# Canning dried beans



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

I buy beans in 25-50# bags from the co op. And I don't plan dinner ahead very well. 

Is it possible to put these up in a way that would make it possible to pop open a jar, heat them up and eat? I'm thinking something along the lines of a can of beans like you would buy at the store, but cheaper and without that nasty BPA. 

I have a habit of making things up in my mind and just hoping they can be real. I hope this one is possible :happy:


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

1. Soak beans 12 hours.
2. Boil and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Pack into hot jars, 1" headspace.
4. Add boiling water to cover beans
5. Add Â½ tsp salt per pint.
6. Process pints 75 minutes @ 10#, 90 minutes for quarts.

Where one would normally use boiling water to supply the liquid, you could also use tomato juice. Add bits of pork shank and you'll have pork & beans. 

Martin


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I don't even pre-soak mine when I can them. I just fill the jars about 1/3 or a bit less, top with boiling water (no salt as we don't care for salt) and can as directed. I do chick peas this way often as hummus is a favorite lunch around here. And with home canned beans it's super fast, too.


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## RVcook (Mar 29, 2008)

My method is similar to Martin's, except I don't soak mine as long since I prefer a firmer texture to the beans.

Put one cup of beans in quart jar and cover with water. 
Allow to sit 7-8 hours. Drain and rinse. Return beans to jar.
Add 1 tsp. salt to each quart. 
Prepare canner, lids and fill each quart with boiling water with 1" headspace.
Process quarts 90 mins @ 10 lbs.

Beans come out perfectly every time!

RVcook


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Here is a link to the official approved method for canning all dried beans and peas. Please note that they do need to be rehydrated first. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_04/beans_peas_shelled.html

You will also find these instructions in the BBB.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

One reason for pre-soaking is that it is impossible to have a chart with a precise quantity of different dry beans to use per jar. The absorption and expansion rate is not always the same. If the beans were dehydrated more than usual, they could absorb all of the water/juice and you'd end up with actual dry and hard beans after canning. Two batches of pork & beans this winter proved that to me. Different mixes of beans were used but same process. One is more like Bush's or Campbell's while the other has to be literally excavated out of the jars.

Martin


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## tinknocker66 (Jul 15, 2009)

I like to do dry beans also. I fill the jar just below 1/3 full with dry pinto beans.I add 1 tbls of taco seasoning and a tsp salt.Fill with boiling water to proper headspace and process 90 min ( for my elev. ) This makes the best refried beans ever. My son loves them to the point im always running out. Plus the best ting is there is no added fat like store bought.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I added ham chunks to the navy beans I canned. It was great. I used the processing time for canning the meat.

Also, if you presoak just a few hours, the beans will absorb enough water to get an idea of how fat they are going to be. I usually use the 1/3 of the jar full of beans method. I did have one jar end up with dried beans on the top.


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## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

I have been thinking about canning dry beans also but, it seems like it is easier to store them dry and they take up a lot less room. What do you consider the best reasons for canning them?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Fae said:


> I have been thinking about canning dry beans also but, it seems like it is easier to store them dry and they take up a lot less room. What do you consider the best reasons for canning them?


When you have most of tonight's supper on the stove and need something else to go with it, just need to open up a jar of beans. If you are suddenly in the mood for chili, same thing. Same convenience as if buying them from the store except that it's your choice of bean type and flavoring. 

Martin


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Fae said:


> What do you consider the best reasons for canning them?


Today we walked in the door from shopping all morning with the kids and we were hungry. Instead of running up the street to fast food (only 8 blocks from the house) we grabbed a can of home canned chick peas, couple cloves are garlic, etc tossed it in the food processor and had hummus to put in pitas with salad faster then I could have gotten through the drive through line. Not to mention less expensive and healthier. Our fast food runs have slowed to almost none, now, on shopping days. I've had chili slip down the menu many time because I forgot to set out beans the night before. One time it took me 3 days of postponing it before I remembered to get beans a soaking. 

I keep most of our beans dried and can up one caner load at a time (I have a jar in the cupboard with "broken" bags in it). When I'm down to 1 or 2 jars of canned left I do another load.


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

Fae said:


> I have been thinking about canning dry beans also but, it seems like it is easier to store them dry and they take up a lot less room. What do you consider the best reasons for canning them?





