We go through Black Beans and Chick Peas like nobody’s business around here, so it is totally worth the effort to buy them {dried} in bulk and can them. The best part about canning beans, is that you can eat them at a moments notice–no soaking them and then cooking them. Just pop off the lid and heat.
If you aren’t sure how to go about canning your homegrown or bulk beans, here’s the quick low-down and dirty how to:
You’ll Need:
Pressure Canner {Need a pressure canning tutorial? Click HERE}
Beans
Pint and/or Quart Jars
Water
Directions:
Start by soaking your dried beans overnight. Place them in a bowl and cover completely with water. Once your beans have been soaked, drain and rinse them thoroughly. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
Put the beans into a large stock pot and cover them with about 2″ of water. Bring water to a boil and cook until still firm, but starting to get SLIGHTLY tender {don’t cook them fully, or you will have mushy gross beans when pressure canning is complete}.
Meanwhile, put the rack and hot water into the canner. Fill the pressure canner about 2-3 inches high with water.
Ladle the beans and liquid {you may have to boil additional water to completely fill the jars} into jars, leaving 1″ headspace. Place lids and rings on jars, and place jars into pressure canner.
Fasten the lid of the pressure canner. Leave the weight off of the vent pipe for now
Turn the burner to high and allow water to boil. Steam should flow freely through the vent pipe. Allow the steam to flow for 10 minutes or so. {This is called venting or exhausting the canner}.
Place the weighted gauge/counterweight on the vent pipe and allow the canner to pressurize. Start your processing timer once the pressure reading is at 10 lbs.
Process at 10 pounds pressure {or adapt for differing altitudes, according to your pressure canners instructions}. Process pints for 1 hour and 15 minutes and quarts for 1 hours and 30 minutes.
Once canned goods have finished processing, turn off the heat. The canner will depressurize.
Once the canner is completely depressurized, wait another 10 minutes and then carefully unfasten the lid and remove {away from your face, unless you want a super hot steam facial}.
Use a jar lifter to lift the jars out of the canner–again be careful not to disturb the jars too much so that the liquids spill out, stopping the sealing process.
Set canned jars on a towel on the counter, adequately spaced from one another, and allow them to cool.
Allow the jars to sit untouched for 12-24 hours {or until COMPLETELY cooled}. Check for a good seal on jars and remove bands from jars before storing.
Looking for a few more canning recipes? Search my Full List of Canning Recipes
Looking for a good canning book? Here’s a list of my favorites:
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
- The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook
- Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It
- Food in Jars
- The Amish Canning Cookbook
- Not Your Mama’s Canning Book
Also, check out these tutorials if you’ve never used a canner before:
Tutorial: Hot Water Bath Canning
Tutorial: How to Use a Pressure Canner
Brianna says
I’ve read mixed things about removing bands before storage. Does it matter if you do or don’t? What are reasons behind it? I’m just curious.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, remove them before storing. I wrote a post about it a while back. -> http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/should-i-remove-the-rings-from-my-canning-jars/
Em says
Thanks for the link!
Brianna says
Thanks!
Jennifer says
I agree with Ms Mavis 100%: remove those rings. It’s important to remove the rings so you know asap if a jar is spoiling. Yes, sometimes you can tell by the look of the spoiling food (if the jar isn’t hidden behind other jars of food). But not in all cases. Keeping the rings on can make the jar into a pressured bomb of rot! My parents found this out the hard way when they tried to can chicken without using the proper technique (crazy!!!), then stored a case of it under a bed. Imagine unscrewing rings on jars of rotting chicken!
Em says
Thank you, Mavis!
Brianna, from my personal experience, I put the bands on if I am going to be transporting the jars, but I remove if storing. I remove them because they tend to rust. However, I would like to hear “expert” opinions!
Wendy says
Hi Mavis,
Just wondering if you have read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing? This book reminded me of you and your posts over the years to declutter.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. But I don’t talk to my clothes nor feel the need to say goodbye to then. I think decluttering is a process and I’m happy with the way I’ve gone about it.
Jennifer says
I have canned dried beans 3 ways: soaking and par cooking before canning, soaking and going straight to canning, and canning the dried beans (the last 2 methods require adding boiling water to the beans in the jars of course). I don’t think the last method is recommended since it’s possible that the beans won’t be fully hydrated or cooked, but it is my favorite for beans that aren’t mushy. Even soaking overnight before canning makes beans kinda mushy to me, but good enough for making refried beans or burritos!
Gardenpat says
We have been canning our dry beans that way too- putting 1/2 cup dry beans into a pint jar , adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt and filling the jar with boiling water. Pressure can at 11 pounds pressure for 90 minutes. I can do 16 pints in my canner at one time, using the second shelf ! Beans come out really well- not mushy, not hard!
Mary says
I saw this from an Amish cooking post and have used it the past 3 years and not had a problem with seals.
Maggi says
i prefer to cook my beans then dehydrate them and seal them in canning jars. i dont have a pressure canner so this way works well for me.
Carol B. says
Nothing against the process of canning beans, just a shameless plug here for the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker/ slow cooker/ yogurt maker). You don’t have to soak dried beans when making your soups or chilis. Just dump all the ingredients in, set time and walk away. I’ve made a 15-Bean Soup mix with ham. Done in under an hour…tender beans, flavorful soup. Even my hubby doesn’t like bean soups and he said he’d lick the bowl if he could! Recipe I followed did not use the seasoning packet….just common spices and it was so delicious! Okay, plug over!! 🙂
Jennifer says
I just got an instant pit and haven’t used it yet. Looking forward to it. I would bet that pressure cooked dried beans are very soup-worthy, but I doubt they retain their individual shape enough for some applications.
Rosaleen says
I’m happy to see at least one comment regarding drying VS canning beans. Dried they require much less storage space. I haven’t reached the point of knowing just how much to cook and then dehydrate the beans. Anyone else?
Gardenpat says
I still store lots of dried beans but I found that if I keep 7- 12 pints of each variety of beans canned on my shelf, then I us them in my meals and I don’t have to run to the store to buy canned beans!!
Jennifer says
Similar here. If I have them at the ready, I use them. If not, we end up buying them anyway. My family is most fond of black beans. But I also try to have pinto, kidney, and one or two others on hand so I can can up a batch of several varieties as I run low.
Kim Lund says
Hi, I presoak beans and grains in an acid medium to reduce phytic acid. I can use apple cider vinegar instead of a dairy form such as yogurt or whey.
Would I still be able to safely can beans?
The process takes a long time so I have to freeze beans ahead to speed up the process.
How much would be saved on organic beans canning myself instead of buying canned?
Thank you
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Kim, I’m sorry but I have no idea because I have never canned beans the way you are describing. Sorry I could not be more helpful.
Kim Lund says
Most who go to our local CSA’s as well as those who follow Westin price which we do always presoak to get rid of the phytic acid, would be a huge time & money saver if I’m able to presoak and safely can myself.
There are a lot of us who do this, this link explains better than I can.
Thank you
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/putting-the-polish-on-those-humble-beans/