For me, one of the most important parts of cooking real food is having ready-made “building blocks” of real food in the pantry.
I always have a supply of homemade broth/stock, home-canned tomato sauce, applesauce, pickles, and multiple other items. It’s simple to make a real-food meal without having to spend six hours a day in the kitchen.
If you want to cook with dried beans like black beans, red beans, pinto beans, navy beans, etc., it can take a long time. If you are starting from scratch, expect to soak them overnight, and then cook them for several hours.
The process isn’t hard, but it does make it nearly impossible to decide at the last minute to have refried beans for dinner.
Canning your own dry beans at home is a great way to save money while enjoying the convenience of ready-to-use beans straight from your pantry However, proper processing times are crucial for safely canning low-acid foods like beans in a pressure canner Follow these guidelines for how long to pressure can various types of dry beans.
Why Pressure Canning is Necessary for Beans
Dry beans like pinto, kidney black cannellini, and navy beans have a low acidity level. This makes them prone to growing dangerous bacteria if not processed correctly. Using a pressure canner allows the beans to be heated to 240°F or higher, killing any bacteria or spores present.
Trying to can beans in a water bath canner is unsafe, as it cannot bring the internal temperature high enough. Always use a pressure canner when canning low-acid foods like meat, poultry, seafood, beans, corn, etc.
Processing Times for Common Dry Bean Varieties
Most types of dry beans should be processed for the following times, depending on jar size:
- Pints – 65 minutes
- Quarts – 75 minutes
This applies to kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans, navy beans, and other common varieties.
However, lentils and split peas have slightly shorter processing times:
- Lentils – Pints: 60 minutes, Quarts: 70 minutes
- Split Peas – Pints: 60 minutes, Quarts: 70 minutes
The only exception is soybeans, which require much longer processing:
- Soybeans – Pints: 100 minutes, Quarts 115 minutes
Adjusting for Elevation
The processing times listed above are based on canning at sea level (0-1000 ft elevation). At higher elevations, you must make adjustments to the canning time.
Use this elevation chart as a guide:
- 1,001 – 3,000 ft: Add 5 minutes
- 3,001 – 6,000 ft: Add 10 minutes
- 6,001 – 8,000 ft: Add 15 minutes
- 8,001 – 10,000 ft: Add 20 minutes
For example, if you live at 5000 ft elevation, you would process pint jars of pinto beans for 65 + 10 = 75 minutes.
Step-by-Step Canning Process
Follow these steps for safely pressure canning beans:
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Place dry beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 8-12 hours or bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes then soak 1 hour. Drain.
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Fill jars loosely with beans to 1 inch headspace. Add boiling water to cover beans by 1 inch.
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Wipe rims, apply lids and rings. Tighten rings finger tip tight.
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Load sealed jars into pressure canner and add 2-3 inches of hot water to canner.
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Follow manufacturer instructions to pressurize canner. Process beans for recommended time based on jar size and elevation.
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Turn off heat. Allow canner to depressurize naturally. Wait 10 minutes then remove jars.
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Cool jars completely, check seals. Store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
Helpful Tips
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Always use new lids each time you can. Reusing lids can prevent proper sealing.
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Letting the canner depressurize naturally prevents liquid from bubbling out of jars.
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Older beans may take longer to rehydrate before canning. Make sure beans are fully rehydrated and heated through before filling jars.
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Add 1/2 tsp salt per pint or 1 tsp per quart to beans before processing if desired. This is for flavor only, not food safety.
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Canning salt is recommended since it does not contain anti-caking agents. But table salt will also work.
Following the proper processing times for your elevation will ensure your home canned beans are safe to store and enjoy for up to a year! Always inspect seals and look for signs of spoilage before consuming. Enjoy your beans in soups, dips, tacos, chili and more!
How to Can Dry Beans
- Dried beans (kidney, black beans, pinto, navy, etc)
- Water
- Jars that are quart or pint size and have lids or rings on them (try my favorite lids for canning; learn more about FOR JARS lids here: http://theprairiehomestead com/forjars (use code PURPOSE10 for 10% off)).
- A pressure canner (like this)
- Remove any foreign objects from beans
- Place in large bowl and cover with water
- You can add 2 tablespoons of whey, vinegar, or lemon juice to the soaking water if you want to.
- Soak overnight
- Drain and rinse beans
- Place in large pot
- Cover with 2 inches of fresh water
- Bring to a boil, stirring often and keeping an eye out so it doesn’t go over.
- Put beans into clean, hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. There’s no need to sterilize them as long as they are hot and clean.
- Fill with cooking liquid, again, leaving 1″ headspace
- Put lids and rings on jars
- At 10 pounds of pressure, put the jars in the pressure canner and process them:
- Pints for 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Quarts for 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Take out of the canner and let cool. Before putting away, check all the lids to make sure they seal properly.
(*You will need to adjust your pressure depending on your altitude. I have to process at 15 pounds pressure since we are at 6,500 feet. My pressure canning tutorial has more info. ).
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Back to Basics | Canning BEANS “NO PRE-SOAK” CANUARY
FAQ
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