Paquebot said:


> When you have most of tonight's supper on the stove and need something else to go with it, just need to open up a jar of beans. If you are suddenly in the mood for chili, same thing. Same convenience as if buying them from the store except that it's your choice of bean type and flavoring.
> 
> Martin


Cost savings verses purchasing store bought canned! A 16oz can of black beans are .59 each at Aldi's which is the cheapest price I can find (even on sale which is about $1.00 a can). If I can my own, I save on sodium, and money.

(Love the pinto beans and taco seasoning idea. I'll be trying this soon!)


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## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

Love canning beans. And potatoes for the same reasons. Ready immediately, no BPA, just heat and eat. I did baked beans last week and will do quarts of bean soup this weekend. Need to get done with beans before the tomatoes, green beans, peppers, potatoes and what not start fast and furious.


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## Mickey (Aug 28, 2002)

Martin,
I make homemade boston baked beans. My recipe has molasses, brown sugar, bacon
onion and a splash of liquid smoke. I put all that in the bean pot with the beans that were soaked overnight and cook them pretty much all day. I'd like to can them, but suspect they'd be mush if I canned them after being in the oven most of the day?
Any ideas?
Mickey


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

Mickey said:


> Martin,
> I make homemade boston baked beans. My recipe has molasses, brown sugar, bacon
> onion and a splash of liquid smoke. I put all that in the bean pot with the beans that were soaked overnight and cook them pretty much all day. I'd like to can them, but suspect they'd be mush if I canned them after being in the oven most of the day?
> Any ideas?
> Mickey


Next time you want to make these try making up your sauce (molasses, brown sugar, etc) and combining with your pre-soaked beans. Then put about three cups of the beans into a jar and fill the rest of the jar with boiling water. Can at 10# pressure for 90 minutes (quarts). My black beans have a thick starchy sauce the pressure canning should really infuse the beans with flavor. 


Let us know how it turns out! I've always wanted to try this, but I make baked beans so rarely. It is on the list.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Mickey said:


> Martin,
> I make homemade boston baked beans. My recipe has molasses, brown sugar, bacon
> onion and a splash of liquid smoke. I put all that in the bean pot with the beans that were soaked overnight and cook them pretty much all day. I'd like to can them, but suspect they'd be mush if I canned them after being in the oven most of the day?
> Any ideas?
> Mickey


If you bake something and have it table-ready, then it often does not turn out right when canned. In your case, it may indeed be mush unless the beans were rock hard to start with. What you mention is also a basic pork & beans recipe. The difference is that they are already fully cooked when done. When canning, and simmered only a half hour, they are not fully cooked. The rest of the cooking is done in the pressure canner. 

Martin


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

Just a question about adding taco seasoning. I notice the taco seasoning in the packet has flour in it. Aren't thickeners not allowed when pressure canning?


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Love these older threads. Just wanted to say that I have 13 quarts of beans in ham stock processing as I type. 

Yum. 

Beans.


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## Delion (Dec 6, 2013)

Glad you brought this thread back to life. 

I used to pressure can beans in quart jars since forever, but the last three times I consistently had one jar break inside the canner, which I found puzzeling. So I switched to using my old stove top pressure cooker, since I have the wood stove going all day. I place a smaller pot inside my cooker, and put in enough water to go 2" inside, throw in a few dry beans and water and let it fizzel away on the back of the stove. I'm terrible for planning ahead, I do miss the convience of opening a jar of cooked beans, but this way I at least can have cooked beans the same day I "think" about it!

After reading these canning methods, I'm going to try again. I liked the idea of soaking the beans in the jars. That would eliminate guessing how many dry beans fit exactly in 7 quarts and I could do a variety of beans in one batch. Thanks again, Pony.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

fetch33 said:


> Just a question about adding taco seasoning. I notice the taco seasoning in the packet has flour in it. Aren't thickeners not allowed when pressure canning?


Don't know if anyone answered this, but the small amount in each jar would certainly not make a difference. If it were to thicken the liquid in the jar, that would be a different story.

In the past, I've successfully canned with a bit of flour in the jar. Yes, I know, so don't anyone come down on me. The fact is, a little really hasn't made a difference IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

*My recipe for Southwest Pepper Beans* 

Now, I use a spice mix in these from Penzey's Spices. That mix contains: salt, ancho pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, Mexican oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, chipotle and cilantro.

