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Canning: How long do green beans last in the fridge before they can't be pickled any longer? #882926

Asked August 25, 2024, 6:44 PM EDT

Good evening, I received garden beans, picked on Friday, which I intended to pickle that day, however, I came down sick and still am. I was wondering, how long can they sit the fridge for until they're no longer suitable for canning into dilly beans? Would Tuesday be okay? Or Wednesday? Could you please answer specially to each day and also tell me if they'll last beyond that for any length of time? I realize that the less fresh they are, the less crisp they'll be when pickled, but at this point this is better than none or wasting them. What I am worried about, and why I am asking, is about safety. I currently have them in the crisper, loosely tied in perforated bags, with a paper towel in each. Would you suggest a different way of storing them? Should they be airtight? Also, I wasn't able to get any fresh dill from farmer's market. Is it okay to use a bouquet of dill purchased from Meijer for the dill heads required in the tested recipe I use? Thank you for your time.

Ingham County Michigan

Expert Response

Oh dear, I hope you are feeling better very soon!

Properly stored, unwashed green beans can safely be stored 7-10 days. Tuesday or Wednesday would be well in that range. In the crisper drawer, in plastic bags with a paper towel is a great way to store them. Rigid containers also work well. As you clean them, toss any that are mushy, rotted, or otherwise blemished. You are correct that the longer they sit the likely less crisp they will be, so for the sake of your dilly beans I hope you start to feel better very soon!

Dill heads from Meijer are perfectly fine to use in your tested recipe.

Here is a link to the MSU Extension fact sheet on green beans for more information!

Happy canning! 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 27, 2024, 12:15 PM EDT
Thank you!

So, just to clarify:

-if one or several beans in the bag are rotted or moldy, I can safely use the others if I toss these and remove any that were directly touching them, correct?
-should the plastic bags I have the beans stored in (with paper towels) be perforated with holes (which is currently the way they are; loosely tied) or in a sealed ziploc bag to prevent any air from getting in?

The garlic I ordered from farmer's market is jumbo garlic. I seem to recall that you cannot add extra garlic, because it will alter the pH, which can be dangerous. Is this correct? I tried looking it up on the National Center for Home Food Preservation but didn't find an answer. If this is the case,  I can just cut a larger clove down to the size of a typical head of garlic. I thought I'd check though, because I love garlic, and if I can safely add more, I would like to. 

Thanks for your time.

On Tue, Aug 27, 2024 at 12:15 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied August 27, 2024, 4:10 PM EDT

Hello! I'm so sorry for the delayed response- I have been dealing with the power outages that limited internet access today that seem to be all over the state right now! 

I did some checking on your mold question. It sounds like as long as the beans are not turning slimy, yes, you can discard the moldy beans and the ones immediately surrounding it. However, If the beans are starting to turn slimy, its recommended you discard the bushel. I hope this isn't the case for you. 

The bags could be zip topped, or any other airtight container would work. The issue isn't so much air as maintaining moisture. My apologies for not clarifying this earlier! 

You are correct about the garlic. Quantity definitely changes the pH. If the jumbo garlic you purchased is in fact garlic that's extra large you could use the glove. Our friends at North Dakota State University Extension say you can add one glove of garlic to pickles or veggies without impacting the processing time. But if the garlic you purchased is actually elephant garlic, that is more closely related to onions. If that's the case, I would advise using regular garlic (and adding a clove!) instead. 

Happy Canning! 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 28, 2024, 10:12 PM EDT
Thank you so much for the info! I really appreciate the extra time you took, digging into this on my behalf. And no worries--we've encountered issues due to adverse weather several times this summer; I very much understand. 

Just to confirm one thing--if adding extra garlic can change the pH, how can I then use an extra large clove (it is not elephant garlic, but that is good to know, as I did not know that). Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but the way I took it was that I could use a whole clove of the jumbo garlic.

 I looked over that article, thank you. When you, and it, says I can add a clove of garlic without it affecting process time, does that mean an extra one to recipes that already call for one? Or does that mean adding only a clove of garlic to recipes that do not call for any to begin with?

Also, I was gifted more beans and want to can another batch. My concern is that a fair number have small brown spots, which I've seen many times on beans at farmers market. They're not mold spots, to my eyes, nor do the beans appear to be going bad or spot. They look very fresh. Rather, it just looks like the bean's skin is brown in small spots, as if it grew that way; the skin is smooth.

Are these okay to use? I try to be very careful and conscientious when I am canning to ensure not just the best final product, but safety, especially. 

Thank you again for all your help and have a pleasant Labor Day. 
The Question Asker Replied September 02, 2024, 3:38 AM EDT

Brown and rusty spots on green beans are a bit of a tricky question. Sometimes the rusty spots indicate the beans are older and are on their way to spoilage, but other times they are a sign of a fungal infection. If that is the case, then definitely discard and do not can them. 

But if the beans are firm and you are able to remove the brown spots easily, you could use the green beans. I'm including a link from University of Minnesota Extension that includes some pictures that might help you decide if the green beans are just getting older or if the spots are from a disease. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/vegetable/snapbean/podspots.html

Please know that even if the beans are "safe", they may not be the best quality. 


In regards to your garlic question: adding 1 clove doesn't change the pH so much to change the processing time as say adding 3 or 4 cloves. It was determined that adding 1 clove (either to a recipe that included it or to veggies that did not) would be safe. I think because you can add an 1 extra clove of garlic you can use 1 jumbo garlic clove in your jar to equal the 2 cloves. (Did that make more sense?) 

Tara H

An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 04, 2024, 8:25 AM EDT

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