# Canning Dry Beans



## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I whipped up this tutorial for some friends and thought it might be helpful to share here too 

Beans are a cheap thing to practice on for new canners (pintos were actually the first thing I canned). They are also a great time saver because you can get a lot cooked and stored rather than soaking a small batch of dry beans each night before you want to use them and waiting an hour for it took cook each time.










Some of my friends were using a method where all you do is pour 1/2 cup of dry beans into your hot pint jars and top off with boiling water to 1 inch headspace.










They are processed in a pressure canner at 11 pounds for 75 minutes. For quarts you'd use one cup of dry beans and process for 90 minutes. This is following my canners recommendation for dry beans. I'm simply skipping the step to soak or pre-cook the beans. 

Starting with dry beans produces beans that are still firm out of the can, so they don't get over cooked when you use them in a recipe or simmer them for safety.










I went ahead and did 3 batches: chickpeas, black beans, and pintos. You can see the water level on the pintos and black beans are lower. That's because I stared with a recommendation of 2/3 cup of dry beans per jar. For the last batch of chickpeas I reduced the amount to a 1/2 cup and you can see much less liquid was absorbed for a nicer level. I've made several batches since using 1/2 cup and it works out perfectly.










I've had several questions about the cost of home canning dry beans. Here's my calculation:

At Aldi's, I got 2 pound bags of pintos for $1.49. That's 75 cents a pound. Each pound is about 2 cups, so I could make 4 pints with it. That means these cost me 19 cents per pint.

In my case, that is the only expense because I am using reusable lids. You could add about 10 cents each if you are using standard lids. Pints are a bit larger than store bought cans.

To reduce even that small expense, use home grown beans! These are from my backyard. The only one you can pick out in the picture is the dark Cherokee Trail of Tears. The rest were Mayflower Pole, Purple Podded Pole, and Old Homestead.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Neat thanks for posting!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Wonderful, thank you


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Great tutorial. Should encourage people to can their own beans. Good job!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Thanks! 
I have done a mountain of home canning...but....never dried beans. I happen to have several 100 lbs still in the bags........I think you have helped me make the decision to go ahead and try this.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

Since the standard canning guidelines for doing dried beans calls for partially rehydrating them first aren't you concerned about them being under-processed this way?


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

arrocks said:


> Since the standard canning guidelines for doing dried beans calls for partially rehydrating them first aren't you concerned about them being under-processed this way?


I see no safety issue. But I was very clear in stating this is how I deviated from the guideline, so everyone could assess this for themselves. I also reiterated the need for a safety simmer, which destroys any possible toxins and is standard practice anyway.


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

vigilant-
how do you like the reuseable lids? I saw them in Lehman's catalogue. Do they keep a seal as well as metal lids? How long do the rubber rings last?
I presume you don't hear the "pop" as the jars cool down. How do you know they're sealed?
thanks,
s


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## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

I absolutely LOVE my antique glass lid canning jars! I can reuse the rubber rings over & over if I am careful not to tear them when opening the jar. I use a knife to gently pry open the jar under the gasket.I don't pull on the gasket to release the vacuum. Care must be taken not to allow the glass rim to chip during prying.many of my jars are probably 100 years old.Still going strong! Blue jars included!:goodjob:


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## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

You can still buy the rubber gaskets. Just ask a small store owner if he will order them for you. They will.
A chain, of coarse, cannot.


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## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

I would think that any True Value Hardware store could order them.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

These are Tattler lids, not the old glass ones.



casusbelli said:


> vigilant-
> how do you like the reuseable lids? I saw them in Lehman's catalogue. Do they keep a seal as well as metal lids? How long do the rubber rings last?
> I presume you don't hear the "pop" as the jars cool down. How do you know they're sealed?
> thanks,
> s


I've been very happy with them. The only two failures to seal I've had in the year I've been using them were on a batch where I did not tighten down the rings after taking them out of the canner like I was supposed to. There will not be a "pop". But I don't know how that helps keep track of which sealed. I didn't know which ones popped when I used metal lids. The lids flex a bit the same way metal ones do so you can see they are "sucked in".


