As I am canning green beans, some thoughts surface in my mind. I was reminded recently of something my mother said and most wives of farmers. They said "It doesn't matter if harvest is early or late, the beans are always ready at harvest time". I remember Mother driving the wheat truck for Daddy during harvest and then coming in and staying up late to can beans. Our Grandma Horack (Millie) who stayed with us girls during harvest would have them picked and probably ready to can.
Well, this year of 2012, wheat harvest began around this area in mid-May. I checked the beans. Sure enough, they were blooming. By the time they were cutting our wheat, I was canning beans. But I wasn't up half the night canning them.
There were times that Mother canned beans even after harvest was over. She would pick enough for a canner (7 quarts or 9 pints), wash, snap and pack them in jars. Then she would get them in the pressure canner and get the pressure built up. She would say "You watch the pressure gauge and if it gets over a certain number, you call me". Then she would go out to pick beans for the next canner. Made me very nervous. I watched that gauge like a hawk. She always said you should but up 1 qt of whatever you were doing for each week of the year and some extra for company. That was the canning rule.
The year I really learned how to can beans, Aunt Doris and Uncle Harold were going to California to see Jean and John. Aunt Doris said," Anita, the beans will be ready to can while we're gone. You come out and can them". Clinton was a baby. But I went out. He sat in his little seat. I picked the beans and canned them for Aunt Doris. Everything went fine. Lots of memories of canning at Aunt Doris's.
When you are used to home canned goods, nothing tastes the same. We are very thankful for the produce and the knowledge to know how to preserve them.
