Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

Summer is still in full swing in my neck of the woods and gardens literally explode with veggies waiting to be harvested. To keep pace with all that is produced, canning pots and vacuum sealers seem to run all the time. This preserved harvest will wait to be consumed in the months to come, when days are short, nights are long and we can do nothing but dream of digging our hands into fresh spring earth.

I try to revel in each season as it comes, but my planning mind is always one step (or one season) ahead. We may be in summer, but my mind is thinking fall and winter, and what we need to do to prepare, and what we can be enjoying that will remind us of summer.

But, we have to deal with what is at this moment. This week has been about beans and different ways I can use them that will be a delight in the not-to-distant future. So I settled on a batch of 3-Bean Salad. There’s nothing like that tangy sweet with firm beans and crisp veggies to harken us back to long lazy days. It will be just the treat we need when paired with slow cooked pulled pork on some stormy wet weekend. It will not only be delicious, but invoke the pleasures of spring and summer. This simple to make summertime favorite is easy and makes 8 to 9 half pints.

3-Bean Salad Recipe

2 cups green or yellow beans (or a combination of both), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion (about ½ cup), sliced thin

1-1/2 stalks celery (about ½ cup), sliced thin

½ red bell pepper (about ½ cup), sliced thin

½ green bell pepper (about ½ cup), sliced thin

Brine:

1 cup white vinegar

8 oz. l fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 cups white sugar

2-1/2 cups water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. Kosher, canning or pickling salt

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and snap fresh beans. Blanch for three minutes and cool completely in an ice bath. Drain and rinse canned beans. Slice and measure other vegetables.

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add salt and oil, and mix well. Add beans and veggie mix and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cool and refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours. This starts the marinating process.

Sanitize jars, lids and rings while heating bean mixture to a boil. Fill hot jars with bean mixture and top with brine leaving ½-inch of headspace. Remove bubbles with a plastic or wooden spatula. Wipe rims with a slightly damp clean cloth, place lids and rings on and tighten finger tight. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes at a full boil. Once jars have “popped” tighten rings again, cool and wait to ENJOY!