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Thyme Green Beans

Source of Recipe

From "Blue Ribbon Canning" by Linda J Amendt


Recipe Introduction

"Linda's aunt Jeanie Lee taught her that 'it takes thyme to cook green beans.' The judges at numerous fairs loved the flavor of the thyme, giving the beans high praise — 'Great job. These beans are a pleasure to judge!' — and awarding them Best of Division for the most outstanding vegetable exhibit. Linda cuts the beans into pieces for a family pack, but you can leave the beans whole for a fancy pack, if you prefer. Adding a small amount of fresh lemon juice to the water will help the green beans maintain more of their natural color during blanching."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
â—¦ 6 ½ pounds unblemished, young, tender green beans
â—¦ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
â—¦ 1 tablespoon canning or pickling salt


Recipe

Thoroughly rinse the green beans to remove any dirt and drain well. Fill an 8-quart stainless steel stockpot about half full of water. Tie the thyme sprigs in a piece of cheesecloth, add to the water, and then bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Using a sharp knife, trim the stem ends from the beans. Slice the green beans into uniform pieces about 1 inch long. Remove the thyme pouch from the water. Carefully add the green beans to the water, and then stir in the lemon juice. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Using a slotted spoon, pack the green beans into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add ½ teaspoon salt to each pint jar of beans or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar.

Line a fine-mesh sieve with 2 to 3 layers of fine-knit cheesecloth. Strain the cooking liquid through the sieve. Ladle the hot liquid into the jars, covering the beans and maintaining the 1-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. If necessary, add more liquid to maintain the headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply hot lids and screw bands.

Process pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 25 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure in a dial-gauge pressure canner or at 10 pounds of pressure in a weighted-gauge pressure canner. After the processing time is complete, remove the canner from the heat. Let the pressure return to zero before removing the jars from the canner. Let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals and remove the screw bands. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year.

Makes about 6 pint jars
or three 1-quart jars



• Variation:
Dilled Green Beans: To make dilled green beans, substitute fresh dill sprigs for the thyme sprigs.