In an attempt to better myself and in great anticipation of a wonderful crop from our garden this year, I am taking a canning class. I can remember my mom and my grandmother canning various things when I was little - strawberry jam is the most prevalent memory. When I told my mom I was taking a canning class, she said "Oh, I can show you. There's a whole section in my Betty Crocker Cookbook that shows you how to can step by step." Considering that my great grandmother died from botulism from some bad green beans, I decided to do it right and take a class. No offense, Betty.

To salt or not to salt.




We had two groups - one group did a "cold pack" - the beans went right into the jars. My group did a "hot pack" - we blanched the beans before putting them into the jars.

The hardest part about canning is the waiting. After watching pressure gauges and listening to rocking weights, the moment finally arrived. Opening the pressure canners!

I've never seen anyone this excited over green beans!

Shop talk (well, kitchen talk).

Proud canners. Did I mention that I don't really even like green beans? Next week, salsa!