Harvest and Preserving Green Beans and Shallots

[gardener3434]

Great video i love your explinations, keep it up. Do the green beans freeze together in the bag so they are like one big clump or are they single?

[Praxxus55712]

@gardener3434 I thought they would but they didn't. I drain them very well before tossing into the bags. Then I squeeze out as much air as possible. They break apart into smaller chunks for cooking very easily but for the most part they don't really stick together.

[ILuvCaroline]

I am planting shallots for the first time too. I also love garlic so I decided to give that a try as well. Great video. I have always been against bush beans..lol..dont ask. But what kind of beans do you have?

[louis1999ful]

It looks like u are having fun there with the bags

[desertgreenie]

I love the casual and simple way you explain how to do this stuff. Keep it up.

[desertgreenie]

I love the casual and simple way you explain how to do this stuff. Keep it up.

[MobyDave1583]

Do you freeze your spinach and Swiss chard the same way you do your beans?

[Praxxus55712]

@MobyDave1583 I eat swiss chard and spinach fresh. There never is enough left over to freeze. I don't like the texture of preserved spinach and other leaf crops. Too mushy. ick.

[drmarthacastro]

Man, you are good at it. Love the way you explain and the passion you put in it. I simply love it. I learned a lot from you today and for that I am deeply grateful.

[angelinarai]

@drmarthacastro

Amen

[Praxxus55712]

@SleepIsMagic I plant the bulbs just below the surface so that they are barely completely covered in soil. I plant them about a foot apart because when they start producing multiple bulbs, they will tend to be too crowded if planted closer together. By the way, you can cut the greens and use them in cooking all during the growing season as long as you leave at least 6 inches of green on the plant. It tastes fantastic and mild. :)

[Brndon076]

home grown green beans taste SO much better than store bought

[oxphatxo]

Dude, you make awesome videos. You tell it simply, and I love how you share every little reason for things. They are helpful for the beginner gardener like me. Although you seem like you might have too much time on your hands.. . hah

[gekizai]

You said you liked the yellow beans best. Are the different colors a function of how long they've been on the plant? Is it genetic? If genetic, could you leave some yellow beans on the plant and let the pods dry and use only those seeds next year? Seems like if you selected for yellow each year, eventually that'd be all you got.

[Praxxus55712]

@gekizai Naw they're two different varieties of beans. One's yellow wax beans I think and the other is some funky brand of green bean. I just grow them together. I'm wondering if they ended up cross-pollinating. I should save the seeds and find out.

[queeny107]

Brilliant video!! I will try out the freezing next year! I don't know what happen to my branch beans this year but i did not get much crop.

[gameplay1999]

did you save any seeds for your seed saving vidio? if you did work on it what seeds did you get so far?

[Praxxus55712]

@gameplay1999 I've shot footage of some seeds but still filming that video. Different plants ripen at different times so it'll be just a little longer. I'll upload it pronto once it's done. :)

[astrialkil]

Shallots are $5 lb here, I want to grow some in a self watering container over the winter.

[paulinexpress]

hi ray! You've had some wonderfull shallots! It's my 3rd year in planting shallots but this year wasn't that great for me (I planted bulbs that were too small, so ... small harvest!). Anyway, you really don't need to freeze them to preserve them. If you just put them in a clean net (I use old nets that shops use to sell onions or potatoes) and put them somewhere dry and dark, they preserve really well!

I bought one bag of bulbs 3 years ago and I keep planting the harvest of the year before!

[Letgota]

Great stuff! Can we just freeze the beans without cooking it first?

Thanks Ray.

[Praxxus55712]

@Letgota Nope. They would end up being rubbery and gross when thawed afterwards.

[Letgota]

@Praxxus55712

Ohhhh I see. So how do we know which veggies or herbs that we need to quickly boiled them first and which we don't have to like the shallot?

:)

[Praxxus55712]

@Letgota Good question. I guess there's probably a chart somewhere on the internet but I really don't know. I just know about the veggies that I've preserved. If you find one, definitely let me know, ok? :)

[TheOrganiclady]

Thanks for answer. Also, do you have any problems with ice crystals forming in the bag or do they ever get freezer burnt? How long can they last in the freezer? I know these questions seem dumb, but the only thing I ever use the freezer for is ice cream or popsicles.

[Praxxus55712]

@TheOrganiclady Yep ice crystals form inside the bag because I open the bags periodically to remove a handfull of veggies for dinners. The ice doesn't harm the veggies and no freezer burn. Just make sure you push out all the air you can each time you open and close the bag. The veggies last over a year and are excellent tasting! :)

[TheOrganiclady]

Nice job. I have a few of questions. I am new to canning anything but tomatoes. Do the beans really taste better than canned if they are frozen? And, do you have to worry about botulism if you are freezing them? Also, do you know much about root cellars? I know you can have them in the north and I think you can store your onions, garlic and potatoes in them to keep them fresh all winter long. Thanks!

