More experiments with preserving due to a too full freezer. This time it's the runner beans that are having a go.
Mum always says never to bother salting runner beans as they taste bloody horrible. Well never one to be scared away from an idea I thought I might as well give it a go as they were going to go to waste otherwise.
It's fairly simple to do according to the books. Just cut your beans up and fill a jar with them. Every couple of inches of beans (50mm) add half an inch of salt (12mm) pressing them down as you go.
They then produce they're own brine that they sit in and the level of beans in the jar seems to go down after a few hours as the moisture gets drawn out of them. When the level had dropped I then added more beans to top it up.
We will try these in a few months time. I've been told not to leave them to soak for too long when we're trying to get the slat off as it will make them tough. I'm sure it will take a few attempts to get it right - I'll keep you posted on how we get on with it!
Anyone else preserve veg by salting it?
Loooooong time ago my mum did this, You've never smelled anything so bad as when it goes wrong!
ReplyDeleteI'll bear that in mind!
DeleteAw dear....I think I'd have been inclined to buy a cheap mini chest freezer just for the runner beans, this salting lark doesn't look too much fun! I love runner beans, I think they're just the best.
ReplyDeleteIt's space for the freezer that we lack! I have one at mum and dads that fitted in our last place but doesn't fit here.
DeleteMy mother used to do this too, but I seem to remember the salt staying dry,
ReplyDeleteThis is only an experiment so I could be doing it completely wrong for all I know!
DeleteI preserve with salt but only use about a couple table spoons per gallon.or so, I forget the exact amount but anyway it just makes a brine in order to kill harmful bacteria. The good bacteria continues to grow and pickles the vegetables. I have never done it your way but it looks like a bit too much salt.
ReplyDeleteIf you come across your recipy for the brine I'd be interested in giving it a go.
DeleteCant help you with the salting, and I cant help with freezer advice either as mine is chocka block full to over flowing! We are looking at dehydrating next as we have had an abundance of fruit happening...
ReplyDeleteI've got a little dehydrator but it's just on apples at the moment!
DeleteYou should have listened to your Mum!!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Probably but we'll see. It's only an experiement!
DeleteI suspect that your mum's advice is well-founded. It will be interesting to see how they turn out.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's more for interest than anything else really.
DeleteI tried it one year, never again. No matter how much I rinsed and soaked the beans after draining, I just could not get rid of the overwhelmingly salty taste. They were inedible!
ReplyDeleteThis is what my fear is but nothing ventured nothing gained!
DeleteMy Nan used to salt runner beans in old sweet jars, they lasted all winter and tasted as good as freshly picked ones. Having lived through 2 world wars she was rather thrifty with the salt!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how every one can either remember it being either really good or really bad! I don;t suppose you've got the recipe of the brine she used?
DeleteI successfully preserved a ham with salt as an experiment, but never tried veggies.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try with a few hams. Maybe next year as I keep saying we're going to get some pigs!
DeleteI'm with your mum - tried this one year many moons ago and they were awful. Hope yours turn out better than ours did, but I wouldn't try it again myself! We eat runner beans as fast as they grow, and leave the room in the freezer for the French/dwarf beans which we find freeze better.
ReplyDeleteI have loads of beans in so we could never keep up with them. I sell a few and give some away but it would be nice to have them in the winter without having to store them in the freezer.
DeleteI have never tried that and found this post very interesting. I had to go grab my copy of Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning and sure enough there is a chapter on preserving with salt. There are four recipes for green beans, two using brine and two using just salt. The one recommends using only young tender beans and claims the result is just as tasty as fresh! I will be interested in your results and so agree to give something a try rather than let the produce go to waste, although my goats would happily eat any "waste" LOL
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look that book up - sounds like my kind of thing. I'm glad you think lke me and will give things a go. It's easy to be put off and not do things when there must be a good way of doing it for some people to say they remember them being good!
DeleteI think I would start saving my pennies to buy a pressure canner and a dehydrator. With a pressure canner you can 'can/bottle' ANYTHING & EVERYTHING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd love a pressure canner, but again it comes down to space! we just haven't got any! I will do a post on the size of our kitchen soon to show you what we're up against!
DeleteI've never tried salting, I'll be watching with interest .... but I suspect your Mum is right !!
ReplyDeleteCanning would be a better way of preserving I think ... I'd love a canner, maybe I should add it to my Christmas list ;-)
Oh bum!! I said the C word !
Canner or Christmas? I did bottle some pears last year and I was going to have a go this year again but haven't found time yet!
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