Good Canning - Green Beans

Yield: about 6 quarts

4 quarts water
8 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large ham hock
2 chopped onions,
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Place the water in a large pot, and mix in the green beans, ham hock, onion, garlic, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 4 to 6 hours. Remove the ham hock, and slice the meat into small pieces. Return meat to the beans. Ladle into quart jars leaving ½ an inch headspace. Process quarts 30 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure, 15 pounds of pressure if over 1000 feet.

Dilly Beans

Yield: About 4 quarts or 8 pints

4 lbs. trimmed green beans
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 cloves garlic
8 heads dill weed
1/2 cup pickling salt
5 cups water
5 cups white vinegar

Pack beans, lengthwise, into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. For each pint, add 1/4 tsp. cayenne, 1 clove garlic, and 1 head dill. Combine remaining ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour boiling hot over beans, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

These are best if the jars are not opened for 6 weeks.