The Poultry Keeper

mojo · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:46 am Post subject: BOTTLING GREEN BEANS

read on another forum that bottling(sterilizing) green beans is dangerous and can be toxic...............we have done it for years and i am still here typing........anyone got a preserving book that says its ok..........yes we do freeze too but it takes up room for meat

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:59 am Post subject:

My friend has been storing green beans in jars for years. No preparation or washing just sliced and stored in a jar usually a sweet jar layered in salt till the jar is full and stored in a cool dark place.When required they are soaked in a pan of water for an hour to draw out the salt rinsed and put into a fresh pan of water and cooked.The same method they used the last few centuries for preserving.He is still alive and so am I! and I am very fussy about my foods freshness and safety,never once had any even remotely suspicious. In fact they always look as fresh when fetched out of the jar as they do when they were put there often 12 months before. He has never had a freezer. Its no different to buying cans and bottles of stuff stored in brine so why it should be dangerous I dont know unless you dont do things properly in the first place.

mojo · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject: hi

sorry rich if i didnt make it clear it is sterlizing ie kilner jars system i am trying to find out about..........we have used the brine/salt system before but here in france all the rural folks bottle/sterilize just about everything.......so have we ........and i had never heard of problems here or in uk but a usa forum said sterilization is not hot enough to kill germs......we sterilize at 100 degrees centigrade

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1325 Location: Leicestershire

I think there is a problem with red (kidney type) beans, as used in chilli, if they aren't boiled for long enough there can be problems (my elder son won't touch them because of it, I'll ask him tomorrow what it's all about) but they are the dried ones not fresh. I wouldn't worry about it too much Mojo especially if it's a US forum, sometimes stuff gets mixed up in the translation from American English to the real thing Laughing

Itsybitsy

mojo · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject:

thanks itsy only ive got lots of sterilized green beans in the cupboard

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2373 Location: South Cumbria

there is also a problem with storing things in oil you can get botulism I dry tomatoes and freeze them instead of storing in oil I think you can use pressure cookers maybe there is a site by Prestige or Tower that will tell you I will look in my books and see what I can find I have only salted beans like Rich said

mojo · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:45 pm Post subject:

the beans are put in lightly salted water .sealed with rubber rings then brought to a minimum of 100 degrees centigrade for at least 30 mins and then allowed to cool completely before storing in a dry cool cupboard

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1325 Location: Leicestershire

If you've been doing it for years Mojo they'll be fine and the French have been doing them like that even longer, a pressure cooker will be hopeless as you'll only be able to do 1 jar at a time and it will still only heat them to 100 degrees + pressure cooked veg are foul if you over do them. I asked my son and he couldn't remember apart from the fact that it was dried beans, he uses it as an excuse not to eat chilli or bean casserole Shocked

Stop worrying - you'll give yourself wrinkles Laughing

Itsybitsy

poultry poofs · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:14 am Post subject:

CP · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:16 am Post subject:

Red kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin (Kidney Bean Lectin) that causes severe gastric distress, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Under-cooked beans can be more toxic than raw and it only takes 4 to 6 beans to bring on symptoms. Cannellini and Fava beans also contain this toxin but in much smaller amounts.

Kidney Beans are perfectly safe if properly prepared. First, soak Red Kidney beans for a minimum of 5 hours and then drain and discard the soaking water. For stovetop cooking, add fresh water or broth to a level about 2" higher than the beans, bring beans to a boil and boil briskly for at least 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until thoroughly cooked, about 2 hours.

To pressure cook, follow the directions for your pressure cooker and cook soaked and drained kidney beans in fresh water until done, about 18–30 minutes. Note: Pressure cooking temperatures are adequate to destroy the toxins.

Do not cook dry red kidney beans in a crockpot or slow cooker.

Taken from Whole Foods Market.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/kitchentips/beans.html

mojo · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:02 am Post subject:

so i will live if i eat my sterilized beans...........sorry you will have to put up with me for a bit longer then

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1325 Location: Leicestershire

mojo · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:01 pm Post subject:

a fat green fool??

CP · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:42 pm Post subject:

Or the jolly green giant? Laughing

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:13 am Post subject:

watch it you