You can find it here: (I am not affiliated at all with them. We use their spices a lot, DH loves spices!)

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/results.html

Here is their home page:

http://www.penzeys.com/

Ok, so you can get that spice, or just make up a mix of your own. Of course it will be different than the results I get.

*Southwest Pepper Beans*
2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
4 14.5 oz. cans beef broth
Big handful of dried bell peppers
2 long squirts yellow mustard
Half of a 1.2 oz. jar of Penzey&#8217;s &#8220;Southwest Seasoning&#8221; these jars are 1.2 oz. or 34 g. If using grams, use 17 grams. I just eyeball 1/2 a small jar. 

2 teaspoons in each jar of dried minced onion
3 Â½ cups dried great northern beans. Measure out 3 1/2 cups of the dried beans, then - presoak and pre cook them a bit. You want them plumped up but not all the way cooked.

Plump (rehydrate) the peppers in the boiling stock, southwest seasoning & mustard mix for 10 min. 

Place 2 teaspoons of the onion in each jar, fill jars evenly with the beans, add stock mix. One inch headspace. 75 min. for pints at 12 lbs. pressure yields 8 wide mouth pints

NOTE: the 12 lbs. pressure is for my altitude, using my Presto pressure canner. Look up your proper pressure using any recipe for canned beans, according to your canner's instructions.



*Pork N Beans to Can* 7 pints plus one pint plain beans in stock.


3 Â½ cups Navy or great northern beans- cook the 3.5 cups part way
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 medium onions, chopped, or, 4 TBSP. dried minced
3/4 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons cane syrup/molasses or honey
2-15 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
7 pieces 2&#8243; each of bacon/salt pork/fatback
1 bullion cube for the &#8220;extra&#8221; jar of plain beans

Prepare 8 pint canning jars and lids.

Distribute partially cooked beans evenly into jars. Distribute onions evenly into jars. If using the dried minced, fill each jar first with one teaspoon, then each jar with 1/2 tsp., then 1/4 tsp. This evens the 4 TBSP. out almost perfectly.

Mix in a saucepan... brown sugar, yellow mustard, molasses, tomato sauce, water, bring to a boil. *Add one cup* sauce to each jar of beans.

Dissolve a bullion cube into one cup boiling water.

Add 1 piece of pork and push under liquid in the jars with the tomato sauce mix. 

Fill the 8th jar with the cup of bullion. 

Fill remainder of space in jars with boiling water, leaving a *one inch headspace*. Clean jar rims and adjust lids. Process at 12 pounds pressure for 75 minutes.


again, 12 # pressure is for my altitude, adjust for yours! I buy a package of bacon, and cross cut it into the 2" pieces, lift them off the tray and freeze them separately. This way when I'm ready to do a canner full, I have precut pieces of bacon ready at all times!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Mmmmm! Great recipe - and I absolutely love Penzey spices! There was a Penzey up the block from my office back in Ill-annoy. 

Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to try it out.


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## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

I read this thread and decided I want to try making some beans in a pressure canner myself so we're trying it today. Great northern beans have been soaking for 24 hours, ham is thawed... time to load!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Winter is the time to restock the beans. I have 8 pints in the canner right now of black beans. Inspired by Homesteader's Southwest beans I put in Tajin salt/spice mix instead of salt. 

I only filled the jars 3/4 or less with the soaked and cooked beans, I'm hoping they will stay more separated than previously. They always swell up much more than I think they're going to.


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## Candy (May 12, 2002)

I have tried this recipe and it is very good. I generally do a little doctoring up when I have them for dinner, I add just a little barbeque sauce. I got it off this web site. http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/

For 8 pint jars of pork 'n' beans...
I used about 2 pounds (+ or -) of dried Navy beans...
In each hot, sterilized pint canning jar, I added
1/2 cup Navy beans (just dry, straight out of the bag! Well, actually, I DID rinse and sort through them)
I chopped two medium onions and divided them evenly among the 8 jars (something like 2-3 Tablespoons of onion per jar)
In a large stainless steel saucepan I mixed my sauce using...

2-15 oz. cans tomato sauce (you could use homemade)


1/4 cup brown sugar


3/4 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard


2 tablespoons molasses (you could use honey, corn syrup... or any other liquid sweetener)
3 cups water

I brought this mixture to a boil, stirring to make sure everything was dissolved.




