This is a clue as to what I spent my time doing on Labor Day. I found these beautiful green beans on Saturday at Walmart of all places. I haven't seen such pretty beans in a long time, not a bad spot in the whole lot. I think I spent about an hour just snapping them. I think it was about a half bushel. Does anyone measure things in bushels any more?
This was all I had left after snapping the ends off, I could hold it in my hand.
Into the pot they went....
A very BIG pot. Then I added a pint jar of ham (it was left over from the spiral sliced ham we had at Easter/Pascha) another pint of ham broth, 2 chopped onions, and some salt.
When the bean were about 1/2 done I was ready to can them. 2 batches in the pressure canner, 1¼ hour for each batch.
Then I had more broth left than beans, so I took out the beans and mixed a big can of crushed tomatoes in with those beans, added garlic powder and some pepper and got 4 pints of that with a bowl full left over to have with dinner. Then to the broth I added 4 carrots, an onion and the 4 stalks of celery (whizzed in the food processor) and assorted spices like rosemary from the garden and basil and cooked down the leftover broth. I got 4 quarts of soup stock there.
Here it is, all cooled now and ready to have the rings removed and get washed and put away. Of course I'm not sure where I'll put them yet, the pantry is pretty full. At least we won't go hungry. And that's chunks of ham you see in with the green beans.
Who needs BBQ and swimming when you can stay home in the peace and quiet and can beans? Reminds me of my childhood.
2 comments:
Ham and beans, YUM! Laboring on Labor Day is that allowed? Looks delicious.
Swimming wouldn't be as delicious as these are going to be come December when you open one of these babies on a dark, dreary day.
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