# If you have canned dry beans...



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Would you please share your experience?

How much dry beans would you put into, say, a pint jar?
How much water?
How much did they swell?
Did you precook them at all?
Did they get tender?
Did you season them at all?

Anything I did not think of to ask? 



Thanks much.
I look forward to your answers.

stef


----------



## wottahuzzee (Jul 7, 2006)

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=289353

I used dixienc's recipe (post #7). I did pint jars since it is usually just me and Mr. Huzzee, and they were very good. He liked them so much, he got me to can up some quarts to take up to his brother and his housemate, and they both liked them a lot. 

I assume you can just can them plain, without the spices/seasonings, following the instructions in that post. I am going to give that a try next time, just one or two plain jars with the next batch, just to see how they work out.


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

With a name such as *dixienc*, they gotta be good!


----------



## Charly (Feb 20, 2010)

I used this ladies method found in two parts on Youtube: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcw2pTmKRuE[/ame]

They came out great.


----------



## RVcook (Mar 29, 2008)

Charly said:


> I used this ladies method found in two parts on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcw2pTmKRuE
> 
> They came out great.


I use a version of that method, but don't bother with pints since we always use way more than that in recipes:

Place 1 C. dry beans in quart jars. (I do 7 at a time since that is what my canner holds.)
Fill each jar with water and let sit approx. 8 hours.
Get your pressure canner ready to go. (I add 4 qts. instead of 3 due to long processing time.)
Fill a separate pot with water and bring to a boil. (I need approx. 14 C. for 7 jars.)
Drain the jars of the soaking water.
Place 1 tsp. of canning salt into each quart jar.
Fill each quart jar with boiling water to within 1" from the top.
Follow general pressure canning directions and process 90 mins. @ 10 lbs. pressure.

Perfect beans everytime!

RVcook


----------



## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I've tried a couple different ways, including one very much the above shared by RVcook.
The way that my guys like best is found in the Ball's Blue Book.

Soak beans 12 to 18 hours. Drain. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Boil 30 minutes.
Place in jars. Add salt if desired, 1/2 tsp per pint, 1 tsp per qt. ladel hot cooking liquid or boiling water to 1 inch headspace. Cap. Process 10 lbs. pressure for 75 mins for pints...90 mins. for qts.

The beans are soft and tasty right out of the jar (my son's cat even loves 'em...~lol~...)


----------



## RVcook (Mar 29, 2008)

marinemomtatt said:


> I've tried a couple different ways, including one very much the above shared by RVcook.
> The way that my guys like best is found in the Ball's Blue Book.
> 
> Soak beans 12 to 18 hours. Drain. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Boil 30 minutes.
> ...


I too tried this one, but found that the beans were too mushy. This was especially a problem when I made things that had to simmer for a while. They just broke down too much...especially in chili.

RVcook


----------



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

marinemomtatt said:


> I've tried a couple different ways, including one very much the above shared by RVcook.
> The way that my guys like best is found in the Ball's Blue Book.
> 
> Soak beans 12 to 18 hours. Drain. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Boil 30 minutes.
> ...


Thanks...that sounds do-able....


----------



## Kari (Mar 24, 2008)

We simply add a 1/4 cup of beans/peas (not pre-soaked or pre-cooked) to a pint jar, add add warm water to the fill line then pressure can. The beans or peas are perfect this way and are neither under or over cooked.


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> We simply add a 1/4 cup of beans/peas (not pre-soaked or pre-cooked) to a pint jar, add add warm water to the fill line then pressure can. The beans or peas are perfect this way and are neither under or over cooked.
> Reply With Quote


It is your choice of course but please keep in mind that beans done that way are considered UNDER-processed for purposes of safety. Half the processing time is spent just rehydrating them so the heat can penetrate to kill bacteria so they are only half processed.

Per the guidelines: "If dried beans or peas are used, they_ must_ be fully rehydrated first."


----------



## Kari (Mar 24, 2008)

judylou said:


> It is your choice of course but please keep in mind that beans done that way are considered UNDER-processed for purposes of safety. Half the processing time is spent just rehydrating them so the heat can penetrate to kill bacteria so they are only half processed.
> 
> Per the guidelines: "If dried beans or peas are used, they_ must_ be fully rehydrated first."


Thanks for the info, I never knew that. We have been canning beans for years without re-hydrating them first as that was the way my G/F's mother has done all her life and taught us. Luckily no one else has become sick or worse and this is a timely topic as we were going to can some more beans next week so we will do some more research before our next canning session.


