How to Can Dried Beans

Step 1

Soak The Beans

Step 2

Overnight soak method:Sort through dried beans, removing any stones or damaged beans. Place the sorted beans into a large bowl and cover them with cool water reaching two inches above their surface.

Step 4

Soak beans for 12-18 hours in a cool space, drain soaking water and rinse.

Step 6

Quick soak method:Sort through dried beans, removing any stones or damaged beans. Place beans in a large pot and cover them with boiling water. Cover pot and boil for two minutes.

Step 8

Remove from pot from heat, continue soaking beans for one hour. Drain soaking water and rinse.

Step 10

Pre-cook Beans

Step 11

Place beans in a large stockpot with fresh water. Bring water to boil over high heat, boil beans for 30 minutes.

Step 13

Bring an additional pot of water to boil over high heat to ensure you have enough liquid to top off your jars when packing.

Step 15

While beans are cooking, prepare jars, lids and pressure canner according to manufacturer's instructions.

Step 17

Pack Jars

Step 18

Hot pack prepared jars with beans, top with hot liquid leaving a generous one inch of headspace.

Step 20

If using salt, add 1 teaspoon of salt to quarts, 1/2 teaspoon salt to pints.

Step 22

Remove air bubbles with air bubble remover and check for proper headspace, adjusting as necessary.

Step 24

Wipe jar rim with a clean towel. Center lid, tighten screw band just to finger tight and place jars back into canner with a jar lifter.

Step 26

Place lid on pressure canner and allow canner to vent for ten minutes, place weight on and bring canner up to pressure (see notes).

Step 28

Process pints for 75 minutes, quarts for 90 minutes.

Step 30

Turn off heat and allow canner to naturally return to zero pressure before removing lid and unloading canner.

Step 32

Allow jars to sit, undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours before checking for proper seals.