Freak-Out-Free Pressure Canning Dry Beans

Freak-Out-Free Pressure Canning Dry Beans

Hummus, fresh from my own bottled Garbonzo beans. Can't beat that! Ready to to make your own? I'd love to help you because one of my favorite hobbies is pressure canning (and bottling) foods so dinner time is easy and yummy.

Since I can't always stand beside you when you pressure can, I'll share my trusty instructions and pretend I'm there, because if I could be, I would be. On a stool. Loving every minute of it! 

First, always read your specific pressure canner instructions and follow them. Your canner might be different than mine, so follow your canner's instructions, even though some things I'm sharing are for every type of canner.

Now, let's begin canning dry beans!

Step 1: Clean your stove top. "What?!?" you ask. Yep, clean it thoroughly because your canner will be hot for hours and invisible splatters will bake onto your stovetop. Believe me, it's no fun scrubbing it away when it's charred and black, so clean it off while it's still invisible.

I keep a supply list with my canner to make gathering supplies easy (It generally takes me about 15 minutes to clean and gather...)

Step 2: Gather supplies:

• Canner, with lid, seals, inside rack, pressure regulator
• Clean pint jars, lids, rings
• Dry Beans - any variety, or several kinds
• Salt (Canning or non-iodized)
• Funnel, lid lifter, jar lifter, water pitcher
• Timer

 

 Gasket to seal the lid. It will fit in nicely...

Step 3: Check the sealing rings if your canner has them. Some don't, but mine does. I place the big one in the slot in the lid. It's made slightly bigger but will squeeze in. The little one looks like a button in the center of the lid, and it's called the Automatic Air Vent. It's rubber with a metal plunger. When you purchase a new sealing ring the Automatic Air Vent comes in the same package. Replace them both at the same time.

 

 In the center of the lid you can see the little Automatic Air Vent. 

It looks like a little black button with a steel center. 

(Back, near the bread picture, you can see the steel Vent Pipe.)

Step 4: Look through the Vent Pipe. That's the little hollow tube about 1 1/2 inches long on the lid. If you can't see through it, clean it out with a toothpick.

1/2 cup dry beans per pint jar. I level all the beans except Garbonzo beans. I "round" them over the measuring cup. If not, my jars look a little skimpy rather than full, and who wants to feel cheated? Not me! Especially after sacrificing so much time canning them. (Other beans look full using 1/2 cup.)

Step 5: Fill each pint jars using 1/2 cup dry beans. (When using black, pinto, navy, great northern, small white beans, etc., I use a level 1/2 cup measurement. They are smaller beans with elongated shapes and have less water around them in the jar. When bottling Garbonzo beans I round over the 1/2 cup, but I don't heap or mound them.)

Using a funnel keeps beans from bouncing across the countertop and onto the floor. I pour the beans into a large bowl and scoop them up. It's easier than pouring from a bag or trying to scoop from a bag.

I pour salt into a bowl to easily measure it.

Step 6: Add 1/2 tsp. salt. Use canning salt or non-iodized salt.

 

With Garbonzo beans the salt filters to the bottom and is hard to see. If you're unsure if you've added salt to a jar look at the bottom. These jars were hot from the dishwasher and still wet inside so the salt sparkles. So pretty!

 Step 7: Add hot water, leaving 1-inch head-space.

 

1-inch headspace is up to the neck. The beans need room to expand, so don't fill it fuller. Use a magnetic lid lifter to pull lids from a pan of hot water where the seals have softened. Add rings and they're ready to go into the canner.

 

Step 8: Add warm lids and rings. I should have mentioned this earlier, and you probably already know this, but put a pan of hot water on the stove when you gather your equipment and place your lids in it. Keep them warm until you use them. But if you haven't done it already, don't fret. It only takes about 2 minutes to heat lids. They don't have to boil, in fact, it's better if they don't. Okay, on we go.... Screw the rings on "finger-tight." That's not so loose your toddler can remove it, or so loose a rocking jar in boiling water can work it off, but not so tight there won't be any air exchange during canning. If you're unsure what finger-tight means or feels like, put on a ring and take it off a few times to get the feel of it.

3 quarts of water doesn't seem like much, but that's all it takes. 

This isn't water-bath canning. The canning rack has holes in it and keeps the jars from sitting on the hot bottom.

Step 9: Place the canner on the stove, add 3 quarts of hot water, and turn to low. Place canning rack in the bottom.

