MOM'S STRING BEANS

I remember my grandmother often had a big bowl of string beans in her lap, with another bowl next to her. While sitting on a couch, she would prepare the string beans for cooking. To do this, she would break off blossom end first toward the inside curve, pull the string down to the stem end. Then she would break into several bite size pieces and drop into ice cold water to freshen. She believed all vegetables tasted better if dropped into ice cold water before cooking. The following recipe comes from her daughter, my mother.

Bring the water to a boil – never add the beans to water that is not boiling. The beans are to be cooked with a piece of fat back or fatty ham, and cooked slowly for 2 to 3 hours. The pot was heated to a slow boil and covered. If the beans are boiled rapidly and if water is added often, they will not be as good.