[Praxxus55712]

@TheOrganiclady Frozen green beans are less cooked than canned. They are brighter colored, taste fresher when thawed and cooked and have a bit of a fresh crunch, which is very nice. No worries about botulism. Root cellars are really nice. I would like to have one.

[Fleur696]

Ray,Great Idea of rolling the bags to expell all the air before freezing.

I usually wait until all the beans has turned bright green, I know it is blanched and ready for the freezer. They can last for two years.

[Michigansnowpony]

I wanna do shallots next year!!! Those look so cool / good!!! I bet they would dehydrate superbly (like onions). I'm so sick of beans I could scream -- I ain't pickin 'em anymore.

[Praxxus55712]

@Michigansnowpony I swear I'm done picking beans every time I pick beans. I think by autumn I'll have around 20 gallon ziplocks of beans. Oh joy.......a whole winter of eating green beans every single dinner.......I can hardly (dry heave) contain my joy......

[cootiebooboo]

Ray, what brand bush beans did you use? I used Burpee's and grew bupkus!  (Sorry Burpee, I'm sure it's me!) Also, how far apart do you space your beans?

Love your videos; you obviously enjoy making them and that's why we watch!

p.s. What's the puppy's name?

[mombo39]

Just picked the last of me beans here in PA....how do you keep them going til fall? My plant leaves are full of holes and starting to turn yellow. Thanks for the video..always a pleasure to watch.

[Praxxus55712]

@mombo39 I just keep pouring on compost tea, keeping them watered and picked and they just seem to go on and on like little Energizer Bean plans. It's almost scary how much they produce.

[aerdna16]

When you pick your beans, do the leaves bother your skin? I was weeding mine and now my arms are itchy.

ps. love your tags

[Praxxus55712]

@aerdna16 Are you sure you're not harvesting poison ivy? :)

But no I've never gotten itchy skin from bean leaves. The pole bean leaves stick to my long sleeved shirts though. That's weird and inconvenient.

[tjttzcspplt]

This great information. Thank you. I thought my onions were dying, or something.

[stymye]

..he  heh..... the Bob Ross of gardening ?...cool

[Lawknee]

I use a straw in combination with your method of getting out the air. Ummm... I suck on the straw, pulling it out as I slowly close the bag the rest of the way. *lights a cigarette* -- inhale, exhale slowly -- that was good.

[Praxxus55712]

@Lawknee HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok that seriously cracked me up! :)

[niffer58]

That is alot of beans. i haven't gotten that many just yet. couple here and there that were big. i got a mix of purple, green and yellow ones. i haven't tried yellow so thanks for the taste discription. I wish i could freeze everything i don't have the freezer space. :( so may have to can some of them. I can honestly say i have never had a shallot, do they taste like onions?

[thetmaxx]

Thank you for showing blanching!! 

[outofworkbum]

wow skippy peanut butter and real ziplock brand bags....must be all that advertising money you're raking in...haha

[PCOStherealdeal]

We started harvesting the 20 or so pole bean plant's we have here and MAN. There is nothing better than going out into your own garden picking whatever veggies you want (and eating some fresh ripe strawberry's while your at it). Oh and the snap... last night I made a pot pie from scratch with green beans and celery and carrots and peas fresh from our garden... so so SO good. Those beans snap so loudly lol nice and crisp.

[Praxxus55712]

@PCOStherealdeal I drooled a little reading your comment. LOL

[omegahpla]

Nice beans n shallots. Thanks for the storage tips, new usable stuff for me. Thats some good food!

[kern0099]

Fresh green beans, mmmm delicious in some pasta. A little panchetta, and those shallots would go well in there too...getting hungry! :-)

[kiml1508]

That is the fastest I've ever seen anybody pick beans! How is the house hunt?

[Praxxus55712]

@kiml1508 Still looking and waiting for a buyer. I hate waiting. :(

[gcarped]

Awesome, Ray! I love this one. So much info in ten minutes! Peace.

[I3addogy]

Ray, how many shallot bulbs did you plant to get those bags full and is there such a thing as picking beans to early ?

[Praxxus55712]

@I3addogy 48. I got lucky and had a 100% success on bulbs planted. They multiply like wabbits!

ps: No such thing as too early for beans. The younger you pick them, the more tender.

[optikfiber]

Wow thats a lot of shallots! ☺

[Praxxus55712]

@272727cupcake Shallots have a milder taste than onions. It's basically just a little variety from just plain onions. They defiitely taste better saute'd.

[huronhorde]

yet again, another amazing video! keep them coming!

[crewlla]

I guess your on here too. you should do live.

[Praxxus55712]

@crewlla Me? LIVE?? I'd have a stroke and fall off my desk chair right in front of everybody. LOL. I think once I get enough subscribers I might try it but that's something new for me. :)

[Michigansnowpony]

@Praxxus55712 - I triple double dog dare you . . . .; )