# Do you process less than a FULL canner?



## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

When I pick the beans I get only about 2 quarts (or less) per picking.

Do you put only one or 2 jars in the canner for processing?

If not, how long can I store the beans in the fridge, and still consider them fresh enough for processing?

(My freezer if FULL.)


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Not if I can help it. That said, while I have no experience storing them in the fridge, if they're picked when ripe I wouldn't expect them to keep real well much more than a few days to a week. Depending on how often you're picking that may or may not be enough for you. Live and learn, next year plant more.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

You could make up a batch of dilled beans, they are BWB canned so it does not seem like such a big deal to do a smaller batch (I just grab a smaller kettle). May want to do them in pints though - as they are more of a snack than a meal.

I am getting a 10qt pressure canner for smaller batches as I get them way more often doing meat and broth.

I'll do a small PC batch if I really, really want to preserve what I've got. I put in water filled jars to keep things from tipping over.


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## Gladrags (Jul 13, 2010)

If I'm doing a smaller batch, I don't fire up the big canner, but use a smaller stockpot instead.


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

Just place empty jars in the canner to take up the space, no lids, just hot water in them open. I have only done this with 5 filled and 2 empty however. Kind of a pain in the butt to not have enough beans to run the full canner. 

I would think that you could keep the beans up to a couple of days and have them still be ok until you got enough. Having said that, why not leave them on the vine longer?


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## Canning Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

I have kept beans for up to a week in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. When I get enough to do 7 quarts, then I cut them up. Do not freeze beans and then try to can them. They turn to slimy mush.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Canning Girl said:


> I have kept beans for up to a week in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. When I get enough to do 7 quarts, then I cut them up. Do not freeze beans and then try to can them. They turn to slimy mush.


Does this apply to field peas, too? My grandmother gave me a bushel of shelled peas a year ago and they are a bit of a pain to cook because I don't have a small pressure cooker right now, and have to use my canner. I was planning to cook them all and can them this weekend, is that a bad idea?

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk


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## Canning Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

I've never tried it with peas, but I would probably dehydrate them if I were you. I believe that when you freeze vegetables it breaks the cellular structure and then when you try to can them they have no texture, no firmness.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

When I received my grandmothers little AA 910 I thought I'd never use it. Actually it probably gets used more than my regular PC's. I can leftovers/small quantities/the few beans left over after a full canner load/etc all the time. Quick to pressure, quick to lose temp after canning, just a very usefull canner. All that to say, don't pass up a 10 qt. just because you think you'll never use it, I bet it becomes a favorite canner in no time at all.


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## luv2farm (Feb 15, 2008)

I'm not sure if this is acceptable to most of you or not, but ...........

I NEVER run a canner with an empty space in it. If I have empty spaces while canning green beans, I simpy fill the spot with a jar of dried beans ready for processing. I use the dried beans (pintos, mixed beans, kidneys...whatever I'm needing) to help take up space and it saves time later. 

Not sure this is a good idea or not, but I've done it for years!


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

Stephen in SOKY said:


> When I received my grandmothers little AA 910 I thought I'd never use it. Actually it probably gets used more than my regular PC's. I can leftovers/small quantities/the few beans left over after a full canner load/etc all the time. Quick to pressure, quick to lose temp after canning, just a very usefull canner. All that to say, don't pass up a 10 qt. just because you think you'll never use it, I bet it becomes a favorite canner in no time at all.


I would think that the quick temp and pressure changes would cause more syphoning. I don't know why you would want that?

I'm not sure what I'm going to do when my peas come in. I probably won't have enough for a full canner. Maybe a couple jars at most. I wanted to can them but I guess I'll just freeze them.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Actually it's more a matter of volume. The little 910, containing a smaller volume of steam, comes to pressure much more quickly than my 921. There's oviously no significant savings on vent time. At cooling, it's once again the reduced mass releases its heat much faster than the larger canner. I've never had any issue with siphoning from the 910. I actually use my old Mirro 12 qt (7 qt jars) canners more than my 921 for the same reason, with only 7 qt jars, the Mirro comes to pressure and cools much faster than the 921 or my old Presto 21-B.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I put pickles in the brine and put them in the fridge until I get a full batch, then process. I don't know what it is about my 2 crisper drawers, but it will keep many vegetables amazingly fresh. I think it's the humidity. I did an experiment with turnips last fall. They came thru the winter and there are still a couple. They are firm and the tops are putting out a few leaves. I did it because my neighbor was asking me how to keep different things, and I had no knowledge on turnips, he grows a Huge amount.


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