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 like them for fast soup or mashed, mixed with spices and sour cream for an awesome dip for quesadillas! My knockoff version of this, http://www.simplyorganic.com/products.php?ct=sodips&cn=Chipotle+Black+Bean+Dip
Honestly, I don’t use canned bean all to much. My family is large enough that I usually use my pressure cooker to cook dried beans in large quantities for things like burritos, taco salad, and chili.
I love using canned beans in soups and chili!
I use canned black beasn all the time in mexican style dishes, like migas or tacos. I also use lots of chickpeas in hummus- so easy!
I love canned beans in my chill, of course. Or chick peas for hummus.
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We love to use canned beans for a quick salad in summer with red onions and Italian dressing! Yum!
can of beans + can of tomatoes + 1 bell pepper + 1 onion = vegetarian chili for two.
I love using canned beans on top of my Cincinnati chili!
I love to use canned beans in so many things — chili, bean soup, tacos, etc.!
They are the best fast food!
Tamale Pie!
Beans in soup!
I take a can of pinto beans and some of the liquid and toss it in the food processor. Add some salt, pepper and garlic powder. And make my version of fat free and quick refried beans. It’s a great dip, too.
KK @ http://www.preppypinkcrocodile.com
@preppycrocodile
I rarely use commercially canned anything so home canning beans seems like a great idea!
love the article Thanks for info
I use all kinds of beans, daily because 2 of my family members are vegetarian.
With tacos, or to whip up some hummus.
I love to use beans in omelets from breakfast or soups for dinner. I already cook my own beans from dried. Canning them myself would free up a lot of space in my freezer plus alleviate the whole thawing thing. I love this idea. I also love the idea of canning at night and leaving it to sit. Brilliant.
Homemade hummus is always better (and cheaper) than store-bought!
Very cool idea…would love to try this
I use canned black beans in burritos and tacos all the time!
Thanks for the clear explanation!
Love canned beans! I use them all the time, but my favorite is in my signature turkey and sausage chili. It’s a huge hit every time.
Omgosh. This is a perfect post for me, I’ve recently become a bean usser and I hate having to buy the canned beans from the store, and I also dislike the whole soak/boil the beans before each use! This is perfect! Thank you so much. Those jars are the coolest thing I have ever seen, by the way. I would LOVE to have some in my pantry!!
Canned beans, fried potatoes And biscuits for a great Country dinner!
beans and rice , if I don’t have time to cook a pot
I use them in soups, tacos, on salads, etc. We use cooked beans all the time!
I like beans in soup.
I love Chili, Baked Beans, and a dish called settler beans. I look forward to trying this.
Growing up in Germany my family only used Weck jars. I’d love to add some to my “stash” of jars. 🙂
As an addition to taco soup
I do a butternut squash & black bean enchilada skillet that would be awesome with beans like this!
Chili and taco recipes! Sometimes I even like to make refried beans and eat them for breakfast, a little weird I know.
This is so much better than having dried beans, because you can make up dinners on the fly!
I love to use canned beans in just about everything. soups, stews, refried beans, salads you name it.
I love adding canned beans to salads! Would love to try pressure canning!
I love black beans with coconut milk. This was a very popular meal when I was in Kenya, and we make it often at home.
A can of black beans, a can of coconut milk, a tomato, pepper and onion and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Serve over rice!
Yum!
Chili is our favorite with canned beans!
My kids eat lots of beans in quesadillas. We usually freeze them, but would love to try canning them!
Quick tacos – so convenient!
I love my pressure canner, but now I’ve been foiled by a ceramic cooktop. I’m going to be experimenting with our camping stove!
I did mine on my flat cooktop this morning, and all is good.
I really like using them to cut down the amount of meat I eat. I have a lot of stew and soup recipes that call for chicken, but I substitute beans. I do a tagine that gets all chickpeas, and then there are some other things (a chicken enchilada soup for example) where I halve the amount of meat and add additional beans. I tried this with a chorizo soup recipe the other day – it also calls for chicken, so I subbed a can of chickpeas – and it worked out great.
I love having canned beans ready to add to soups or just extras in meals. Healthy and handy.
These look fantastic!
I just got a pressure canner and I am making beans my TOP priority now!
In salads!
There are so many ways I like to use canned beans. Hummus, quick tostadas, taco salads, soups are just some ways.
White bean stew over polenta!
Can you flavor the beans when you cook them before canning by using bay leaves, onions, carrots, etc?
