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 weck jars
Chilli. Currently I soak but really want to can some for those days I forget to soak!
I love beans, with cheese, in burritos. Simple and so tasty!
I’m a pretty experienced canner but haven’t tried this. Since I use a bunch of canned beans also, I’m going to have to get the pressure cooker out and try this.
I love repurposing texmex dishes from my childhood and making them for my vegetarian husband. Black beans are a great resource.
We love making homade enchiladas with our beans.
Tacos!
I don’t usually have canned beans, I must admit. I don’t have a pressure canner, so I don’t can them myself. Instead, I usually make up a batch and then drain and freeze them. My various beans are then put to different uses–garbanzos into hummus or chana saag, black beans refried for burritos, cannellini in pasta e fagioli.
I love opening up a jar to add to burritos for a quick week night dinner.
for chili and burritos
I use canned beans for nachos on Meatless Mondays!
I usually make chili.
My favorite way to can beans- once I will the give away will be black beans with spices and chile ready for taco night!
I love to make a “salsa” with garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, and black beans, along with avocado and corn.
We love canned beans in our red bean and quinoa chili!
I have never heard of these jars before. I’d love to win!
I love my Weck jars and would love to try canning with them.
We use beans for so many things, a great fast dinner is always rice, beans, and veggie. I also love to add beans to almost any soup I make.
The more I see the more I need a pressure canner like yesterday.I have been dying to try out Weck jars as well. This is a brilliant use for them. We have burrito night far more often then we should. 😉
My favorite way to eat beans is in thick soups over rice!
On nachos!
I’ve never had any weck jars. I’d love to try them!
I don’t use canned beans anymore b/c of the BPA issues in cans. I’m looking forward to canning my own. What I have been doing is cooking beans and freezing them – which works, but takes up a lot of freezer space. My favorite way to eat beans is in a chili. Usually vegetarian with my home canned roasted tomatoes or home canned salsa, frozen or dried peppers from our garden and whatever else is on hand. Yum!
Canned beans are also a staple in our house. My favorite use for canned black beans is to squeeze out the insides of a couple of good fresh Italian sausages and saute them with onions, garlic, vegetables and the beans. The beans soak up all of the lovely sausage flavor and are AMAZING served on brown rice. The thing is commercially canned beans have SO SO much sodium in them. It would be great to cut down.
Do you flavor your canned beans at all? Would using stock or adding herbs change the canning times etc?
I love these jars… where do you get them?
My favorite use for beans is a quick cold salad with scallions, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Maybe chunk up an avocado also for a different texture.
Mighty Nest, the shop sponsoring the giveaway, sells all the sizes of Weck jars.
i make the food for my parrots. I use a combination of beans & grains for a mash. I then add fresh fruits & veg when making up the batch. Canning the legumes & grains ahead of time saves a big step when I’m ready to make a batch.
My favorite way to use canned beans is making chana masala,… I wonder if I could just can the finished chana masala… Hmm.
I can lots of beans and love it . . . chili, rice and black beans, and burritos are all time favorites at our house.
We eat a lot of beans here! My toddler especially likes black beans served with cheese and rice. I also have the 16qt pressure canner from Presto and love it. I’m new to pressure canning and am working up to beans. Thanks for the chance to win!
Making soup!
In my weekly batch of veggie stew for lunches – the veggies change, the beans change, but it’s always tasty and cheap!
I love using canned beans in soups and stews I make in the slow cooker. It makes dinner so easy, and making my own “canned” beans would make the end results that much tastier!
I’m vegetarian, so really, they’re all favorite ways to use beans! I’ve been snacking on roasted chickpeas recently, and they’re really addictive.
I just started canning this year. Started with tomatoes because store bought can liners freak me out. Beans are my next project.
Thanks, I love canning posts.
I sometimes freeze beans for quick meals but am looking forward to canning them. Thank you for the detailed instructions. I have also never worked with weck jars and am intrigued!
I love your site!
Soups! Beans make almost any soup ever, better. Also I’m a big red beans and rice fan.
I can beans, but with slight variances from your method. I do not leave them in the canner overnight, as that can create a vacuum as the pot cools and you may never be able to open the pot. Good-bye bean jars, and good-bye canner. Also, since some folks have commented on how much they like this idea and might purchase a pressure cooker…….WRONG! One needs a *pressure canner*, not cooker, for safety. You can *cook* stuff under pressure in a canner, but you CANNOT CAN in a pressure cooker. For that, one needs the extra strength of metal in a pressure canner. BTW, my canner does not have a dial (most new ones don’t) and I have good results with the rocking top on the vent instead.
I love to make salads with beans for extra protein!
We eat a lot of beans in our house but my favorite use of canned beans is definitely chili.
i recently decided to no longer buy canned beans so this is very helpful. thanks for sharing!
i use beans mostly for salads but plan to venture out into soups soon!
burritos!
My two favorite ways to use canned beans, are either in the black bean pumpkin soup from Smitten Kitchen, or pasta+tomato sauce+white beans. Both are simple and quick meals!
