Green beans are generall one of the first things we harvest in the garden. Cucumbers follow shortly behind, and then everything follows suit. It is easy to become overwhelmed with green beans very quickly. Growing up we always pressure canned green beans, but in my adult life I find freezing them is much easier. Yes, I know this is not a foolproof method and we could lose them if we ever lose power for an extended period of time. I also know I work full time and raise 2 little boys and time is not my friend. Sometimes getting something put away for later, even if it isn't the best method, is better than not getting it put away at all. 

I always snap my green beans first. Snap each end off, place the ends in a separate bowl, and then snap the remainder of the bean into 2 or 3 pieces. Benjamin loves to help snap green beans, he is only 2 so it does require a little supervision, but this is a great area to let the kids help. Once all the beans are snapped, I place them in a colander and rinse them very well. I dump all the beans onto a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Remove them from the freezer, they should be individual frozen green beans, and place in quart size freezer bags. Date your bags, place them back in the freezer. That's it! So simple and easy. 

Woah, controversial, I know. We choose to pasteurize our goat's milk on our farm. This a decision that works best for our family and young boys. If this isn't your choice that great! I believe there are a lot of benefits to raw milk, but we are just getting started and pasteurizing is the way to go for us!

I like to pasteurize atleast once a week. I generally do 1/2 gallon at a time. To do this I use a candy thermometer, a 5qt pot, a large bowl with ice, a reusable coffee filter, and 2 sterilized quart jars. 

First I place my pot on the stove and set the heat to medium. I strain my milk through the filter into the bowl. I place my candy thermometer on the side of the pot and stir the milk consistently. I let the milk get to 160 F. Allow it to sit there for 15 seconds. Remove from heat and place the entire pot into a large bowl of ice water to immediately start cooling the milk. Stir to allow for an even cooling. Once the milk gets to 100 F I go ahead and pour it into my sterilized jars. I place the lids on, date the lids, and place in the refrigerator!