Canning and Brining Beans

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In many Victory Gardens the pole and "bush snap beans are almost ready to gather for eating fresh or saving for next winter. Some will be canned others salted. Part of the crop may go into freezer- locker storage. Second plantings will he in order, too, for there's no vegetable more popular with many families.

Canning specialists of the U.S. Department of Agriculture give these directions for putting up snap beans correctly. Of course, it goes without saying, that you have to can beans in a steam pressure canner or not at all. If you have no canner of your own, try to borrow one, or take your beans to a community cannery.

These are the steps to follow in preparing and canning your beans: Select the beans fresh from the vines young, tender, firm crisp pods. Wash them in several waters, until every trace of sand and grit is gone. Lift them out of the water, so dirt won't drain back on them, as it would if you poured the water off. Trim and cut the beans the way your family likes them. Don't get more than one canner load ready at a time. If food stands around, ready but not canned, the chances of spoilage are greater.

Cover the trimmed beans with boiling water, and boil for 5 minutes. Meantime, have the jars clean and hot. When you pack them, take one jar at a time from the hot water. Use clean cloths to protect your hands and to set the jars on, to keep hot jars off the cold table surface. Pack the hot beans loosely. Cover them with cooking liquid, leaving half an inch of head space in each jar. Work quickly. Add a teaspoonful of salt to each quart jar. Work out air bubbles by pushing a knife blade down the sides of the jar.