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I've also been using them the past year. True, there is no 'ping', but it's easy to see which are sealed. After cooling, push down and if there is a flex, it's not sealed. 

As far as canning beans, I've done them both ways, pre soaking or not. Both work equally well, just have more liquid remaining in the jar if you presoak a bit first. With dried beans, the top beans will be drier, but still processed and cooked well. Either way provides a quick meal. Just be sure you don't fill the jars fuller than specified with beans or they will break or not seal. They have to have room to expand during processing. As far as the recommendation to process at 11 pounds, that is not high enough for my elevation, I need to use 13 pounds, so be sure you use what is appropriate for your altitude!


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## Seeria (Jul 21, 2006)

Saving this for "eventually" -- meaning when I finally figure out how to eat beans.  Can't find recipes anyone in the family is willing to eat!


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## Feisty Farm (Apr 10, 2012)

I love canning dried beans! Huge money saver


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

just did a "batch" of kidneys.....I use *1 gallon of dry beans *and soak for 12 hrs overnight...
drain....fill the jars 2/3 full with beans add boiling water leave 1 in headspace....
Quarts 90min at 10#
Pints 75min at 10#
yield: 7 Quarts and 17 Pints....or two canner pot loads...double stack on pints


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## Sandi (Oct 4, 2011)

Just a newbie q, I like cooking up big bean dishes but then freeze some so I'm not eating it for a week. Is there an advantage to canning beans like this instead of canning the end product? Thanks!


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

what if you have a weighted canner instead of the pressure canner that has a guage on top. Wow what a time saver. I used to can navy beans and had to cook them first. Can you toss in a slice of onions and some ham for flavor?


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## breestephens (Oct 29, 2008)

Not all pressure canners have a guage on top. You can not can beans in a pressure cooker.


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

breestephens said:


> Not all pressure canners have a guage on top. You can not can beans in a pressure cooker.


I understand this. I used to can hundreds of jars of food a year. Then I got the big divorce and just haven't gotten back into it.

I used to can navy bean in quart jars and jelly jars. The jelly jars were perfect for soups and chilies and the quarts were just perfect for everything else.

However I aways cooked mine first and then canned them. All I can say is with this what a time saver!


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

bump!!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I, too, suggest that you soak the beans first.

Case in point - see the pretty jars all lined up with the beans in them? (4th picture in the first post). Notice that the water line in the jars is way down? Only about 1/3 of what it should be. All those beans above the water line will turn dark - almost black - due to not being covered by water. They are safe to eat, but not so pretty.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Sandi said:


> Just a newbie q, I like cooking up big bean dishes but then freeze some so I'm not eating it for a week. Is there an advantage to canning beans like this instead of canning the end product? Thanks!


Hi Sandi. 

Just saw your question today. I hope you'll come back again.
I can all kinds of legumes: great northern, red beans, whole, dried peas, green split peas, yellow split peas and lentils.

For me, I love the convenience of having them already cooked. Instead of hours, it takes maybe 40 minutes of prep and cooking time. 

Also, my favorite discovery this year has been canning the split peas. Because the canning process swells them to the max, I know how much soup I'm going to get. I.E. If I open a pint of canned, split peas, I get that much plus whatever water or broth I add. Not huge, endless batches of split peas. 

I don't add any herbs or seasonings to the jars because I like to season them when I use them. Sometimes I just want to add sauteed onion, carrot and celery. Other times I want something with a kick, like curry or cumin or turmetic. Sometimes I want some meat, other times a vegetarian version. Leaving the beans and peas plain allows for that kind of diversity. stef


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I can a pints of plain, seasoned and prepared bean dishes. The only ones I presoak and cook first are the kidney beans, and any of the seasoned and prepared ones because it's hard to determine how the spices and such are going to end up... I've gotten really peppery or salty or over-spiced beans that way! If my beans are old and *really* hard, I might set them to soak in hot water while I'm getting all my canning stuff ready and then can them up last.

This method is a HUGE time saver for impatient me, I can fill my canner with a few pints each of several different dry beans from my storage buckets each month and then they're instantly ready for meals whenever I want them... all for the cost of one canner load and virtually no prep time. The only ones that I've found don't work so well is lentils, since they cook so fast anyway (compared to other dry beans), it's not too great a hardship to wait the extra half-hour for dinner and not end up with mush.


