Ain't nothin' like home-canned green beans!!

Canned green beans... from HOME!

So easy and sooooo good!  Prepare your jars by running them thru the dishwasher and boil your lids and rings!  Using wide mouth jars is a little easier to pack the beans.  Pour 2 quarts water and a little white vinegar in the canner and you are ready to go! 

String and break your beans... 

wash them...

(I do 3 washes and I do it AFTER stringing and breaking) 

pack your jars, add 1 tsp canning salt to each jar and fill to top with water... 

I pack with a wooden spoon until I get to where I can reach them with my hands.  It is much easier for me because my hands are not "dainty" enough to fit comfortably.  

Place lids and tighten rings... 

I let my pressure canner boil and start steaming before placing the jiggler... just personal preference

Bring pressure to 10-12 lbs and set timer for 25 minutes... 

After 25 minutes, turn heat off and let pressure come down before trying to remove lid.  Use your jar lifter to get beans out of canner and wait for the pop!  

This is not how everyone does it, but it has worked for us for years!  Easy and worth the extra effort!!  We have not gotten sick eating them yet! :)))

Making blueberry jelly...

Making jelly is not as hard as it seems!  It might be a bit of a sticky mess, but no worries... it is worth it! 

I start out by washing my jelly jars in the dishwasher so they are sanitized and HOT while filling.  While they wash, I make the jelly and (carefully) fill the jars.  Boil your lids and rings before placing and sealing jars.

Need:

4 cups prepared berries

4 cups sugar

1 box sure-jell

jars, lids, rings

READY. SET. GOOOOOO!!!!

Wash blueberries (about 3 pt)

If making jam, crush berries.  We run ours through a food strainer.  

You need 4 cups of prepared fruit... 

... and a cutie pie to help prepare it...

you need 4 cups of juice/crushed berries

put 4 cups of sugar in a SEPARATE bowl to use a little later

place juice/crushed berries in pot and add 1 box of sure-jell

(some add a little butter to reduce foaming, but I don't see where it helps much)

bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, keep stirring

stir in your 4 cups of sugar and bring to a full boil again, boiling exactly 1 minute

 then remove from heat and skim off foam

QUICKLY (but be careful to not get burned), ladle jelly into jars. I use a wet paper towel and wipe across the rim of the jar after filling, then place my lids and rings.  I hand tighten (very tightly by using rags to keep from getting burned) and place upside-down on counter top for 10 minutes.  The sure-jell directions say to place in a water bath, but one of my besties (Melanie) taught me this trick and it works every time!  After 10 minutes of upside-down goodness, place jars upright and wait for them to POP! Voila!! 

Enjoy your tooty-fruity goodness!!!