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Kari the guidelines give you 2 options for rehydrating them - the 12-14 hour overnight soak or the "quick soak". Check out this link for more details: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_04/beans_peas_shelled.html


----------



## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

You know what I was thinking? If you don't soak the beans first, do you avoid removing the phytic acid which is what protects the bean until it's ready to germinate in the 'real world'? The phytic acid --going by memory here- doesn't it cause utritional deficiencies as it takes many of our body's resources to handle it? Except I forget if soaking neutralizes the acids, or if we dispose of the soakwater to dispose of the acids. 

Maybe that's another thought to research in why we're to pre-soak beans (for canning or otherwise).. 

P.S. I canned up white beans per Ball Blue Book specs. Mushy. I used them instead as 'secret ingredients' in things like pancakes and such. Luckily I'd done them unsalted..


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I put a cup of beans in a quart jar, cover with boiling water, then let the jar sit for a minimum of 1 hour. Then I drain the water, refill with fresh boiling water, add lids and rings and then PC. The beans are still la bit mushy, but they hold their shape and are fine for any recipes which don't involve much additional cooking. If I'm doing something that requires a lot of cooking (such as chili), I'll pressure cook up a fresh batch of beans.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I use the overnight soak and pre-cook method and find that what everyone else has reported to be true. That is, beans are mushy and beans are solid. It all depends on the bean variety. Opened a pint of pork & beans for supper last night. That batch was made with 3 different beans. The main one was Cannelinni and they were quite chewy. The other two were Brown Dutch and possibly Etna. Brown Dutch broke down too much while the other was what one would expect from a can of pork & beans. Another batch started with Red Kidney as the base and those remained intact and only slightly chewy. Didn't keep track of the other 3 or 4 but most of them broke down in various degrees. My bean soup mix now contains up to 50 varieties and each one seems to have its own distinct properties when cooked. What it all means is that you have to have a bean which is suitable for canning in order to get the best results. 

Martin


----------



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

That's interesting that different varieties of beans end up with different textures. My favorites are the Great Northerns. Anyone do them up?


I have whole dried peas that are at least five years old. Not split, whole. I never see or read anyone mention them. 
I want to can them and see how they turn out.


----------



## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

?? why can dryed beans? they are already preserved. Just store (vacuum seal) & use.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Great Northern beans will hold up to canning.

And one cans dry beans due to virtual no preparation required at mealtime.

Martin


----------



## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Neighbor lady asked me the same question.
If i'm making bean Patties I sure as heck don't want to be cooking beans half the day first. If hubby comes home and wants Red Beans, Rice and Pork chops for dinner in one hour, I'm not going to be able to do that unless I open up one of our yummy jars of homecanned Red Beans. (Or how about Bean Enchilada's in one hour)

Black Bean soup, Chilli, and other long cook soups we use dried, in the bag beans.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Why can beans ? They are CHEAP. That, and just so easy to open, mash, and use for refried beans, put on burritos, whatever. 
It is convenience. Especially for people who work all day and don't have time to cook them for dinner that night.


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I got the idea on this forum - if I don't have a full canner load of something, I fill the remaining jars with beans. I've grown to love the convenience. It makes it so easy to sprinkle a handful of beans on a salad, add some protein to a quesadilla, throw a handful in soup. I know run canner loads just of beans! A 3 lb bag fills my canner!


----------



## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

Vera Nichols is the Extension Home Economist who serves my county and a couple of others in central MO. She told me once that beans are the most dangerous food to pressure can due to their high protein and starch levels and that the directions from an approved source, ie., the Ball Blue Book or the canning site mentioned in JudyLou's post #12 should be followed to the letter, without deviation or shortcut. She said it was folly to do otherwise and was a good way to endanger the lives and health of those who eat the product. 

I had heard of the method PixieLou described (no offense intended in pointing out your method, PL, because I've heard it from others as well) and told her about it. She said it was just asking for trouble. First, the beans will continue to absorb liquid after the processing time which means as someone pointed out, didn't allow the heat to penetrate the product fully. Second, if they continued to enlarge, they would take up the space of the vacuum and compromise the vacuum and seal on the lid. 

This lady has long experience as both an Extension HE and as a home canner in her own right. To me her word is law.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

MoGal, I totally agree with what the other extension gal says. I, too, work at my local county extension office. I am glad there are others out there who teach the same thing. 
Thanks for passing this important info along.


----------



## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

More or less had to pass it on, Lucy. I'm a retired home economics teacher (they don't even call it that any more!) with over 30 years of home canning under my belt.


