Pickled Three Bean Salad for Canning

Pickled Three Bean Salad

It seems the heat is turned up in Texas already and the bush and wax beans are already slowing down. It will be time to turn them under to grow something else. At least we will get another chance to grow them for the fall garden and put up some more for winter. Spring is just whizzing right on by way to fast for me!

I do love adding Three Bean Salad to my winter green salads! They make a great side dish treat as well. I use our green bush beans, yellow wax beans and dry beans (either kidney or red). I much rather cook up a pot of dry beans for a recipe than simply buying a can of something or other from the supermarket. That just seems plain wrong to me for some reason. It's easy after cooking up a pot of kidney beans to put the rest not used up in the freezer in an air tight container for another recipe.

This recipe is basically an old Ball Canning recipe that I've changed just a little. In Texas we must add peppers. Makes 6 pints.

Ingredients

About 1 1/2 lbs. Green Bush Beans
About 1 1/2 lbs. Yellow Wax Beans
About 2 to 3 cups cooked, drained Red Kidney Beans
1 large white or red garden onion, thinly sliced
6 peppers (one per jar) Banana, Pepperoncini or your favorite
Boiling water
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. celery seeds
4 tsp pickling or canning salt
3 cups 5% white vinegar
1-1/4 cups distilled water


Directions

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE green and yellow beans, kidney beans, onions and peppers in a large stainless steel saucepan. Add boiling water to cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until vegetables are heated through.
3.) COMBINE sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, salt, vinegar and water in a separate stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid.
4.) DRAIN hot vegetables and pack into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
5.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes

Happy Gardening!

Pammy

.