Canning dry beans at home is a rewarding and sustainable practice that offers quite a few benefits. While it might seem convenient to grab a can of beans from the store, there are several reasons why you should consider canning your own dry beans right in your kitchen. In this blog post, we’ll explore the advantages of this simple and cost-effective method, from better taste to reduced waste, and why it’s an excellent addition to your culinary arsenal.
When you can your own dry beans, you’re in control of the cooking process, ensuring they are perfectly cooked. This results in beans that taste fresher and more flavorful than many store-bought canned alternatives.
Buying dry beans in bulk and canning them at home can significantly reduce your grocery expenses. You’ll be amazed at the savings when you compare the cost of a bag of dried beans to pre-canned options.
I did the math. The cheapest price I could find in my area for a can of black beans was $0.82. This is the Walmart great value brand. For the dried black beans, 1 pound was $1.48. One pound of dry beans is 6 cups cooked. If you can 1 pint of black beans at home, the cost of the lid plus beans is $0.44. That’s an 86% price difference.
The price also goes down for home canned beans when you buy dried beans in bulk because you pay less per pound for bulk vs the small bags. I get 25lbs of dried beans for $0.92 per pound. at this price it ends up being $0.38 per jar, making the pre-canned beans 115% more expensive.
Home canning allows you to customize your beans to suit your taste. You can experiment with different seasonings, spices, and even can various types of beans together for a unique flavor profile.
I love making jars of Black/Kidney/Pinto beans to have ready for chili. I also do a mix of Great Northern, Navy and Cannellini for white chicken chili.
Canning at home allows you to avoid the excess sodium and preservatives often found in commercial canned beans. You have control over the ingredients, ensuring a healthier option for you and your family.
Canning your own beans reduces your reliance on single-use cans and minimizes your environmental footprint. It’s a sustainable practice that reduces waste and is kinder to the planet. Once you have the jars, the only thing you have to get, besides the beans are lids. You can cut down on single use lids even further by using reusable lids like Tattler. I have been slowly changing out my lids to tattler. It takes a while when you can 400+ jars a year.
Canned beans stored at home are readily available for your recipes. No need to run to the store when you can easily access your own home-canned beans.
Properly canned dry beans have a long shelf life, ensuring that you always have a pantry staple on hand for any meal or emergency. Most home-canned foods, if properly sealed last around 18 months. I have personally had home-canned food that was almost 3 years old. It was totally safe and tasted fine. The nutritional profile was less than when first canned but was still edible. Trust your gut when it comes to eating home-canned food. If it smells off, has any visible mold, or the seal has obviously failed, DO NOT EAT IT.
Canning is a valuable life skill that connects you to traditional food preservation techniques. It empowers you to take control of what you eat and how you prepare it.
In order to safely can your own beans you will need to use a pressure canner. All low-acid foods need to be pressure canned in order to kill harmful bacteria such as clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism. I know that sounds a bit scary but as long as you follow a tested recipe, home canning is perfectly safe.
I know there are a group of canners who call themselves “Rebel Canners” and don’t always follow up-to-date guidelines on canning. I will never give advice that doesn’t follow safe canning practices. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to follow the guidelines to home-can food safely.
Yes, I know the majority of botulism cases in the USA come from honey in infants, and yes I know other countries have different canning guidelines. But I will say here in the USA, our universities have done extensive testing on home preservation methods in order to make sure we have the safest information available. If you are ever confused or concerned about a recipe, I suggest you contact your local University Extension Office. They will answer any questions you have. I know I have called several times for clarification on specific parts of recipes. In my opinion, it is better to take 5 minutes out of your day to call and clarify than risk someone in my family getting severely ill or possibly dying from improperly canned food.
Canner Pressure Based on Altitude
What do I need in order to pressure can foods?
Pressure Canner: A classic pressure canner like this Presto or an electric pressure canner. As far as I am aware the Presto is the only canner okay to use on an electric cooktop. You can use it on a gas stove too. The electric canner is super easy to use and has a waterbath canning mode along with the pressure canning mode. You can not water bath quart jars in it but you can water bath anything smaller.
Canning Accessories: You’ll need the accessory kit. It has a headspace measurer, tongs to remove jars, and a funnel. I got this ball set years ago as a present from my parents.
Mason Jars and Lids: I personally can beans in pint jars just because that is the amount we will use for most meals. I do can chili beans in quart jars so pick the size that works best for your family. Before ordering online, check your local stores for jars. When I lived in Colorado, jars were roughly the same price as the online price. Here in Northeast Ohio, the jars are 50% less if I go into the store. If you plan on canning a lot, look into jars in the off-season, meaning wintertime. Jars go on sale for really good prices during this time.
1/3 cup of dried beans is equal to 1 cup of cooked beans.
Pint Jar: 2/3 Cup Dried Beans
Quart Jar: 1 1/3 Cups Dried Beans
These amounts will give you a full jar with the right amount of headspace in the jar.
Salt is optional when canning. Make sure you are using a salt that does not have iodine or any other additives in it. Pure sea salt is fine or you can get specific canning salts. I use Redmond Real Salt because it works for canning, fermenting, cooking, and as a table salt. I do not need to add figuring out what kind of salt to use to my long list of stuff I do every day.
Pint Jar: 1/2 teaspoon
Quart Jar: 1 teaspoon
These amounts will give you a full jar with the right amount of headspace in the jar.
The easiest way I have found to home-can beans is the overnight soak method.
The night before you are going to can up your beans, pull out the size jars you are going to fill, then add the amount of beans according to the ratios above. Make sure to sort out any rocks and broken beans before filling the jars. Fill the jars up to the neck with water and leave on your counter overnight.
The next day dump the water out of each jar. Fill the jar up again and rinse the beans. I do this until the water runs pretty clear. For me, this takes about 3 times for black beans and twice for every other variety.
Then fill your jars up with water. Leave 1-inch headspace.
Processing time for Beans:
Pints: 75 Min
Quarts: 90 Min
There isn’t really a true no soak method. The closest, safest recipe is through The National Center For Home Food Preservation.
They say to quickly rehydrate beans, cover the sorted and washed beans with boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Remove them from heat and let them sit for 1 hour then drain. Then fill your jars with beans and water leaving 1 inch headspace. Processing Times are the same as above.
Unrinsed Beans
Rinsed Beans
The white cloudiness is totally normal. It is starch from the beans when canning. The amount of cloudiness will go down if you rinse the beans really well.
The recipe in this book says to process pints for 40 minutes and quarts for 50 minutes. This is only for fresh beans not dried. Do not make the same mistake I did by following there recipe if using dried beans. It is a waste of time, food and lids.
Canning your own dry beans at home is a cost-effective, flavorful, and sustainable choice that offers a range of advantages. By taking control of your bean supply, you not only enjoy fresher, healthier, and more customizable ingredients for your dishes but also contribute to reducing waste and environmental impact. Give home canning a try and savor the difference it makes in your culinary journey. Your taste buds, your wallet, and the planet will thank you.
