# why did my canned green bean water turn brown?



## blacksmithtech (Oct 11, 2007)

Not sure I've ever seen this before - we do a lot of water bath canning for the tomatoes and this is the first try at green beans.
We put 1 tsp of pickling salt in and covered with boiling water. Processed according to the cooker's instruction sheet. They all look nice except the water is a light brown in the jars?

Any ideas? - we have city water and a water conditioner that makes nice ice cubes and water is clear in a glass.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Did you blanch them first?


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## blacksmithtech (Oct 11, 2007)

no - washed, cut and cold pack per the Ball book


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Now, admittedly I have never raw packed beans so I can't say this from that experience, but imo it's probably the reason your water is brown. Blanching water is always brown with beans. Blanching deactivates the enzymes that encourages the beans to break down as they age. If you raw pack that's going to happen in the jars and since the water just stays in there that's the water that's going to end up brown. 

Now, we'll see if the experts have to correct me...


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

blacksmithtech said:


> Not sure I've ever seen this before - we do a lot of water bath canning for the tomatoes and this is the first try at green beans.
> We put 1 tsp of pickling salt in and covered with boiling water. Processed according to the cooker's instruction sheet. They all look nice except the water is a light brown in the jars?
> 
> Any ideas? - we have city water and a water conditioner that makes nice ice cubes and water is clear in a glass.





blacksmithtech said:


> no - washed, cut and cold pack per the Ball book


Just wondering if I read this right, did you water bath or presssure can? 
I cold pack and pressure as the ball book says and my bean water has a slight color to it but not brown. I also have city water, but the kitchen water is double filtered. 

Just wondering if it is the conditioner in your water?

Nancy


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

We cold pack and pressure can ours too and the water isn't brown. From what I understand, water bathing green beans is not a good idea.


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## blacksmithtech (Oct 11, 2007)

we pressure canned them - I was just saying our experience in the past has been with water bath. First time with the beans and this water issue - a head scratcher for sure!


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

Could you post a picture of them? What kind of beans are they?
Nancy


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

Did you use canning salt or iodized? I've heard that iodized salt can cloud or discolor the food/water.


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## akaRach (Sep 29, 2009)

I cold packed, pressure canned my green beans with a pinch of canning salt and we're on nice soft well water, no brown water.

Hope you get it solved, gl!


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## Stepbyrd (Jun 17, 2013)

Did anyone ever reach a conclusion on this issue? I know this is resurrecting an old thread but I had this happen to me on our first batch of pressure canned beans.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Am guessing, but most likely culprit is that the beans were too mature. I have used the cold pack and hot pack and never had issues with the water turning brown.


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## Gelene autrey (6 mo ago)

blacksmithtech said:


> Not sure I've ever seen this before - we do a lot of water bath canning for the tomatoes and this is the first try at green beans.
> We put 1 tsp of pickling salt in and covered with boiling water. Processed according to the cooker's instruction sheet. They all look nice except the water is a light brown in the jars?
> 
> Any ideas? - we have city water and a water conditioner that makes nice ice cubes and water is clear in a glass.


I just canned today and mine are brown..


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## BorealForest (6 mo ago)

I think it’s simply your water. I have well water with quite a bit of iron in it. I cold pack my green beans & pressure can, the water in the jars is always slightly brown but we have been eating them like this for years & are fine


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

This is a zombie thread, but I'll put in my 2 cents' worth:

Beans are low acid, and the best procedure is to pressure can them. They retain more flavor, and it is safer than water bath canning, because pressure canning at the proper temp/pressure kills botulism spores. 

Some folk only have access to water bath, and they've been doing it forever, or so their grandma said, and who am I to argue with Grandma? Heck, no. I don't want to have to go out and fetch a switch...

As far as water goes, we have "sweet" water here - lots of lime - and my beans also turn the water brown from time to time. This usually, but not always, happens when the beans are quite mature.


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