Dilly beans (pickled green beans)

Last weekend at the farmers market, I picked up a bushel or so of green beans.  Miss S and I sat down and snapped them.  She loves snapping and shelling beans. She is such a little country girl.  Then it comes down to what are you going to make.  Well I have put up, 13 pints and a quart of green beans the regular way by cold packing and pressure canning, had a meal of green beans and potatoes from my garden, then I turned to dilly beans.  A friend turn me on to these a few years ago.  They are delish and easy for even a beginner as they are done by water bath canning.   You can water bath these because they are done in vinegar which the acid will prevent bacterial growth.  I looked through my canning books and recipes online out of curiosity.  There are tons of recipes listed but they are all the same and none of them are the same recipe I have so I thought I would share. They are a delicious little treat to eat just like pickles.

There are 2 recipes I have 1 for regular dilly beans and one for spicy.  I am posting both.  I hope you enjoy as much as we do.

 Dilly beans

• enough fresh green beans to fill a pint jar (snapped and washed) 
• 1 1/2 c vinegar 
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp dill seed
• 1/4 tsp tumerac
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Put your vinegar in a large sauce pan to boil.  Boil your jar/s to sterilize them.  Then pack raw fresh snapped green beans in the jar.  And in the clove of garlic and all the seasonings.  Then carefully poor the vinegar in the jars leaving 1 inch of head space.  Lid and boil for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
Leave sitting for at least a week to let the flavor develop properly.

Spicy Dilly beans

• enough fresh green beans to fill a pint jar (snapped and washed) 
• Half of a fresh japeleno pepper ( no seeds for a milder burn seeds for good burn)
• 1 1/2 c vinegar 
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp dill seed
• 1/4 tsp tumerac
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Put your vinegar in a large sauce pan to boil.  Boil your jar/s to sterilize them.  Then pack raw fresh snapped green beans in the jar.  And in the clove of garlic and all the seasonings.  Then carefully poor the vinegar in the jars leaving 1 inch of head space.  Lid and boil for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
Leave sitting for at least a week to let the flavor develop properly.  

I hope you like these dilly beans.  They are so Yummy! 

My house smells like Strawberries!

This morning I got up before everybody and started making Strawberry Jam.  The Strawberries aren't from my garden, but I did get to harvest 7 strawberries out of my garden this morning.  Miss S ate them with breakfast this morning, leaves and all.  She said, "Ymmm I like the leaves."  She is a strawberry junkie.  I have decided, I will only make strawberry jam in the 10 gallon stock pot.  Because no matter how many jars I am putting up or what size pot I use my strawberry jam always boils over.  Seriously every time.  You would think a 6 quart dutch oven would be enough to make 5 1/2 pints worth of strawberry Jam.  No not in my experience.  I have done other jellies and jams and not boiled over from the same pot but strawberry boils over every time.  Does anybody else have this problem?  Or is the canning powers that be trying to tell me not to put up strawberries jam?  Miss S's answer would be not to put it up because she wants to eat every strawberry that comes in the house.  And she gets quite mad that I limit her.

Strawberry Jam

2 quarts of strawberries sliced and left over night in the ice box to juice a little
1 pack of regular pectin
4 c sugar

Place strawberries in a large (very large) stock pot and bring the hit up, then add the pectin and stir until it is all dissolved.  Then bring to a boil then turn the heat down a little and add the sugar 1 cup at a time stirring it in between each added cup.  After all the sugar is added, bring to a boil stirring so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Let it boil for about 2 minutes or if you have a jelly thermometer to 220 ( soft ball).  Jar in 1/2 pint jars leaving 1/4 head space.  Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes at a full boil.  I got 5 1/2 pint jars.

It makes the yummiest jam.

Cranapple Jelly.

Got up this morning and made some Cranapple Jelly.  It is yummy on biscuits or toast.

 Cranapple Jelly

• 3 cups of Cranapple juice (tried to get one with lower sugar content)
• 1 package of powdered pectin
• 4 1/2 cups of  sugar.

Makes 5 1/2 pints of jelly
Sterilize your jars and lids
Start your water in your water canner boiling
In a Large sauce pan pour in all your juice and turn to high.  I like to get my juice hot first.  Then add pectin and stir until fully dissolved.  Let boil for a minute, then add the sugar and stir until it is all dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil for 1 1/2 minutes stirring and being careful not to let it boil over.  Pour into your jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space.  Put the lids and rings on the jars and carefully place in the water bath canner.  Make sure there is at least an inch of water over the top of jars.  Once the water is at a boil set your timer for 10 minutes.  Then let it cool and listen to the music of the Ping.  When the Jars are completely cool check the seals, label them, and up them way.  If a seal isn't secure put in the fridge and use immediately.

This recipe works for Grape, any of the Cran juices, and pomagranite juice. I have even made green tea jelly, but you have to add 1 tbsp to it.  J loved it but I thought it tasted like liquid Pez.
Happy Canning!