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

Okay...I'm going to try this. I bought a pressure canner three years ago and have been terrified to use it. I've got dried beans galore but they don't get cooked as often as I would like. Time is a huge factor. We grew up on pinto beans and cornbread, delicious and economical as well. Thank you for this post!


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

bump!


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

well I just tried this and my beans turned out to have a bunch of water in them and one of the jars didn't seal so I tried the beans and they were mushy. I think I will go back to the ball blue book method. What a bummer!

Caren


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## duggie (Sep 6, 2009)

do ya add any salt?


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## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

yes add the salt. I add 1 tsp for quarts and a half a tsp for pints is what I did. the trick is to measure the beans out BEFORE getting them wet. other wise they start to swell and then they aren't measured accurately and get mushy during the canning process


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## Silverstar7337 (Feb 10, 2012)

Can someone tell me why they have to be pressure canned and not water bathed? What did people
Do before pressure canners?


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## hardworkingwoman (Jun 4, 2009)

I am going to do this and I want to add pork. We had a pig roast and a lot of left over meat. Can I do that? I really don't like left over frozen pork and hate to wast it.

Silverstar7337:
The reason you have to pressure can them is because they are a starchy food. They will rot and smell and maybe even explode with the gasses. Believe me it STINKS! I did it with squash one time and we couldn't find the cause of the odor. When we did Peee ewww! Is all I have to say! lol


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

Silverstar7337 said:


> Can someone tell me why they have to be pressure canned and not water bathed? What did people
> Do before pressure canners?


Back then they let the beans dry on the plant before picking and stored them dry.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I was inspired by this thread, so I decided to can some of my dried beans yesterday. They look good! I used 1/2 cup beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt per pint, filled the jars with boiling water, and pressure canned at 10 pounds for 75 minutes.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

mammabooh said:


> I was inspired by this thread, so I decided to can some of my dried beans yesterday. They look good! I used 1/2 cup beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt per pint, filled the jars with boiling water, and pressure canned at 10 pounds for 75 minutes.


I just got done reading this thread and now I want to try it. Did you use dired or soaked beans?

They looks so pretty.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Merks said:


> I just got done reading this thread and now I want to try it. Did you use dired or soaked beans?
> 
> They looks so pretty.


Dried.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

mammabooh said:


> Dried.


Thanks


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## thehoffs (Nov 22, 2008)

Seeria said:


> Saving this for "eventually" -- meaning when I finally figure out how to eat beans.  Can't find recipes anyone in the family is willing to eat!


What about chili? Yum! Or hummus? Great for spreading on bread or dipping veggies. Or black bean dip for chips?


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## meredeth (Jul 18, 2012)

breestephens said:


> Not all pressure canners have a guage on top. You can not can beans in a pressure cooker.


I have a few quick questions about this method. I buy my beans in bulk from a co-op but have often thought I wish I didn't have to got through the whole cooking process every time. I don't know why I never thought about canning! 

Anyway, as to the above statement, I'm confused and it's probably semantics but want to be clear. I have a Presto, weighted pressure canner with a guage on top. Will it work for canning beans?

Also, I saw someone else mention double stacking pint jars. Can I just stack the jars on top of one another or do I need a tray of some sort in between?

One last question, could I go ahead and add some seasoning (like chili powder) to the beans before canning so they are already seasoned when we open them?

Thanks!


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## Silverstar7337 (Feb 10, 2012)

I canned some white beans and chilli beans last night. A few questions. 

My beans look mooshy in there. Most are split and the water looks really thick. I processed them at ten pounds for 70 minutes. I soaked them for a few hours before. Should I try them raw next time?


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Silverstar7337 said:


> I canned some white beans and chilli beans last night. A few questions.
> 
> My beans look mooshy in there. Most are split and the water looks really thick. I processed them at ten pounds for 70 minutes. I soaked them for a few hours before. Should I try them raw next time?


