pressure cooker depressurize. Put jars out to cool. Fill more jars and start second batch. Read paper while second batch is rocking away. Special in grocery ad: Green Beans 3 can/$1.

Clean up mess. Take stuff back to attic.
All this before 3 p.m. so no wine to make the process more entertaining.