Canning Beans of all Kinds

Canning beans, corn, pickles, tomatoes and peppers are a must for anyone who does canning. These vegetables can hold the family over through the winter adding a great supplement to the meals.

Although Mom and Dad only in to canning green beans to be used in a variety of different recipes throughout the winter, there are many different types of beans available for canning beans. Canning green beans and also canning dry beans allows you access to quick and delicious meals all winter long; the flavor is even better when realizing they lend much to a frugal living lifestyle.

Before canning beans of any kind there is always preparations to be done. The food should always be of uniform size going into the jars for even processing. Some beans like when canning green beans, will need to be blanched first and others will not need it.

Always follow the directions of the recipe for canning beans.Broad and Lima Beans: Blanch for 3 minutes, raw pack in boiling water leaving 1 inch headspace and process in pressure canner 40 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts.Green Beans and Lima Beans: Do not blanch, pack in boiling water; process in pressure canner 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.

Dried beans have long been a staple in American cooking. What some people think of as poor peasant food, others value highly for their high protein and high fiber content. These beans are often used in vegetarian dishes combined with grains to make up full proteins in the diet. They are so versatile in making so many different recipes. They can also easily be added to soups, salad and casseroles to get extra fiber in the diet. Canning dried beans and having them already precooked makes it much faster to put together bean recipes.

CANNING BEANS: (Canning snap beans, string beans, green beans, wax beans)

For HOT PACK beans, wash, drain, string, trim ends and break fresh picked beans into 2 inch pieces if desired.

Cover beans with boiling water and boil for 3 minutes.

Pack hot beans in hot quart jars; cover with boiling water from beans leaving 1 inch at top.

Wipe jar rims clean and adjust lids and rings; process quarts in pressure canner 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

For COLD PACK OR RAW PACK beans, as with the hot pack, wash, drain, string, trim ends and break into 2 inch pieces fresh picked beans.

Pack lightly in clean hot jars leaving 1 inch head space.

Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar and fill will hot boiling water leaving 1 inch headspace.

Adjust caps and process quarts in pressure cooker for 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

For COLD PACK OR RAW PACK beans, as with the hot pack, wash, drain, string, trim ends and break into 2 inch pieces fresh picked beans.

Pack lightly in clean hot jars leaving 1 inch head space.

Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar and fill will hot boiling water leaving 1 inch headspace.

Adjust caps and process quarts in pressure cooker for 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

CANNING BEANS: (Canning dried beans such as canning black beans, canning pinto beans, kidney, great northern etc.)

Use kidney and any other types of dried beans.

Cover beans with cold water and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place.

Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes; pack into hot quart jars leaving 1 inch head space.

Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar; cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space.

Adjust caps and process quarts in pressure canner 1 hour and 30 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

CANNING BEANS: (Lima or butter beans)

To HOT PACK lima or butter beans wash, drain and shell tender young beans.

Wash again, cover with water and boil 3 minutes.

Pack hot beans into hot sterilized jars leaving 1 inch head space.

Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar and cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space.

Adjust caps and process quarts in pressure canner for 50 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

NOTE: If leaving beans whole and they are larger beans process for an additional 10 minutes.

For COLD PACK or RAW PACK beans wash, drain and shell tender young beans.

Wash again and pack loosely in hot quart jars leaving 1 inch head space; do not shake or press down.

Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart; cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch head space.

Adjust caps and process in pressure canner 50 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

CANNING BEANS in dilly beans recipe

• 2 Cups vinegar
• 6 Cups water
• 3 Teaspoons salt
• 2 Cloves sliced garlic
• ¼ Teaspoon red pepper
• 1 Head fresh dill
• 1 gallon whole green beans

Wash and string tender young beans.

Scald beans in boiling hot water until beans are tender enough to stick with toothpick (about 10 minutes).

Pack beans into 6 hot sterilized pint jars.

Combine vinegar, water, salt, garlic, red pepper and dill in a kettle and bring to a boil.

Pour vinegar mixture over beans in jars leaving ½ inch headspace at top.

Boil lids in hot water and adjust on jars to seal.

PICKLED BEANS RECIPE

• Select tender fresh green beans, string, break beans, wash thoroughly when canning beans; cook just until tender.


• Rinse beans in cold water and drain well.


• Sprinkle ½ cup salt in the bottom of a 5 gallon crock; layer a gallon of green beans.


• Sprinkle another ½ cup salt over the green beans; layer another gallon on green beans.


• Continue making these layers for as many green beans as you want to pickle.


• Pour cold water into the crock to cover all the beans; cover beans with a plate and weigh it down with rock or something heavy to keep beans under water.


• Keep crock at room temperature; in about a week a brine will form.


• At this time take the skim off the top of the water; skim looks like “mother of vinegar”.


• NOTE: Mother of vinegar is substance composed of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids. While unappetizing, it is completely harmless and can be filtered out.
• When the green beans taste sour, take them out of the crock, pour off the brine and cover with fresh water.

NOTE: If beans do not sour and form a brine in the crock after a week, cook 3 to 4 ears of corn, cut it off the cob and mix with the beans. The corn will make the beans ferment. It can be left with the beans, canned with the beans and eaten with the beans.

• Bring the beans to a boil and let them boil for 5 minutes.


• Fill hot sterilized quart jars with the beans and boiling water to cover; seal jars with hot lids.


• To serve remove beans from jars, rinse in cold water and place drained beans in a skillet with hot bacon grease.


• Heat thoroughly and serve.

SPICY PICKLED BEANS RECIPE

• Fresh green beans
• 1 Quart white vinegar
• ½ Cup water
• ¼ Cup pickling salt
• 1 Teaspoon dill seed per jar
• 1 Hot red pepper per jar
• 1 Hot green pepper per jar
• 2 Cloves garlic per jar

Place ½ teaspoon dill seed in bottom of each sterilized pint jar.

Wash green beans and pack as tightly as possible in jars being careful not to bruise beans.

Add ½ teaspoon dill seed, the peppers and garlic to each jar.

Combine vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil; pour boiling hot over the green beans.

Adjust lids and rings on jars and process in hot water bath at simmering temperature for 15 minutes.

Store for 6 weeks before using; serve cold. Makes 4 pints.

PORK AND BEAN SOUP RECIPE

• 1 Pound dry beans (pinto, navy, great northern)
• ½ Pound bacon in pieces
• 3 Cups chopped onion
• 1 Cup diced carrots
• 2 Cups chopped celery
• 2 Quarts water
• 2 ½ Cups tomato juice
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Bay leaf

Soak beans overnight; cook until soft.

Fry bacon and add to beans; cook onions in bacon fat until tender and add to beans.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Put in jars with lids and pressure can for 40 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

More Great Canning Tips and Recipes

Go to Painless Cooking Home Page from Canning Beans