I didn't soak or cook mine first...just put 1/2 cup of dry beans into the jar, filled the jars with boiling water, and then processed.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Question about the finished product, when using unsoaked dried beans do you drain the canning water off or use it when heating the beans? If you don't pour it off do the beans cause crowd killing gas to be produced by those who eat them?

I'm glad this thread got bumped, I've got 8 pounds of beans waiting to be processed.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> Question about the finished product, when using unsoaked dried beans do you drain the canning water off or use it when heating the beans? If you don't pour it off do the beans cause crowd killing gas to be produced by those who eat them?
> 
> I'm glad this thread got bumped, I've got 8 pounds of beans waiting to be processed.


Ha! I haven't used any of mine yet, so I can't answer that. However, I can tell you that my husband and son would be sad if I drained them when there could be fun gas to be had.


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## meredeth (Jul 18, 2012)

Does anyone know the answer to my question about the weighted pressure canner (#38)? I'm dragging out my pc this week anyway so if it's safe I may go ahead and can some beans too. Also could I do multiple varieties of beans in one jar?


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

meredeth said:


> I have a few quick questions about this method. I buy my beans in bulk from a co-op but have often thought I wish I didn't have to got through the whole cooking process every time. I don't know why I never thought about canning!
> 
> Anyway, as to the above statement, I'm confused and it's probably semantics but want to be clear. I have a Presto, weighted pressure canner with a guage on top. Will it work for canning beans?
> 
> ...


As long as it is a pressure canner and not just a pressure cooker, it will work.

You need a rack between the stacks of jars. One should have come with your canner. I'll try to find a picture online for you in a bit.

I don't see why adding the spices would be a problem.


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

One of the things I love about HomesteadingToday is that every once in a while a thread comes a long that changes my life. This thread was one of those for me. I've tried this technique and it works great; it makes beans a regular part of my diet, and it saves me money. I printed out a condensed version of the OP (without the pictures) and I pass it out to everyone who's remotely interested. My sister-in-law is now hooked on this too and rapidly stocking her shelves.

Thank you


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

NoClue, do you use the water the beans are canned in or do you pour it off? If you use the canning water have you noticed any bad effects from using it?

My dh produces enough methane to power a small country without the added "benefits" of bean digestion byproducts. I want to live through a night after feeding him canned beans.


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## Jeepgirl86 (May 18, 2012)

Danaus29 you crack me up. lol I thought I was the only one who lived with a methane cloud...I get it from DH, DS and the dog!  I'm finally learning which foods to limit so I save myself a few sleepless nights. lol


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> NoClue, do you use the water the beans are canned in or do you pour it off? If you use the canning water have you noticed any bad effects from using it?
> 
> My dh produces enough methane to power a small country without the added "benefits" of bean digestion byproducts. I want to live through a night after feeding him canned beans.


I drain it off and rinse the beans before using. I was just always taught to do that with canned beans. Generally, I don't season them much when canning, because it gives me more options on how to use them - I like mine with chiles, etc, but my kids don't like anything remotely spicy.

So far I've done this with pintos, black beans, garbanzos, and black eyed peas. Those are pretty much all the beans I eat, so it's probably all I'll ever do - unless I venture further into bean land


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Jeepgirl86 said:


> Danaus29 you crack me up. lol I thought I was the only one who lived with a methane cloud...I get it from DH, DS and the dog!  I'm finally learning which foods to limit so I save myself a few sleepless nights. lol


Avoiding DH's methane cloud was the best part of needing to sleep with a CPAP!!
I can't seem to avoid it with him... beans (even regular green beans!), peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, eggs... I can't win :grumble:

But I have found that rinsing canned beans, or using several changes of water soaking and cooking dry beans, helps bring the toxic level down from "planet killer" to "county alert".


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## cybergranny (Jun 23, 2012)

mammabooh---I've totally prepared my beans and they turned out fantastic and it turned a couple of my friends on to it. I've made refried beans, black eyed peas, black beans and red beans all seasoned with spices, onions and garlic accordingly. For bacon, I used turkey bacon which cut down on the fat. Oh, I did baked beans too. Dumped it all into the jars raw. It is great. Needlesstosay they didn't last long.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

If this heat ever breaks I'll be canning beans! Thanks for the rinsing advice. I will rinse! No spices in the jars. Except for garlic they are better when added right before you turn off the heat anyway

I had some extra $$$, well only a few $ and dried beans were on sale last week. We all like beans which makes it easy. Ds really likes them with pumpkin mash. But the after affects from store bought beans come close to lethal levels. A week of home cooked beans isn't pleasant. Even in below zero weather open windows are required. With them all nicely packed into quart jars I can make one meal and few left-overs.


