Why are the wax beans boiled so much longer (¾ hour)?

The longer boiling in a salted water bath was the authors' attempt to make low-acid beans keep better – they call it the best way to store them.

Is home-canned wax beans safe?

Important warning: beans are low-acid, and even ¾ hour of boiling in a water bath does not reach the temperature needed to destroy spores of Clostridium botulinum. Such canned goods can develop a life-threatening toxin. Use a pressure canner/autoclave according to modern instructions, or pickle the beans in an acidic vinegar brine instead.

Canned Wax Beans

A 1900 recipe for canned wax beans: blanched for 4 min in salted water (1.5 tsp salt/l), cooled, packed into jars with a cold brine (1 l water, 30 g salt, 30 g sugar), sealed airtight and boiled ¾ hour in a salted water bath, then cooled in water changed 3–4 times.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken & Caroline Steen, Kogebog for skole og hjem, 1900-utg. s. 300 (falt i det fri)

Be the first to rate

About the dish

Fra Erken og Steens «Kogebog for skole og hjem» (1900). Hermetisering av voksbønner (gule bønner) med lengre koketid (¾ time) i saltet vannbad enn de andre bønnene i kapittelet – forfatterne fremhever dette som den beste lagringsmåten.

How to make it

1
Blanch the beans
Boil the wax beans for 4 minutes in boiling, salted water – 1½ teaspoons of salt per liter of water. Cool them in cold water.
2
Pack into jars
Place the beans in jars or crocks and pour over the following boiled, cold brine: 1 liter of water, 30 g of salt and 30 g of sugar.
3
Boil in a water bath
Seal the jars airtight and set them in a pot with cold, salted water (¼ liter of salt to 4 liters of water). Let them boil for ¾ hour.
4
Cool down
Place the jars in cold water that is changed 3–4 times. Let them stand until completely cold, wipe them off and store.

Changes from the original

Mengder beholdt metrisk; «1½ theske» gjengitt som 1½ teskje. Det uvanlige volummålet «¼ l. salt» er beholdt slik det står. Ingen priser.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From1900 Modernised

To1900 Modernised

Pick two different editions to see a comparison.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

Why are the wax beans boiled so much longer (¾ hour)?: The longer boiling in a salted water bath was the authors' attempt to make low-acid beans keep better – they call it the best way to store them.
Is home-canned wax beans safe?: Important warning: beans are low-acid, and even ¾ hour of boiling in a water bath does not reach the temperature needed to destroy spores of Clostridium botulinum. Such canned goods can develop a life-threatening toxin. Use a pressure canner/autoclave according to modern instructions, or pickle the beans in an acidic vinegar brine instead.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!