I'm growing "Contender" bush beans. Best bathroom scale estimates says I picked about 40lbs today. Tommorow after work, it starts getting put up and I am set up to do the classic ARFCOM "BOTH!" and will probably use both canning (since it doesn't require electricity to keep) and blanching with vac-pac freezing, but which taste best? Any opinions?

The lids on the first round of canning are popping off now (5 of 7 so far). I'm foing to do another round tonight.  I don't think I put enough beans in tightly enough and there is space with no beans at the bottom

I have done beans both ways and I definately like the canned beans wayyyyyy better than frozen.

Canned by far...

Thats what I needed to know. I've already got around 9 dozen jars and a 23 qt pressure canner. It will be my first big adventure in canning.

I prefer frozen.  One because it is faster.  I did contender beans one time, and they turned out as mush in the jars.  Maybe I did something wrong, but they lasted for 18 months.

My wife and I like our home frozen green beans the best, with home canned a close second. She uses some crumbled bacon and almonds with them to make a simple vegetable taste as good as the best they have got downtown.

You really should consider making a few pints of spicy pickled beans. They're soooo good. I use the recipe from Balls canning book.

Contenders are good just frozen without blanching. I'm sure they are good other ways, but just bagging them up in the freezer works.
They are a great slender bean that grows well and fast, very little problems and good taste.

I've had em frozen and do not like em.  I do can them though.  Requires a pressure canner.  We have not purchased a commerically prepared can of green beans in 14 months.  Been using the home canned.

We cold pack:  Pick em.  Wash em (quick rinse).  Remove stems and chop em into pieces.  Pack them into jars.  Add a little salt, and fill with water, leaving space.  Stuff em in the canner, and fire it up....  Easy to do, saves freezer space.

It may be just me but I prefer to pick and can on the same day. My green beans become tough to snap even when sitting cold for a day after picking I know they lose some flavor too.

I have had both and frozen green beans are far superior.

The key though is to blanch them properly before freezing. Its a little tricky to blanch them just right. Too much and they turn out mushy, not enough and they taste funny.

Its a little easier I think to can them and get them consistent.

YMMV.

Last of the first 7 clicked down, 7 more in......

Bush beans in cans plus a bone and some meat from a honey baked ham = heaven.  I still have 30 cans left of beans from last year.  I'm not a huge fan but I do get a craving once in a while and they taste much better than the spongy frozen sh!t.

Fresh green beans, that bit of ham bone, with a few new potatoes gravelled out of a hill or two on top of that...



Yummmmm.

Can some the regular way and make some Dillies......
I hate frozen beans, can't even stand them in soup or stew.

PICKLED DILLED BEANS
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

4 lb. fresh tender green or yellow beans
(5 to 6 inches long)
8 to 16 heads fresh dill
8 cloves garlic (optional)
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
4 cups water
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (optional)

YIELD: About 8 pints

PROCEDURE: Wash and trim ends from beans and cut to 4-
inch lengths. In each hot sterile pint jar (see following
directions for sterilizing jars), place 1 to 2 dill heads,
and if desired, 1 clove of garlic. Place whole beans
upright in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Trim beans to
ensure proper fit, if necessary. Combine salt, vinegar,
water and pepper flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil.
Add hot solution to beans, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process.

Sterilization of Empty Jars

To sterilize empty jars, place them right side up on
the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and
jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops
of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of less than
1,000 feet. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute
for each additional 1,000 feet elevation. Remove and drain
hot sterilized jars one at a time as filled.

RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIME FOR PICKLED
DILLED BEANS IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER 5 minutes.

You must use boiled, sterilized jars or process for 10 min. if you just want to use clean, washed jars.
If the brine seems too tart, don't reduce the vinegar, but add just a little sugar to offset the tart flavor.

Put up 24 quarts total, froze about 3 in 4 vac packed bags. Tommorow, I'll cook one of the frozen packs to see how they come out. The canned beans defibnitely have a softer texture than I would like.

Last year I grew a variety called "Empress" and it worked well frozen.  I am told that it cans very well too.