Mommy's little helpers...
We picked our first green beans, Saturday evening. The weather had cooled and the sky had deepened into a beautiful blue. The children and I headed to the garden and began picking. The air is still and quiet... then I hear this... music... Carmen? I look around and there's Jack(9yo) humming... so we had to go get the CD player so we could all hum along. Opera(Charlotte Church) in the garden. It was lovely and we had a great time picking 15 gallons of beans. So, Monday morning, we began snapping them and then canning them. It doesn't look like 15 hours of work... but when I finally set my head down on my pillow that night, I could still hear the air venting through the valve on the pressure cooker. Yeah, it was all in my head. The kids were so great about really pitching in and helping. I couldn't have done it without them. I hope I still think finding the stem ends in my green beans, this winter, endearingly charming. I'll need to ask Joe and Dan- who are away at camp- how they timed their little getaway to coincide with canning beans... We canned 42 quarts. Every can sealed. Now, to rest up for the next batch in a few days. An hour a gallon.
14 comments:
I am tired just reading that! But I am sure the green beans will be yummy during the cold days of winter. I hate thinking that 2 Koens are in the state of Alabama and I won't even get to see them - like they would really care about seeing me! Now if it were you up there - I would be hauling my little hiney up there!
Miss you!
Love - Sarah
of course the ends of the beans will be charming in the winter -- you'll remember you could have done it all by yourself and smile at the help you had :-)
I got my first batch of green beans last evening, They left the garden, were snapped, and went straight to the kitchen stove for supper. Cute Helpers...
Melanie
An hour a gallon, but worth every minute of it. My greenbean day looks puny next to yours...and though my helper was cute, yours were five times as cute - with the same dimpled chin.
Miss you, Mom
your helpers are beautiful and 42 quarts is a lot of GBs!!!
Oh! Couldn't you just eat 'em up! The children...oh and the beans too. Your kiddos are just adorable Nines! You've taught them well.
I had to LOL about the bean ends! I'm worse about getting where I'm pitching what then my girls. I *think* I fished out my mistakes...but time will tell! ;o)
This canning is tiring work, isn't it? But, like Sarah said, you are SO thankful for the work done come winter time. If it makes you feel any better...I've been right there with ya in the kitchen! :oD
Yes, you'll smile at the stems this winter and remember all the good help you had.
In years to come your kids will reminisce 'Remember that day we picked and canned all those millions of beans while listening to Charlotte Church' - memories are made like this - cute kids :o)
What a beautiful sight!! I miss my Dad's canning and his tomatos!
But they're soooo pretty, all beans tucked in their jars!
Have you ever tried freezing some of your dough, in little balls? I have a friend who does that, and when she wants to cook them, she takes them out and puts them two by two in spray-pammed muffin cups, lets them rise, then bakes them and has those split looking rolls that are so easy to butter. :)
It looks like a TON of work but will be so worth it to have "fresh" veggies all winter. I'm waiting on the last batch of tomatoes in the canner and I'm putting it away for the weekend. Lots of work!
Judy L.
Wow. I am so impressed. I have a little garden with 2 tomotoes and dying basil. Even the mint is doing poorly! I have always wanted to learn how to can...no one in my family did. I tried reading some stuff but I think it would be better to learn hands-on. Plus, I don't have anything to can!!
My green bean day in comparison is miniscule. We buy eough at the market to make a couple of means and I cook them all at once so we can have leftovers. I haven't canned an for several years. I know you will enjoy them this winter.
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