Safe to Pressure Can Raw Beans???

[BigBlueHen53]

Hey there home canners! I have a pressure canner and I'm wondering how to can dry beans. Can I just put a cup of raw dry beans into a jar of hot (boiling?) salted water, add lids and rings (hot, of course!), put them in the hot pressure canner and process them? Or do the beans need to be soaked first?

I canned some beans last year and soaked them or parboiled them first, I don't remember which, and was not happy with the end result. They came out mushy and overcooked. I did seven quarts and we did end up eating them all (waste not, want not) but it wasn't a delightful experience. Mostly I mashed them down into a soggy semblance of refried beans.

 

[tripletfeb]

Hey there home canners! I have a pressure canner and I'm wondering how to can dry beans. Can I just put a cup of raw dry beans into a jar of hot (boiling?) salted water, add lids and rings (hot, of course!), put them in the hot pressure canner and process them? Or do the beans need to be soaked first?

I canned some beans last year and soaked them or parboiled them first, I don't remember which, and was not happy with the end result. They came out mushy and overcooked. I did seven quarts and we did end up eating them all (waste not, want not) but it wasn't a delightful experience. Mostly I mashed them down into a soggy semblance of refried beans.

From my Ball Blue Book

 

[tripletfeb]

So, it looks like they need to be cooked. Maybe youtube other options?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hmmm. Thanks, Trip. Yeah pretty sure that's what I did before. I'd have to double that for 6 quarts, and fill the empty spot with a quart jar of water or saline. Always good to have sterile water or saline on hand...

 

[tripletfeb]

I found this video on youtube. I don't know this channel but it seems legit

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you, I'll check it out tomorrow. DH is settling down to sleep.

 

[texasgal]

I can my beans dry. Currently eating beans I canned 2.5 years ago. I put a little less beans and a little more liquid so I have more of a bean soup, but I love them with cornbread.

I've done plain pintos, limas etc, but I've also done chili beans, beanie weenies, ham and bean soup etc. Beans are easy!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I can my beans dry. Currently eating beans I canned 2.5 years ago. I put a little less beans and a little more liquid so I have more of a bean soup, but I love them with cornbread.

I've done plain pintos, limas etc, but I've also done chili beans, beanie weenies, ham and bean soup etc. Beans are easy!

Wonderful, tell me how. How many beans to how much water in a quart jar, what pressure for how long?

 

[texasgal]

When I'm just doing beans, no more than 1/2 cup beans in a pint (or 1 cup in a quart).. I find that even those amounts are too much and the beans want to clump together. I think I use about 1/3 cup per pint (2/3 per quart).

I do rinse them and pull out broken beans and stuff first.

If I am adding meat (ham, weenies), or whatever, then no more than 1/4 cup for pint, or 1/2 cup for quart. because the meat is taking up jar space.

1/2 tsp salt for pint (1 tsp per quart) and whatever spices or sauces you want.

Cool water. Leave 1 full inch headspace.

Pressure can for 75 minutes pints, 90 minutes quarts.. just like meat.

I LOVE having several different varieties of beans so i can just open a jar (pint is perfect for us) and not have to cook a whole pot all day long!

Let us know how you do!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, that's very helpful, and .... at what pressure?