It’s easy to enjoy green beans all year long by canning them in the summer. Learn how to use a pressure canner to can green beans and what to do when they’re not ready to pick at the same time.
Theres nothing quite like reaching into the pantry and grabbing a jar of home canned food. Canning your own food is a blessing that lasts all year, whether it’s food you grew yourself or bought at the store.
You don’t have to be a pro at canning to enjoy your hard work for months to come. Canning green beans is easy and will be worth your time.
I especially enjoy using home-canned green beans for the holidays in green bean casseroles and soups!
But if you’ve never done pressure canning or canning in general, it might look really scary!! In reality, it’s very simple and very satisfying to finish!
If you’ve never done pressure canning before, I suggest you read this in-depth guide. It gives a very detailed account of exactly what to expect so that youre not caught off guard!.
Once you’ve done that, or if you already know how to pressure can, you can start canning your green beans!
Before you can them, make sure you snap them and remove the strings first. In the past weve had bean varieties that grew 2-4 thick strings PER bean. what a pain!.
But no matter what kind of beans you have, don’t skip the snapping step! If you do, your canned beans will be tough to eat!
Canning green beans is a great way to preserve fresh garden beans to enjoy all year long. When canning green beans, using the right amount of salt is key for both flavor and safety But how much salt should you use when canning green beans? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using salt for home canning green beans
Why Use Salt When Canning Green Beans?
Salt serves several important purposes when canning green beans
-
Flavor enhancement – Salt enhances and balances the natural flavor of green beans The right amount of salt brings out the best taste
-
Preservation – Salt helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and molds that could spoil your canned beans. It acts as a preservative.
-
Maintains color – Salt helps lock in the bright green color of the beans during processing.
-
Brine formation – Salt draws moisture from the beans to create a brine (salty water) that covers the beans in the jar. This excludes air and creates an inhospitable environment for microorganisms.
So while salt isn’t mandatory for canning green beans, it does significantly improve their shelf stability, safety, texture, and flavor.
Recommended Amount of Salt Per Jar
The USDA and most canning guides recommend using 1 teaspoon of canning or pickling salt per pint jar of green beans. For quart jars, use 2 teaspoons per jar.
This salt to jar ratio allows enough salt to sufficiently preserve the beans without making them overly salty. The recommended amount is based on tested recipes that ensure safe home canning.
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, you should add salt as follows:
- Pint jars – 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Quart jars – 1 teaspoon salt
You can adjust the amount of salt to suit your taste, but don’t reduce it so much that it affects preservation and safety.
Salt Varieties for Canning Green Beans
It’s important to use the right type of salt when canning to avoid problems:
-
Canning or pickling salt – Fine grained salts specifically for canning and pickling. They don’t contain anti-caking agents.
-
Kosher salt – A good substitute for canning salt. Omit the anti-caking agents.
-
Sea salt – Works well but the coarse grains may need grinding.
-
Table salt – Not recommended as it often has additives that can discolor canned beans.
Avoid salts with iodine or anti-caking agents like magnesium carbonate. These can cause the brine to become cloudy and the beans to darken.
Step-By-Step Guide to Canning Green Beans with Salt
Follow these steps for properly canned green beans with the ideal salt content:
1. Wash and snap the ends off fresh green beans
Rinse the beans, then snap off the stem and blossom ends. Leave beans whole.
2. Blanch the beans
Blanching helps set the color and deactivate enzymes. To blanch, immerse the beans in boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Cool the beans
After blanching, quickly cool the beans by placing them in an ice water bath. This stops the cooking.
4. Drain and pack beans into jars
Pack the raw beans tightly into clean canning jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top.
5. Add salt
Add 1/2 tsp salt per pint jar or 1 tsp per quart jar. You can add more or less salt according to taste.
6. Pour hot water over the beans, leaving 1 inch of headspace
7. Remove air bubbles
Slide a chopstick around the inside of the jar to release trapped air bubbles. Add more water if needed to maintain headspace.
8. Wipe jar rims
Wipe the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any food residue.
9. Apply lids and bands
Place lids on the jars and screw on bands until fingertip tight. Do not overtighten.
10. Process the filled jars in a water bath canner
Place them in the canner filled with hot water and process for the time specified in the recipe.
11. Cool and store
After processing, remove the jars and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check the seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
And that’s it! Follow these steps properly and you’ll have perfectly salted canned green beans to enjoy all year long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use less salt when canning green beans?
Yes, you can reduce the amount of salt according to your taste preferences. However, using less salt may reduce the shelf life so the beans should be eaten sooner. The salt amount recommended in canning recipes should not be drastically reduced.
Is it safe to can green beans without any salt?
Canning green beans without salt is possible but not recommended. Salt provides important preservation qualities. Beans canned without salt must be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days.
What happens if I use too much salt when canning green beans?
Using an excessive amount of salt can make the beans too salty. It can also cause the lid to buckle as the salt draws out too much moisture from the beans. Stick within the recommended salt ratio to avoid problems.
Can I reuse brine from previously canned jars of green beans?
No, it is unsafe to reuse brine from previously processed jars. The old brine may harbor microorganisms and bacteria that can cause spoilage or food poisoning. Always use fresh brine.
How long will properly canned green beans last?
Home canned green beans sealed properly in sterile jars and processed correctly will retain optimal quality for 12-18 months. Beans stored for longer may start to degrade in texture, color, and flavor.
How can I tell if my canned green beans have spoiled?
Signs of spoiled canned beans include mold, sliminess, foul odors, jar lids bulging or leaking, blackened beans, or spurting liquid when jars are opened. Discard any jars immediately that show signs of spoilage.
Get Perfectly Salted Canned Green Beans
With the right amount of salt, you can enjoy flavorful and safely preserved green beans from your garden all year. Use this guide for all the details you need to properly salt and can your own green beans.
Best Green Beans for Canning
If you want to can green beans, farmers markets and local grocery stores are good places to find them. Ask your friends and neighbors if they are growing green beans; they probably have extra!
Or, if you want, you can grow your own green beans. I love growing green beans because they are a high yield, low space requirement plant. You can grow two five-foot rows of greens beans and harvest them daily for months. Thats a lot of food!.
Also, if you want to learn more about growing your own food, check out our post on the Back to Eden method. Its so easy to set up and helps lengthen your growing season for even more produce.
How to Snap Green Beans
Although it’s not hard, snapping green beans is something that needs to be done, especially if you are growing heirloom varieties.
Start at one end of the green bean and “snap” the tip off. This will make a string. You can do this with a knife or with your hands. You don’t have to use a knife if you don’t want to. If you do, cut through the end about 3/4 of the way and then keep going.
Pull the broken tip down along the seam to remove any “string” that may be hiding there. Snap off the other end of the bean in the same way.
Throw away the broken ends and any strings in the small bowl. If you have chickens or pigs, feed them to them.
From there, you can leave the beans whole or cut them into 1-2″ segments for canning.