I added one cup of the sauce to each pint jar of beans. At this point, 1/2 teaspoon of salt could be added to each jar, I chose to leave out the salt because I added, instead, a small piece of salt pork to each jar (fatback or bacon can be used)


Next I filled the remainder of each jar with boiling water, leaving a generous one inch headspace.

I wiped my jar rims with a damp cloth and tightened on my hot lids to fingertip tightness, then processed the jars in my pressure canner at 10 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes.

After processing, I allowed my canner to cool naturally and the pressure to drop to zero... then waited 10 more minutes before removing the weighted gauge and taking the lid off the canner.

Then I removed the jars from the canner using my jar lifter... setting them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar. Yay!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Ohio dreamer said:


> I don't even pre-soak mine when I can them. I just fill the jars about 1/3 or a bit less, top with boiling water (no salt as we don't care for salt) and can as directed. I do chick peas this way often as hummus is a favorite lunch around here. And with home canned beans it's super fast, too.


Well, I decided to give your method a try, and I must say, I'm quite pleased with the results. 

I tried it with chicken and chicken broth, and also put some dried celery, onion, garlic, and pepper in with it. Worked GREAT! :thumb:


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Didn't get to the pork and beans recipe yet, but just unloaded 14 jars from the canner.


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## netskyblue (Jul 25, 2012)

I just did a bunch of beans "low sodium" because I was giving some to my uncle who has been placed on a low sodium diet due to a recent heart attack. He was complaining how he couldn't even buy chili beans at the store due to the sodium.

I typically can chili beans and taco beans using tomato juice as the liquid, but after searching at the store, even the low sodium tomato juice has a lot of sodium!

So I came up with the idea to thin down tomato paste to a juice consistency, and that it would still give the tomatoey flavor I was looking for.

I ended up doing:
Kidney beans with a salt-free high quality chili powder blend and tomato "juice".

Pinto beans in a homemade BBQ sauce, also made from tomato paste, with a sauteed onion in the bottom of each jar. About a half cup of the thick sauce and topped off with hot water.

Black beans with a home-mixed taco seasoning blend (cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano) and tomato "juice". We add these in with our ground beef to stretch taco meat.

Next tomato season, I'll be sure to put up a good portion of my tomato juice without salt, so that I won't have to rely on store-bought paste.

As for why you would can dried beans, for now, it's totally convenience. I can enough for us to consume in 4-6 months, because it's easier to open a jar, and you don't stink up the house soaking and boiling beans. (I'm not a big fan of beans.) If I raised my own beans, I'd keep the majority of them dried, until my semiannual canning sessions.

In a SHTF scenario, they are something you could eat without access to water or heat. (OK I know you're supposed to boil anything out of a jar, but I still expect the odds are in your favor that you could eat them and not die.) Plus it's just a general good idea to split up your storage between canned, dried, and frozen, so in case something happens to one of your food stores, you have other options.


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## Gardnpondr (Jun 16, 2009)

Ohio dreamer said:


> Today we walked in the door from shopping all morning with the kids and we were hungry. Instead of running up the street to fast food (only 8 blocks from the house) we grabbed a can of home canned chick peas, couple cloves are garlic, etc tossed it in the food processor and had hummus to put in pitas with salad faster then I could have gotten through the drive through line. Not to mention less expensive and healthier. Our fast food runs have slowed to almost none, now, on shopping days. I've had chili slip down the menu many time because I forgot to set out beans the night before. One time it took me 3 days of postponing it before I remembered to get beans a soaking.
> 
> I keep most of our beans dried and can up one caner load at a time (I have a jar in the cupboard with "broken" bags in it). When I'm down to 1 or 2 jars of canned left I do another load.





Jen I wanted to can some dried chickpeas and am wondering how to do those? Do you soak those over night to? And precook them to?


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Gardnpondr said:


> Jen I wanted to can some dried chickpeas and am wondering how to do those? Do you soak those over night to? And precook them to?


I can lots of chickpeas, so much cheaper than buying them! For chickpeas I follow the USDA canning guidelines which is to soak as usual (overnight or bring to a boil, turn off the heat and soak for 2 hours) and cook for 30 minutes before canning. They are such a hard pea that canning them with the soaking and cooking makes them perfect, just a little softer than the storeboughts and I think the flavor is much better.


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