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

What difference does it make how you rehydrate your beans?


----------



## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

PixieLou, I don't think it's a matter of _how_ so much as _how long_ to adequately get moisture into the entire bean. My older copies of the BBB say to soak the beans overnight in a cool place, drain, cover with water and bring to a boil for 30 min., then pack into hot jars. The newest edition I have outlines a quick soak where you cover the beans in the stock pot with 2" of water and bring to a boil for 2 min. then let them soak for an hour. Then you drain, cover by 2" again with cold water, bring to a boil and again cook for 30 min before you pack into the jars. The time for your method just isn't long enough to fully rehydrate the beans before the processing time begins and you can end up with under processed beans, weak seals or worse.

Please understand that my using your name to indicate a particular method was not an attack on you personally and if that were the way you saw it, please accept my apology. As I said in the first post, I had seen the method discussed many times before you mentioned it. And I do offer my apology most sincerely if I offended you.


----------



## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I did some great northern beans following the ball book and they are too mushy, waste of time. there has to be a better way.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Add Pickle Crisp to each jar. That is what the commercial industry does.


----------



## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

Trying to understand this, if the beans don't fully hydrate while canning, they will be too hard so when you open them you'll have to cook them enough to get them soft. Won't that solve any problem the canning caused? As long as the seal was good?


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> Trying to understand this, if the beans don't fully hydrate while canning, they will be too hard so when you open them you'll have to cook them enough to get them soft. Won't that solve any problem the canning caused? As long as the seal was good?


Perhaps I can help clarify it a bit designer - First the canning doesn't cause any problems. Failing to rehydrate the beans BEFORE canning them is what cause the problems. The heat and pressure required to kill c. botulinum cannot penetrate beans that haven't been rehydrated. It is the same principle as heat and moisture can't penetrate rocks as easily as it can soil. So a large portion of your processing time is wasted on rehydrating the beans and NOT on killing the bacteria. So when the processing time is up your dried beans that were put into the jar are only partly processed for bacteria. 

Now you set that partly processed jar on a shelf for several months and inside that jar is the ideal environment (anaerobic and wet) for that surviving bacteria to grow, reproduce, and produce toxins.

Second, it isn't that the beans are too hard when you open the jar. It's that for some they are too soft, too mushy. Although that depends in a large degree on the type of bean used. And some want to be able to eat the beans straight from the jar with no further cooking, added to salads etc. 

So to off-set that "too soft" problem some perceive, the suggestion is to add a bit of Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride) to the jars before canning them just as many do with potatoes, pickles, etc. That is what commercial companies add to their canned beans to keep them crisper.

The end result is this: The published processing times for canning dried beans and peas is based on rehydrated beans only. That is made clear in the recipe/instructions. There are no published canning times for canning dried beans and peas that have NOT been rehydrated first by one of the 2 approved methods. You can only guess at what processing time would be required for those.


----------



## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Jackie Clay wrote about canning beans a couple of days ago on her blog:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2011/02/07/only-in-minnesota


----------



## rightathome (Feb 10, 2009)

Merit said:


> You know what I was thinking? If you don't soak the beans first, do you avoid removing the phytic acid which is what protects the bean until it's ready to germinate in the 'real world'? The phytic acid --going by memory here- doesn't it cause utritional deficiencies as it takes many of our body's resources to handle it? Except I forget if soaking neutralizes the acids, or if we dispose of the soakwater to dispose of the acids.
> 
> Maybe that's another thought to research in why we're to pre-soak beans (for canning or otherwise)..
> 
> P.S. I canned up white beans per Ball Blue Book specs. Mushy. I used them instead as 'secret ingredients' in things like pancakes and such. Luckily I'd done them unsalted..



You are right, soaking the beans is important nutritionally - soaking triggers germination, which reduces phytates. Phytates bind with the minerals in the beans, making them unavailable for use by our bodies. So whether we plan to can the beans or not, germination is an important step. I find that it takes an average of two days for the little "bean tails" as we call them, to start emerging. Rinse as needed, and rinse one final time before cooking or canning.

A very nice side effect of germination is that one no longer needs to stock up on Gas-X to enjoy a meal of beans!

I recently did a canner load of beans and instead of the 30 min boil recommended by the Ball book I brought the beans just to a boil then filled my jars. Germinated beans take less time to cook, so I knew that if I boiled them too long, they'd be more like refried beans after canning! They came out tender but not mushy.


----------

