Mennonite Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Rural western New York State where I grew up, is home to large colonies of Mennonites and Old Order Amish. Most are farmers who work up hearty appetites doing the manual labor required using horses to plow their fields. The farm wives are well known for cooking and serving the traditional “seven sweets and seven sours” for their main meal at lunchtime. This recipe is one my mother served often using green beans from dad’s garden. The recipe comes from an old Mennonite cookbook published in 1957  that belonged to my mother who passed it on to me. I have prepared these beans too many times to count and they remain one of my favorite ways to prepare green beans. Both tangy and sweet, the combination of green beans, onion and bacon can’t be beat. This will make four ½ cup servings and is easily doubled. Just a few simple ingredients will give you a delicious side that goes perfectly well with an Easter ham, lamb, turkey or heck, even meatloaf! This will make four 1/2 cup servings. This recipe easily doubles and if you love green beans then a double recipe will serve six 😉

Here’s what we’ll need.

Mennonite Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Fresh green beans cooked with onion and bacon ( how can that be bad?), then finished with a sweet and sour sauce, these are truly my favorite way to "gussy up" plain old green beans. Cooked the green beans just until barely tender as they will cook another minute or two in the sauce. I kid you not when I say I could make a meal out of these with a side of cornbread!

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups sliced fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup salted water
• 2 slices thick cut Bacon regular bacon will work but the flavor will not be as pronounced
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 TBSP Flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Instructions

 

• Place green beans in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup of salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for about seven minutes until barely tender. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
• Cook bacon in a 10 inch skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 TBSP of drippings.
  
• Add the onion to the skillet and cook until tender but not brown.
• Stir in the flour until smooth; then stir in the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
  
• Bring this to a boil and stir for one minute, then stir in the green beans.
  
• Cook just until the beans are heated through, then remove from the heat and sprinkle the bacon over the top.
• Serve and enjoy!
  
• Emma Showalter's Community Mennonite Cookbook.
  

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