Snap, snap, snap

[Ed62]

We bought 2 bushels of green beans this morning, and we got 1 bushel canned. I snapped the biggest part of the first bushel, while LOML did the canning. She helped me snap when she got a chance. It's a job, but 2 bushels should last till they're available again next year.

Ed

[LCHIEN]

you could use the miter saw for that job.

[Ed62]

you could use the miter saw for that job.

Why didn't I think of that?

Ed

[smc331]

Miter saw would have too much kerf waste! Don't wanna lose any of those delectable little green rascals!

[LCHIEN]

Miter saw would have too much kerf waste! Don't wanna lose any of those delectable little green rascals!

with a laser aimed miter saw you should easily place the kerf on the waste side of the bean.

[smc331]

Yabbut! Ya gotta snap 'em at least once in the middle! That'll add up to lost beans!

[Uncle Cracker]

you could use the miter saw for that job.

I was thinking more like a chipper/shredder...

[gwyneth]

Does anybody remember beans that needed to be shelled and using a wringer washer?

My aunt kept her wringer washer for decades after it was replaced, just to use each summer for shelling beans.

[RodKirby]

What (precisely) does the term "snapping" mean?

Not a term we use in Oz...

[leehljp]

What (precisely) does the term "snapping" mean?

Not a term we use in Oz...

Snap beans (bean pods) are also called pole beans and string beans.
Pole: because the beans are often supported by poles for it to grow around as it grows upward. (At least that was my assumption when I was a kid. It might be that some call them pole beans because they look like small poles.)
String: Because the seam of the bean pod has a string like fiber that does not break easily.
Snap: because when trying to break into fourths, thirds or halfs, it just "snaps" cleanly - a little like a dry twig - except for the "string" in the seam.

The bean pods are 4 to 6 inches long, between 1/3 to 1/2 inch in diameter, and are harvested before the beans inside fully mature. The pods are meaty/thick. Most Southern (USA) cookers and canners process (can and cook) the beans in sizes about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. That length makes cooking and canning easier.

I think you have them in OZ but probably call them by another name. I have seen them through out SE Asia and here in Japan.

Here is a link to a picture: http://www.foodsubs.com/Snapbean.html

And I also forgot the most common name for the store bought cans: Green Beans

[gwyneth]

Snap beans (bean pods) are also called pole beans and string beans.
Pole: because the beans are often supported by poles for it to grow around as it grows upward. (At least that was my assumption when I was a kid. It might be that some call them pole beans because they look like small poles.)
String: Because the seam of the bean pod has a string like fiber that does not break easily.
Snap: because when trying to break into fourths, thirds or halfs, it just "snaps" cleanly - a little like a dry twig - except for the "string" in the seam.

Excellent explanation...here's a little more. I vaguely remember from food science classes and food editing that 'pole beans' is a general term that applies to vegetable-type beans (i.e., not legumes) because they're on vines above the ground.

"Snap beans" is a term pushed into prominence by the bean marketing people to emphasize that modern green beans have much less prominent strings than in the old days.

[Ken Massingale]

And I figured we were alone!
LOML cans around 40 quarts each year. Due to the drought we had to buy one bushel this year. We also 'put up' around 12-15 dz. Silver Queen corn and plenty of tomatos and peppers. Yum!

And gyneth, yes I have had to help shell beans and peas. We kids had to do them manually and the grown-ups got to use the sheller (wringer washer)

[Ed62]

Does anybody remember beans that needed to be shelled and using a wringer washer?

Oh, yes I do. I actually clean the tub of our (automatic) clothes washer, then dump in a bushel of beans for washing (no soap). Of course, you want to make sure there is no soap residue left in the tub, and it is nice and clean. I run the machine through the complete cycle, with the beans in it. This effectively gives me three very good rinses, and the beans come out clean as a whistle. We've been doing it for years, and never had a problem. I sometimes wonder if the original purpose of the machine was to wash beans, and someone thought it might be able to wash clothes too.

Ed

[Ed62]

And I figured we were alone!
LOML cans around 40 quarts each year. Due to the drought we had to buy one bushel this year.

Due to old age, for the first time, we didn't put in much of a garden this year. Just a few peppers, zucchini and tomato plants.

We also have raspberries, blackberries, grapes, plum trees and apple trees (although the apples are not very good).

Ed

[cgallery]

Due to old age, for the first time, we didn't put in much of a garden this year. Just a few peppers, zucchini and tomato plants.

We also have raspberries, blackberries, grapes, plum trees and apple trees (although the apples are not very good).

Ed

I still envy you for getting everything to grow.

Whatever we get to grow is consumed by rabbits and deer.