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> If this heat ever breaks I'll be canning beans! Thanks for the rinsing advice. I will rinse! No spices in the jars. Except for garlic they are better when added right before you turn off the heat anyway
> 
> I had some extra $$$, well only a few $ and dried beans were on sale last week. We all like beans which makes it easy. Ds really likes them with pumpkin mash. But the after affects from store bought beans come close to lethal levels. A week of home cooked beans isn't pleasant. Even in below zero weather open windows are required. With them all nicely packed into quart jars I can make one meal and few left-overs.


That's prety much what I do - buy dry beans when they're on sale, and then can them up when I get a chance.

As a single man, it's very convenient for me. I frequently work very brutal hours, and have beans already canned up and ready to use means that I can still cook a fast, nutritious, scratch-made meal no matter how tired I am.


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## Narshalla (Sep 11, 2008)

So, I have the canner, and I know how to use it.

I have the jars.

I have the beans.

I also have 100+ degree weather, and a DH who is threatening to put me up for adoption if I try canning right now!

So, when it cools down, this is definitely something to try!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Narshalla said:


> So, I have the canner, and I know how to use it.
> 
> I have the jars.
> 
> ...


Same problem here! Too hot for cooking anything. But in anticipation of cooler weather I bought more beans and jars today.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

suitcase_sally said:


> I, too, suggest that you soak the beans first.
> 
> Case in point - see the pretty jars all lined up with the beans in them? (4th picture in the first post). Notice that the water line in the jars is way down? Only about 1/3 of what it should be. All those beans above the water line will turn dark - almost black - due to not being covered by water. They are safe to eat, but not so pretty.


Per my post this was an experimental batch. Once I got the ratio of beans to water correct this was not a problem.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Last Spring I canned dry beans....I did not soak them.......they are so very easy.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

I did a canner of beans today. The first layer (9 pints) was dry beans, salt, and water. The second layer (9 pints) was boiled for 2 minutes, soaked for an hour, then drained, salt, and water. I just took the beans out of the canner. The boiled before packing beans definitely look softer.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

I have several wonderful bean recipes (most of which were garnered right here). It is so late though, I will try to post them tomorrow. Some for canning, some for using those beans that we have canned...


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Just finished posting all of our favorite bean recipes in the Online Recipe Book since there were so many.

To use beans we have canned or purchased:

SPICY BEANS in Crockpot Recipes
BLACK BEAN SOUP in Soups and Chowders
COWBOY BEANS WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE in One-Dish Meals 

Oh geez, just remembered that I forgot to post 14-Bean Soup. Will add that to Soups and Chowders.

CANNING RECIPES all posted in the canning section of the Online Recipe Book

BLACK BEAN SOUP
CHILI BEANS (similar to Brooks)
REFRIED BEANS
SAVORY PORK & BEANS
SWEET PORK & BEANS

...and to think that the only beans I had ever eaten by the time I was married was pork & beans!


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## mpennington (Dec 15, 2012)

Marilyn, thanks so much for posting your recipes. I've been wanting to try your savory pork and beans since you mentioned them on the survival forum.


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## mpennington (Dec 15, 2012)

What is thermoflo? Marilyn has listed as an ingredient in her sweet and savory baked bean recipes to can. I've looked on line and haven't been able to find.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

_*mpennington*_: I hope you enjoy them as much as we do, in fact, I just picked up more spicy mustard with horseradish in it today. Pork & beans are in my future next week.

Thermoflo was suggested to me by pasotami when I first started canning dry beans. It's a thickener/cornstarch sort of thing that I get at the Amish store. Who knows? It may just be cornstarch, but it seems to dissolve much more quickly. I don't even mix it into the liquids in the jar. It just happens during processing.


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