Green beans

[MontyJ]

Dew and I took a stroll through the garden last night. To my dismay, I discovered the Blue Lake bush beans are ready to harvest. That's a week ahead of schedule! I am leaving town for the week and can't get to them until probably Saturday With hotter, dryer weather upon us, I'm hoping they will hold until I get back. Dew said she would take care of them, but that's a lot of beans to do by yourself!

 

[catjac1975]

I'm going to run out and check mine!

 

[dewdropsinwv]

If I have to can green beans before he gets back well I guess I'll be a little busy wont I???? LOL I don't mind at all, it's not like I have never done canning before. We do have a team system that works very well but I have two daughters that can help too.


I cant let them sty in the bush and rot!!!!!!

 

[so lucky]

I'm envious of a marriage where anything can be done as team work!

If you know a spry little old lady in a nursing home or assisted living, you could take the green beans there to let her and her friends snap them. Besides feeing useful, the activity is full of memories of "the good old days."
I take mine to my mom, and since I don't have many to snap, she doesn't even want to share them with her friends!
Probably half those ladies had gardens in their day, or at least knew how to make use of a bushel of beans.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

That's a lot of beans for those ladies to snap!!!! We got 4 rows and beans on all the plants. It's going to take some time to pick anyway.

I know a couple who don't really have the "team work" thing down pat just yet..... they try though. They are so funny to watch sometimes, but then there are times I just want to tell them to shut up!!!!! But love them dearly.

 

[MontyJ]

I know who you're talking about, Dearie. Here is a typical garden discussion between those two:

A few years ago the wife of this couple asked me to exlain to her why my garden was always so nice.

Me: "good soil and good care."

Her: "Well, how come your tomatoes are always so nice and big and lot's of them?"

Me: "Good pruning and watering practices. I always remove the very first blooms and any unneeded suckers. That way the plant uses it's energy to make better tomatoes."

Husband pulls me aside...

Him: "You just wasted your breath."

Skip ahead to last year....

In their own little garden...

Husband is dutifully picking of the very first blooms and the few suckers that are trying to grow.

Her: What are you doing???

Him: "Pruning the tomatoes."

Her: "What are you doing that for??? Your going to kill them!! Don't take off the blooms!! Don't cut off the limbs!!"

Him: "Didn't you ask Monty how he raises his tomatoes? Didn't he say to do this?"

Her: "Yeah, but they'll die if you do that. I won't get any tomatoes if you cut off the flowers and limbs."

Him: "Do Monty's tomatoes die??? He told me how to do this."

Her: "No his don't die, but I still think it's wrong."

Him: "Fine. Do what you want."

Their tomatoes grow into a tangled mess, get blight and some small tomatoes. She asks me what went wrong. Then blames it in the dirt.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

they are great people though. They need "team work" practice LOTS of it. Monty and I have it down to a science!

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I have a lot of green beans to can, Ive been known to pick them and break them one day, keep them overnight in a cooler of ice water, and can them the next day. They are not like corn where you have to rush as fast as you can. They will wait a bit. But I dont wait past the next morning.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I need to get out to in the garden and check them, make sure they aren't swelling, if they are I'll pick them and get the canned up. If not I'll leave them alone. it's more fun to can with Monty than by my self!

 

[so lucky]

If a person just has a few beans, they can pick them and store in a plastic bag in the fridge, till there is enough to can. (within reasonable time) Don't try to wash them first, as the extra moisture will make them rot quicker. I am in a category where I am getting too many to eat fresh, and too few to can. I don't think I have a good freezing variety, and have not ever been really successful at that anyway. So I am trying to think of new ways to serve green beans. Hmmm... Green bean slush?... Green bean dumplings?...Green bean brownies?