Yes, you can add your spices prior to pressure cooking.
I love to use them for a quick easy meal! I use them with shredded cheese, steamed vegetables and rice or pasta, just using up whatever I have on hand!
My favorite way to use canned beans is in chili! Seasoned & roasted garbanzo beans are fast becoming a favorite snack, too!
I never realized how easy it is to make your own canned beans! I will definitely have to add this to my list of canning projects
I haven’t ventured into pressure canning yet but I am hoping to get one this summer! Beans would be great! We eat them all the time.
love using cannellini beans in my spicy sausage soup 🙂
I love making the white bean dip from Super Natural Everyday. Yum!
I love Weck jars! they’re just look so good.
I have never canned beans before…..didn’t realize you could I guess!! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Soup
soup or burritos! quick and easy and fills my boys!
I love this article. I am looking forward to purchasing a Presto canner and this will be the first thing that I try!
With rice and smoked sausage and perhaps a bit of diced tomatoes
I love canning my own beans. Easy, cheap and so delicious. I’ve never used this type of jar and would love to try them!
I have been wondering how to can beans. I use beans all the time but would love to have my own home canned beans. I just put that pressure canner on my Amazon wish list.
I haven’t canned beans, but I am wanting to do a lot more canning this summer as a stay at home mom now.
I would love to try pressure canning. My husband and I both can’t have canned foods due to health issues. I have been trying to use fresh or frozen. This would be great to do this with beans and save money also. I was missing the good pots of chili I used to make with canned beans. Thanks!
I love, love, love to can food! Never tried jars like this before, though.
What a great idea. Hadn’t thought of canning beans before. Chili or straight up.
In soups and on salads!
I really enjoy canning. I have used the beans in soups and chili.
I love beans in soup! It’s a great way to use up heavy greens like kale, which I never know what to do with, plus then you have soup with lots of veggies and beans 🙂
My favorite way to use canned bean is SOUP!! Especially good today with this cold weather!
This Dutch oven would be a great addition to our kitchen.
Favorite way to use beans – hmmm, so many. Pasta e fagioli
Love these jars!
I really need to get around to pressure canning beans… only stock so far.
I use chickpeas in salads, and black beans for soups, stews, chili, and tex-mex foods.
Weck jars are the best!
I like them best in burritos or build your own nachos.
That’s awesome! I can’t wait to try this. My husband loves the canned beans that come with seasoning (cumin, jalapeno, etc…). I think I’ll try canning some with seasoning and see how they come out.
I’ve never tried pressure canning, but I’d love to can chickpeas. Fresh hummus with preserved lemon is YUM.
I use them in so many things, but I think Taco Soup is my favorite!
I would love to try these jars, I have been canning for years!
i use canned beans for soup
I canned beans last summer, and I looooooved them. They were so good! I have been meaning to can more! My favorite way to use them is for simple meals like beans and tortillas, beans and rice, or enchiladas.
I haven’t done canned beans. Maybe this is the excuse I need to invest in a pressure canner 🙂
Are there any caveats to canning mixed beans? I have a great chili recipe that calls for cans of mixed beans and I’d rather pressure can dry beans for the recipe than have to hunt for cans of mixed beans, which are sometimes hard to find.
And I’ve been eyeing those weck jars for a while, but they’re a little expensive to order and try – would be great as a try me set!
Tacos
Soup, soup and more soup. 🙂
Love using beans in soups, stews and chili!
Perfect timing! I just saw this but started soaking beans this morning. Will be canning them tonight. Thank You!
I love to put chick peas in just about anything. My favorite bean!
This looks great! I just made a pot of beans to use in chili using the America’s Test Kitchen brine and braise method that worked far better than any method I’ve tried in the past–I always end up with not-cooked-through beans even after 2 hours, or they all explode, but this time they were all soft, and only a few skins cracked.
What a great post and give away! I have so many dried beans in the cabinet this will help me use them much more effectively!
We love beans by themselves, in chili, making nachos, in salads, etc. How convenient to have them all ready to go and on the pantry shelf.
Would LOVE to win these jars. Was just talking to my husband last night about wanting to can beans, and that it might be the thing to finally get me to buy a pressure canner.
We make an easy bean curry with coconut rice.
I use beans in chili and salad……also sometimes in soups.
I feed them to my BF! He LOVES beans, me, not so much.
I’d never thought of this – very cool! In my house, they’d get used in soups!
Quesadillas.