Are you looking to learn how to pressure can dried beans? You’ve arrived at the right place. This post will show you how to safely and easily can your beans.
As I’m sure is the case for many of you, canned beans are a staple in my pantry. I try to always keep an assortment of pinto, kidney, garbanzo, and black beans in my kitchen cabinet. Even when I’ve not been shopping in awhile, I nearly always have tortillas in the freezer and some kind of cheese in the fridge. Combined with a can of beans, I’m only a few steps away from a bean and cheese quesadilla lunch (and all the better if there’s a jar of salsa on the shelf).
In recent years, instead of sourcing my stash of canned beans from the store, I’ve been making them myself. That’s because as cheap as canned beans are, dried beans cost even less (I typically get at least four 1/2 liter or pint jars from a single pound of dried beans). And by using my own jars, I avoid the chemicals in can liners and also keep that waste out of the system.
If you have a pressure canner, making your own canned beans is incredibly simple (though I’ll grant you that the first time through it will feel like there are a lot of steps but it will get easier). If you don’t have one, this might just be the technique that convinces you to get one. If you’re looking for a good starter pressure canner, I use a 16 quart Presto
As is the case any time you use dried beans, you start by soaking them. If I’m canning on a weekend, I’ll soak the beans overnight so that they’re ready for a morning canning session. During the work week, I’ll set them to soak while I make breakfast and will can them up after dinner. I like to pressure can in the evenings because it means that I can let the canner cool overnight. I’ve found that the longer you let the canner cool undisturbed, the better the jars seal.
When you soak your beans, take care to use a bowl big enough to hold the beans and water to cover by 2-3 inches. As you can see in one of the pictures above, I didn’t use a bowl quite large enough for the white beans and so they soaked up everything I gave them and threatened to spill out of the bowl entirely.
Once the beans are sufficiently soaked, it’s time to start to prep them for the canning process. Like I do in all canning situations, the first thing I do is get the jars and canning pot set up. In this case, I put the rack in the pot, set the jars on top, and fill the jars with hot water from the tap (because the water isn’t coming into contact with food, I don’t worry about using hot water).
Unlike with boiling water bath canning where you need a full pot, pressure canning works with steam so the jars don’t need to be submerged. An inch or two of water in the pot itself is really all you need.
When I use Weck jars, I take care to also tuck the glass lids and rubber rings into the pot to heat (leave the clips out). When I use conventional mason jars, I tuck new lids into the pot, but keep the rings out as they’re hard to work with when hot. Settle the lid on the pot and bring the pot to a boil. No need to lock the lid into place yet, you’re just warming the jars.
While the canner heats, pour the beans and their soaking water into a pot and bring them to a boil. You may need to add some additional water as they still should be covered by about 2 inches of water. They need approximately 25-30 minutes on the stove in order to heat through and begin to soften.
Take note that the beans should not be cooked fully when they go into the jars. If you cooked them fully before pressure canning, your finished product would be total mush.
When the jars are hot and the beans have simmered for about half an hour, it’s time to fill the jars. Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a kitchen towel. If you’ve boiled out most of your water from the bottom of the pot, pour the contents of the jars back into the canner. If your water level looks good, dump the water from the jars out into the sink.
Fill the jars with the prepared beans. You want to add enough beans so that they come up about 2/3 of the way up the jar. Then cover the beans with cooking liquid, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Ideally, you’ll have about an inch of water above the bean level. Don’t skimp on the water because the beans are going to continue to cook in the jars and so will need additional liquid in order to soften fully.
Once the jars are filled, wipe the rims with a clean towel. Settle the rubber seal onto the lid of the Weck jar and place the seal and lid onto the jar. Secure the lid with three Weck jar clips. When canning Weck jars in a boiling water bath you only use two clips, but the increased intensity of the pressure canner means that you need an additional clip to ensure that the lid stays in place. If you’re using conventional mason jars, apply lids and rings in the usual fashion.
To avoid chipping the lid with the clips, place the clip on the lid first and then push down towards the side of the jar. If you start from the side of jar and push towards the lid, you risk breakage.
Once the lids are secured, lower the jars into the canner. My 16 quart canner can hold five 1/2 liter Weck jars, seven quart jars, or nine pint jars. Pour a glug of white vinegar into the pot to help keep the jars and pot clean and then lock the lid into place.
Bring the pot up to a boil and let the steam vent for at least 15 minutes. You do this by running the pot without the pressure regulator in place. That’s the little black and metal hat that sits atop the vent shaft. The reason for this is that a canner that has been properly relieved of its oxygen through venting can reach a higher temperature than one that is full of oxygen. The higher the temperature, the more effectively the canner will kill any botulism spores present.
Once the canner is properly vented, apply the pressure regulator and bring up to pressure. If you live at 1,000 feet elevation or below (as I do), you bring the pot up to 11 pounds of pressure. If you live at higher elevations, you need to increase your pressure (find those exact elevation adjustments here)
Once the canner reaches the appropriate pressure, start your timer. If you’re working with pint or 1/2 liter jars, you process the beans for 75 minutes. If you use quart or liter jars, process for 90 minutes. Make sure to check the pressure gauge often to ensure that you’re at the proper pressure levels. If your pressure drops below the required level, you have to bring the pot back up to pressure and restart your timer.
Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave the pot alone. I like to let it cool for at least an hour after the pot depressurizes, but the longer you can let it cool, the better. Even after the pot depressurizes, there is still a huge amount of heat in the jars. It’s perfectly normal for the contents of the jars to be bubbling hours after the canning process has finished.
