Green Bean Preserve
Green beans are in full season, and they are the third most popular vegetable grown in backyard gardens, after tomatoes and peppers. It’s probably because they are pretty easy to grow in the right conditions. So, if you happen to cultivate your own beans, trust me, you would be on the look out for ways to preserve them. For our How-To Wednesday, here’s a step by step method to preserving your green beans, allowing you to enjoy them anytime of the year 🙂
Usually, you would be requiring a sterilizer but since we (I myself included) don’t have the utility not the space to store it, you can use a pressure cooker (yeah!)
Ingredients
- Fresh green beans
- 1L Water
- 20g rock salt
- Onions
- Jars
- Sterilizer or pressure cooker
How to Make It
Step 1
String and wash the beans. Quarter a couple of onions
Step 2
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the beans for 2 minutes and then place the beans into a bowl of cold water
Step 3
After having boiled your jars and their lids (to sterilize them), line the beans into the jars and add a quarter of an onion in as well
Repeat the previous steps for as many times as needed (until all aubergine slices have cooked)
Step 4
Bring some water to a boil, for every Litre of water add 20g of rock salt.
Step 5
Pour the boiling water into the bean-filled jars (stopping at 2cm before the lid part)
Step 6
Seal the jars tightly and place into the basket of your pressure cooker, add a kitchen towel between the jars, this will prevent them from moving during the sterilization process. It is also very important that your jars are placed in the basket and not directly into the pot, as the heat may cause the jars to break
Step 7
Fill the pressure cooker 2/3 full of water and seal and turn the heat up
Once the whistle of the pressure cooker starts blowing count 40 minutes
Step 8
After 40 minutes remove the pressure cooker from the heat source and place it in the sink, pour cold water on the lid and once the whistling stops (all the vapor has been emptied from the cooker) only then can you release the lid open
Leave the jars in the cooker and only remove them once they have cooled down
You may store your jars in a dry cool cupboard and enjoy the beans for up to a year after production date
Nutritional Info:
Green beans, string beans, or snap beans are a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K, and of folic acid and fiber. They have similar nutritional benefits to snap peas and okra.
The nutrients provided can help reduce the risk of a number of health conditions. When it comes to cancer, green beans contain a high amount of chlorophyll. This may block the carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines that are generated when grilling meats at a high temperature. Individuals who prefer their grilled foods charred should pair them with green vegetables to decrease the risk.
For women of child-bearing age, consuming more iron from plant sources such as spinach, beans, pumpkin, and green beans appears to promote fertility, according to Harvard Medical School.
Source: Medical News Today
Did you know:
Raw green beans are actually a little bit toxic. You’re not going to die or anything from eating them but if you eat them fresh from the garden, you’re eating a tiny bit of poison! The toxins are more concentrated in the seeds than in the pod, so if you are going to eat them raw, choose young pods that have small seeds. Never fear, though, because cooking will break down the toxins and make the beans safe to eat.
Source: Mavis Butterfield’s
