I am going to do this and I want to add pork. We had a pig roast and a lot of left over meat. Can I do that? I really don't like left over frozen pork and hate to wast it.

Silverstar7337:
The reason you have to pressure can them is because they are a starchy food. They will rot and smell and maybe even explode with the gasses. Believe me it STINKS! I did it with squash one time and we couldn't find the cause of the odor. When we did Peee ewww! Is all I have to say! lol

Back then they let the beans dry on the plant before picking and stored them dry.

I was inspired by this thread, so I decided to can some of my dried beans yesterday. They look good! I used 1/2 cup beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt per pint, filled the jars with boiling water, and pressure canned at 10 pounds for 75 minutes.

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I just got done reading this thread and now I want to try it. Did you use dired or soaked beans?

They looks so pretty.

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Dried.

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Thanks

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What about chili? Yum! Or hummus? Great for spreading on bread or dipping veggies. Or black bean dip for chips?

I have a few quick questions about this method. I buy my beans in bulk from a co-op but have often thought I wish I didn't have to got through the whole cooking process every time. I don't know why I never thought about canning!

Anyway, as to the above statement, I'm confused and it's probably semantics but want to be clear. I have a Presto, weighted pressure canner with a guage on top. Will it work for canning beans?

Also, I saw someone else mention double stacking pint jars. Can I just stack the jars on top of one another or do I need a tray of some sort in between?

One last question, could I go ahead and add some seasoning (like chili powder) to the beans before canning so they are already seasoned when we open them?

Thanks!

I canned some white beans and chilli beans last night. A few questions.

My beans look mooshy in there. Most are split and the water looks really thick. I processed them at ten pounds for 70 minutes. I soaked them for a few hours before. Should I try them raw next time?

I didn't soak or cook mine first...just put 1/2 cup of dry beans into the jar, filled the jars with boiling water, and then processed.

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Question about the finished product, when using unsoaked dried beans do you drain the canning water off or use it when heating the beans? If you don't pour it off do the beans cause crowd killing gas to be produced by those who eat them?

I'm glad this thread got bumped, I've got 8 pounds of beans waiting to be processed.

Ha! I haven't used any of mine yet, so I can't answer that. However, I can tell you that my husband and son would be sad if I drained them when there could be fun gas to be had.

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Does anyone know the answer to my question about the weighted pressure canner (#38)? I'm dragging out my pc this week anyway so if it's safe I may go ahead and can some beans too. Also could I do multiple varieties of beans in one jar?

As long as it is a pressure canner and not just a pressure cooker, it will work.

You need a rack between the stacks of jars. One should have come with your canner. I'll try to find a picture online for you in a bit.

I don't see why adding the spices would be a problem.

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One of the things I love about HomesteadingToday is that every once in a while a thread comes a long that changes my life. This thread was one of those for me. I've tried this technique and it works great; it makes beans a regular part of my diet, and it saves me money. I printed out a condensed version of the OP (without the pictures) and I pass it out to everyone who's remotely interested. My sister-in-law is now hooked on this too and rapidly stocking her shelves.

Thank you

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The Mad Luddite

NoClue, do you use the water the beans are canned in or do you pour it off? If you use the canning water have you noticed any bad effects from using it?

My dh produces enough methane to power a small country without the added "benefits" of bean digestion byproducts. I want to live through a night after feeding him canned beans.

Danaus29 you crack me up. lol I thought I was the only one who lived with a methane cloud...I get it from DH, DS and the dog! I'm finally learning which foods to limit so I save myself a few sleepless nights. lol

I drain it off and rinse the beans before using. I was just always taught to do that with canned beans. Generally, I don't season them much when canning, because it gives me more options on how to use them - I like mine with chiles, etc, but my kids don't like anything remotely spicy.

So far I've done this with pintos, black beans, garbanzos, and black eyed peas. Those are pretty much all the beans I eat, so it's probably all I'll ever do - unless I venture further into bean land

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The Mad Luddite

Avoiding DH's methane cloud was the best part of needing to sleep with a CPAP!!
I can't seem to avoid it with him... beans (even regular green beans!), peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, eggs... I can't win

But I have found that rinsing canned beans, or using several changes of water soaking and cooking dry beans, helps bring the toxic level down from "planet killer" to "county alert".

mammabooh---I've totally prepared my beans and they turned out fantastic and it turned a couple of my friends on to it. I've made refried beans, black eyed peas, black beans and red beans all seasoned with spices, onions and garlic accordingly. For bacon, I used turkey bacon which cut down on the fat. Oh, I did baked beans too. Dumped it all into the jars raw. It is great. Needlesstosay they didn't last long.

If this heat ever breaks I'll be canning beans! Thanks for the rinsing advice. I will rinse! No spices in the jars. Except for garlic they are better when added right before you turn off the heat anyway

I had some extra $$$, well only a few $ and dried beans were on sale last week. We all like beans which makes it easy. Ds really likes them with pumpkin mash. But the after affects from store bought beans come close to lethal levels. A week of home cooked beans isn't pleasant. Even in below zero weather open windows are required. With them all nicely packed into quart jars I can make one meal and few left-overs.

That's prety much what I do - buy dry beans when they're on sale, and then can them up when I get a chance.

As a single man, it's very convenient for me. I frequently work very brutal hours, and have beans already canned up and ready to use means that I can still cook a fast, nutritious, scratch-made meal no matter how tired I am.

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The Mad Luddite

So, I have the canner, and I know how to use it.

I have the jars.

I have the beans.

I also have 100+ degree weather, and a DH who is threatening to put me up for adoption if I try canning right now!

So, when it cools down, this is definitely something to try!

Same problem here! Too hot for cooking anything. But in anticipation of cooler weather I bought more beans and jars today.

Per my post this was an experimental batch. Once I got the ratio of beans to water correct this was not a problem.

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Last Spring I canned dry beans....I did not soak them.......they are so very easy.

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I did a canner of beans today. The first layer (9 pints) was dry beans, salt, and water. The second layer (9 pints) was boiled for 2 minutes, soaked for an hour, then drained, salt, and water. I just took the beans out of the canner. The boiled before packing beans definitely look softer.

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Chixarecute...and tasty, too!

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I have several wonderful bean recipes (most of which were garnered right here). It is so late though, I will try to post them tomorrow. Some for canning, some for using those beans that we have canned...

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Just finished posting all of our favorite bean recipes in the Online Recipe Book since there were so many.

To use beans we have canned or purchased:

SPICY BEANS in Crockpot Recipes
BLACK BEAN SOUP in Soups and Chowders
COWBOY BEANS WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE in One-Dish Meals

Oh geez, just remembered that I forgot to post 14-Bean Soup. Will add that to Soups and Chowders.

CANNING RECIPES all posted in the canning section of the Online Recipe Book

BLACK BEAN SOUP
CHILI BEANS (similar to Brooks)
REFRIED BEANS
SAVORY PORK & BEANS
SWEET PORK & BEANS

...and to think that the only beans I had ever eaten by the time I was married was pork & beans!

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Marilyn, thanks so much for posting your recipes. I've been wanting to try your savory pork and beans since you mentioned them on the survival forum.