I use canned beans mostly for soups – chili, tortilla soup, and an Italian pasta & bean soup.
mashed up for dip
Love those jars! Would definitely like to start canning beans 🙂
this is a good idea but something you may or may not know of this my mom taught me. the fresher your beans the faster they cook and you dont have to soak them. so when i buy dried beans i put them in the freezer like my mom taught me and they usually cook within 1 to 2 hours when i take them out to use. freezing them keeps them fresh. i hope this is helpful to everyone.
ps. to enter the contest – my favorite way to use canned beans would be chili. We’re having a snow day here in Boston, and I had yummy chili simmering on my stove!
I’m excited about this – but I don’t have a pressure canner. Is there a way to do this without one?
No! You can’t do non-acidic foods with regular water bath canning. There is a risk of botulism, which you can’t detect and can be lethal.
You’ll just have to take the cook the beans each time, buy canned, or get a steam canner.
as a “stretcher” in taco meat!
My mom has been canning for years and years. I’ve been thinking about trying it! She does the water bath but this pressure cooking way seems good too!
I’ve been wanting to try the Weck jars for a while. They sure are cute!
I love canning my own beans! So cost effective!
Oh wow, the pre-seasoning options are endless. Hmmm, must try!
I love to throw canned black beans with some cumin and salsa, heat and blend for a tasty soup!
I’ve always wanted to try Weck jars!!
I have always been afraid of canning beans but I think I will try this. Thank you.
I love canning with Weck jars! I’ll be growing my own beans for drying this summer, and will definitely have to pressure can some.
I make natto and tofu from soy beans. This old be a great time saver to have the beans precooked. And I choose the quality.
Have always wanted to can my own beans….maybe this year I will do it!
Salads but last night I used them in burritos….
I can’t wait to try canning beans!
hummus!
Soup!
i love adding beans to soups!
i love adding beans to soups!
Great article! I want to try pressure canning.
I love putting together a quick bean dip with canned beans! Hummus, black beans, white beans, etc.
All kinds of soups… trying to eat less meat and more beans, lentils and tofu 🙂
We eat beans often (like several times a week) and I’d love to try canning some!
Would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to start pressure canning beans – right now I cook and freeze… but canning sounds SO amazing!
I use canned beans in many soups! I haven’t tried canning them myself.
SOUPS! Yummy!
I bought a pressure canner last year and have been too intimidated to try it. These step-by-step instructions are so helpful. I can’t want to try canning beans now.
My husband and I love to use canned beans on salads.
At what point do you attempt to remove the skin from garbanzo beans if and when you can those?
I don’t remove the skins when canning dried garbanzo beans. I proceed in just the same manner as detailed here.
black beans and quinoa
What is the approximate yield per pound of dried bean?
In chili. Mmmmmmm.
I eat black beans on everything, been trying to can them for awhile thanks for the tips!
Love those jars!
Would love to be able to try pressure canning!
My favourite use for canned beans is a white bean and bacon soup! I also use them a lot in chili and burritos
Love those jars – I use them to store dry items, but I should really try pressure canning with them.
I use canned beans for anything from chili to burritos. I generally cook mine from dry since I’m with you on the chemicals and only just got into canning more last year! I can’t wait to get a pressure canner so I can can beans.
For some reason the give away picture brings to mind thoughts of tomato sauce.
Canned red beans and coconut milk make a quick and easy Jamaican “Rice and Peas.” Yeah, I know it’s made with beans but we use the word “peas” for both beans and peas and there are versions using gungo peas (pigeon peas).
I love to make black bean soup and canned beans are such a time saver when I need a quick meal. Burritos are also a favorite at my house.
soups and in burritos
I really want to experiment with using dried beans to save money! I have tried before to re hydrate them unsuccessfully, but am looking forward to mastering it.
I love to use canned beans in veggie chili! So quick, easy and delicious!
I love making “moro” a traditional Dominican rice and beans dish made mainly with black peas or pigeon peas!
For the most part, I use my pressure canner for beans (I always keep a stash of black & kidney on hand) and stocks — I love it!
I love to make hummus.
Beans are wonderful for quick dinners – burritos, chili, and tostadas being some of our favorites! I also love making layers bean dips for watching games as a family (Olympics included).
I would so love to win these…my favorite was of using beans are really kind of boring but just plain with butter, salt and pepper. Another way is in soups and stews…yup boring for some but perfect for me…ahhh beans beans the more you eat…well we will stop there but they are so satisfying…
Chili and burritos 🙂
Lots of beans in our house – just as a great side to some delicious homemade Mexican meals.
Ahh! This is awesome! I use canned beans a lot, and want to start using dried beans for the cost factor. But soaking and cooking them every time I want to use them is not feasible. What a great solution! Now I just need a pressure cooker….you are right, this might be the thing to convince me to get one!
I love to use beans for bean burgers!
Beans in my scrambled eggs.
I just tried this for the first time last month. It was easier than I expected. I use canned beans for chili, tacos, burritos, salads and soup.