Canning Dry Beans

**vigilant20** · 02-09-2012, 09:12 AM

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.

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 rounded 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 little urban 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.

**RaineyDaye** · 02-09-2012, 11:42 AM

vigilant20,
I am in awe of what you are able to grow in a suburban back yard! When I get to a place that has a sunny yard, I'm going to try growing a lot of my food like you. WTG

**ladytoysdream** · 02-09-2012, 12:31 PM

I have done several kinds of dry beans in the past. I mainly wanted kidney beans for chili. I really liked the way they turned out. Nice thing about doing your own is that you control what goes in the jar. I don't put any salt in. Just sort through the beans, rinse them, drain, put in jars, and then add the hot water.

Are you using tattler lids ?

**vigilant20** · 02-09-2012, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by ladytoysdream

I have done several kinds of dry beans in the past. I mainly wanted kidney beans for chili. I really liked the way they turned out. Nice thing about doing your own is that you control what goes in the jar. I don't put any salt in. Just sort through the beans, rinse them, drain, put in jars, and then add the hot water.

Are you using tattler lids ?

Yes, I have been using Tattlers for a year now. They are great

**Josephhgoins** · 02-09-2012, 02:16 PM

cool on the beans....but I got to ask more about the lids!!

Are their any problems at all with them. Do they make rings to match?

**vigilant20** · 02-09-2012, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by Josephhgoins

cool on the beans....but I got to ask more about the lids!!

Are their any problems at all with them. Do they make rings to match?

I haven't had any problems. I've only had 2 not seal in all this time, and that's only because I forgot a step...so pure user error. You use standard rings with them, but the process is slightly different. So if you are a long time canner there will be some unlearning to do.

With Tattlers you put the rings on lightly, just until you feel resistance (they explain it as finger tight and backing off a quarter inch). This lets them vent properly in the canner. When you take them out of the canner, then you tighten the rings down and let them sit until cool.

**ladytoysdream** · 02-09-2012, 04:08 PM

I always thought tattlers were interesting.
But they are expensive. If one is just starting to can and will do it
for many years, then they probably would be a good investment.

I'm old school with regular lids. And I have a very good stockpile
of them. So that is what I will be using

**moasmom** · 02-09-2012, 04:51 PM

This is very cool. Thanks so much for sharing your pictorial with us. I also greatly prefer cooking dried beans myself instead of using store-bought canned, for lots of reasons.

I have never canned anything, and don't have a pressure canner or any of the equipment, but I am intrigued.

My current MO is to make a crockpot full and freeze in smaller portions. This works well, but I am limited by freezer space and defrosting requires forethought. I also tend to only keep one type cooked at a time (mainly because of freezer space).

So anyway, there would be a startup investment for me, but this gives me great info to think about.

Kara

**pollypurebred39** · 02-09-2012, 05:00 PM

Thank you for posting this. This is the best money saving idea I have seen in a long time. Thank you!

**Spirit Deer** · 02-09-2012, 05:04 PM

So do the beans have to be cooked any further after they've been canned? Or are they cooked thoroughly in the canner? I often make recipes that call for cooked beans and would love this method if I could just open the jar and use the beans without doing anything more to them.

**bent** · 02-09-2012, 05:27 PM

spiritdeer no the bean will have been cooked during the canning process.
my mother 70ys young just last yr told me how to do dry beans....I think she thinks it time I knew how lol.
Vigilant20 did you soak your beans overnight before you can them?

**ladytoysdream** · 02-09-2012, 05:56 PM

You do not precook or soak the beans.
Sort, rinse, drain, and put them in jars. Measure them.
Add hot water. Lid. Put in pressure canner for
correct amount of time.
Use as is right from the jar. They are ready to eat.
Just like you would buy from the store.

I usually stick a few jars of beans in when I am
canning meat and don't have a canner full.
Same amount of time. Just make sure you measure
correctly. Remember as they cook, they swell.

**leighcat** · 02-09-2012, 06:49 PM

Thank you for posting this! I am dying to start a garden here and I live in an area that is somewhat of a city. I want to try growing my own beans and now I think I will get a canner also. I have managed to grow some cherry tomatoes and I was shocked when they actually grew! They are the first thing I got to grow right in Florida. I am (slowly) getting my backyard ready to plant in and I have a friend who is bringing me manure. Your post really inspires me to not give up on trying to garden!

**bent** · 02-09-2012, 07:14 PM

I'm going to have to try your method of canning, when I did my 15 bean soup I presoaked overnight.
do you/have you canned chicken?

**vigilant20** · 02-09-2012, 07:41 PM

They are cooked during canning and will come out of the jar firm. For safetys sake low acid foods like this should be simmered 10 minutes before eating. Most of the recipes I make do this with canned beans anyway.

Bent, I'm a vegetarian so I haven't tried meats, but if you post your question someone else may be able to help