Weck jars work really well for pressure canning, but there are a couple tricks to it. I’ve already mentioned the first, using three clips instead of two. The second is that you really must ensure that the seal is in its ideal position before you settle the lid on the jar. As you can see, my seal slipped a little with this jar. It wasn’t enough to compromise the seal, but I knew that this rubber ring wasn’t as perfectly positioned as the rest when that jar went into the canner. I got lucky and didn’t ruin the seal, but that won’t always be the case.
And remember. If Weck jars don’t fit your budget, the basics in this post also apply to how to pressure can dried beans in regular mason jars too. For a post that walks you through this technique using Ball canning jars, check out my post on how to can Rosemary White Bean Soup Starter.
I love using dry garbanzos for hummus and Middle Eastern dishes, since the canned ones have so much salt in them. Canning them would certainly cut down on the prep time!
I would love to win this package. I love the look of Weck jars but have been a little afraid to use them. This would definitely get me to take the plunge!
I use a lot of beans, especially in soups, and my favorite lately is black beans in tortilla soup, which I just can’t get enough of! I’ve been dehydrating cooked beans, but I would very much like to can some as well and was wondering about how to do that recently!
This is a great idea! Thanks a bunch.
I want to try making beans more often. I would love to win this.
What awesome jars! I haven’t seen them before!
I love using beans to tie together loose odds and ends in the fridge into a cohesive and delicious meal.
My favorite: tacos! I never get tired of them. Lately I like to top them with shredded cabbage and lime juice.
I have wanted to try canning beans, but I have been apprehensive. After reading this, I might give it a try.
I like to make homemade hummus…yum!
I use canned beans mostly in soups and chili.
I like to make homemade hummus with home-canned chick peas and roasted red peppers. Mmmm!
I love making chili with my beans!
Love this idea! I pay a premium price for no salt added canned beans. Now I can do them myself.
I don’t have a pressure cooker, and I might have to break down and try this. I, like you, always keep a few cans of several different types of beans in the cupboard: I make a quick roasted corn and black bean dish over rice for the kids sometimes, and I also start from canned when I make “Texas caviar” – black-eyed pea salad. I’ve been worrying about can liners for awhile now, too. . . .might have to take the plunge.
But I can say, as a seasoned dried bean cooker, that I always get rid of the soaking water and start with fresh after rinsing the soaked beans. I was taught this method by a Mexican lady who insisted that reduces the, er, unpleasant effects that beans sometimes have on people. 😉
I use them in soups like my ham and Butterbean soup! I use them in stews, stir-fry’s and more! So bring on the beans and lets get cooking!
Cool beans! Weck jars are the cutest!
We love to can beans fresh from the field. Great in soup, with eggs or straight out of the jar
I use canned beans in everything from breakfasts to salads.I have never been much of a meat eater so beans are my go to protein food, just love them
I use beans in everything! Just last night I made a potato and kale soup and last second decided to throw in some pinto beans, it was a great addition!
Chili! It’s the perfect winter food.
Although I already can dried beans at home and love the convenience and savings. I’ve never tried canning with Weck Jars. Would love to win and give them a go! 🙂
lately my favorite for the winter time is making white bean and kale soup.
I canned pork and beans once and they tasted just like the most popular brand of canned beans at the store. GREAT give away!
My favorite was to eat canned beans is to toss them in a tortilla with roasted sweet potatoes.
My favorite use of canned beans is homemade refried beans. Once you make it fresh, you simply won’t go back to the canned variety!
Soups, chili, white bean dip. I’ve tried canning beans before and would LOVE canning them in new WECK Jars 🙂
I’ve never tried canning beans but I’m new to canning and can’t wait to start!
Chili and soups are where my beans usually wind up. We love hearty bean soups in winter especially!
I love to use beans in soup for the depth of flavor and texture they add as well as nutritional value.
I’ve never tried it.
I’m a veggie, so beans are a staple for me. I had never actually thought of canning them myself. I use dry beans a lot, but would use even more beans if I had some home-canned ones around the house.
Oh, my favorite bean dish at the moment is a tex mex vegetarian chili from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian cook book. So tasty.
I have never canned beans before, but I love the idea of doing this so I can avoid the chemicals in the can linings. AND…I got my first pressure cooker just this year…Yeah!
love them in my chili!
What an amazing way to make healthy soups. I’ve never honestly thought to make canned beans, but now I am going to all the time!
Bean soups…which I take to work. Mmm, hot lunch!
Hummus and soups.
I will be canning beans this year. Would love to win the jars.
Chili!!
i like to use chickpeas to make hummus!
Jamaican Rice and Peas in the rice cooker, or refried beans with my tacos 🙂
Refried beans with Mexican food.
Chili. Though, a nice big batch of burritos are also good.
We ate turkey and white bean tacos tonight, made with home canned turkey and homemade tortillas yum! I need to can beans.
hum… never thought of canning beans myself must try! chili and bean salad and soup and many other goodies await!
I used home canned Black Beans for refried beans. I use them in several recipes.
Beans are versatile, I can imagine a lot of soup recipes that would really be nice from these canned beans.
I like to make a cold bean salad—beans (it doesn’t matter which, and it’s better to use a mix of beans), a bit of balsamic vinegar, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, some chopped red, yellow and/or orange pepper, a bit of corn, and maybe some black olives. Serve room temperature or cold. I could eat this all summer.
Mine are usually made in Indian style preparations. I also make mexican bean, in salads, mixed into vegetables.
Love to preserve all kinds of food but, have never canned dried beans!! After reading and entering the contest I will certainly try canning them!