The Dutch Method of Preserving French Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans
Wash the beans thoroughly.
Soak the beans in soft water for 24 hours, changing the water frequently.
Cut the beans slanting and as thin as possible.
Salt and preserve
In a stone jar, layer the beans and salt alternately, using 4 pounds of salt for every 1000 beans.
Press the beans down well until the water overflows.
Cover the jar with a cloth and a weight.
Wash the cloth regularly and replace it as needed.
Cook and serve
To prepare, steep the desired amount of beans in cold water overnight.
Wash the beans in fresh water.
Boil the beans in water until tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the beans from heat.
Stew the beans with a little butter before serving.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- French beans
- Form the main body of the preserve, becoming tender when cooked.
- Common table salt
- Draws water out of the beans and preserves them through salt curing.
The step that matters
Layering the beans and salt. Salt must be packed evenly between the beans and pressed down so the beans release enough water to cover them. Without that brine, the beans can spoil instead of preserving.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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