You don't want jars toppling over in the canner. If you have a big space where bottles might tip over you can either fill it with a jar filled with water that you don't seal with an old lid and ring on it, or add a jar filled with a different variety of bean, or fill the gap with several old canning rings wedged in to hold the jars upright.

Step 10: Place a layer of pint jars in the bottom on the rack. If your canner has space for another layer of jars, stack them directly on top of the bottom layer. (If you're not sure about a second layer, place empty jars with lids and rings on them in the bottom, and a second layer of empty jars with lids and rings on top of them. If the lid closes you can stack jars. This is also a good way to find out how many jars your canner will hold before you ever use it.) If you only want to can 1 layer, that's fine too, but why not double the amount of jars?

The arrow shows my canner is closed.

Step 11: Place the lid on the canner. Mine has an arrow pointing downward etched in the lid, and "Open" and "Closed" etched in the canner. My lid will only fit on correctly with the arrow pointing to "Open." Twist your lid until the arrow points to "Closed." When closed the handles on my lid line up in the center of the handles on the canner. (If you have an All American canner with wing nuts holding the lid on, read your instructions on closing and sealing your canner.)

Step 12: Bring up the heat inside the canner by turning your burner to medium. I set the timer for 10 minutes. This lets the beans and water heat up before I turn the burner to high.

I tried to take a better photo of the steady flow of steam from the Vent Pipe, but this was the best one. Look closely on the left side of the bread picture to see steam.

Step 13: Turn the burner to high after 10 minutes. Don't walk away from your canner at this point! You want a steady flow of steam escaping from the Vent Pipe. Once it's steady begin timing it for 7-10 minutes. (A steady flow is not a putt-putt of steam, and not a hissing-the-lid-off flow. It is just steady. You may need to turn the burner down a notch if the flow is too violent. Just keep it steady, not puff-puffing.) Getting to that steady flow may take 10 - 20 minute, so don't fret. But still, don't walk away, either. You've got to pay attention to the steam flow and the time.

The pressure regulator is covering the bread in the photo behind it. I placed it on the Vent Pipe after venting steam for 10 minutes. That is fun. Don't be afraid of it. Just walk over, set the Pressure Regulator on and then high-five yourself!

Step 14: Place the Pressure Regulator on the Vent Pipe. (I have a Presto canner and the Pressure Regulator is a little silver thing with a black top.) 

Notice the little Automatic Air Vent in the center of the lid. The little steel button has risen, sealing the lid. That always makes me smile.

Step 15: The steel button in the Automatic Air Vent should have risen and sealed the lid the last minute or two of venting steam, or when you put the Pressure Regulator on. If it hasn't risen, lightly  touch it with the edge of a spoon and it should pop up. (Air or steam shouldn't seep around the lid or the Automatic Air Vent.)

I turn my canner sideways because the space under the microwave is so tight. You can see the pressure is beginning to rise.
Step 16: Watch the pressure rise on your Pressure Gauge. I live at over 4000 feet elevation so I pressure can at 15 lbs. Check your elevation and the pounds you should use. The pounds of pressure you can at are determined by your elevation. (It generally takes my canner about 10 - 20 minutes to get up to 15 lbs. pressure.) The amount of time you pressure cook food is determined by the food, and always remains the same no matter the pounds of pressure. 

The pressure has reached 15 lbs. and I've begun timing this batch!

Step 17: Once your canner reaches the right pressure, start timing. Dry beans take 75 minutes, no matter what pounds you're canning at. Don't reduce the time, but be aware that if you wander off and come back 10 minutes later and your pressure has dropped below the correct pounds, then you need to get the pressure back up, and once you reach it again, start timing all over for a full 75 minutes. Fluctuating pressure and too low pressure is unsafe because of microorganisms. (Always check the amount of time to use when canning in quart jars. Usually if you're timing for 75 minutes for pint jars it will be 90 minutes for quarts, but check first. For beans I've heard the quality is better when using pint jars.)

Stay in the kitchen and keep your eye on the pressure. It's a great time to tidy up. I keep a box waiting for empty canning jars in my pantry. I emptied 2 just for this batch and have a few empties left over. I'll stack a 2nd box on top of this one when it's full. When 2 boxes are full I store them with my canning supplies and start filling another box. Pressure canning isn't like bottling fruit--I don't have to wait for something to come in season. I bottle all year long.

Step 18: Enjoy a chair near the stove because you'll need to stay nearby for the next 75 minutes. Once you reach pressure and start timing you'll turn down the heat in increments to hold the pressure at the correct pounds. Turning the burner down may take as long as 15-20 minutes before it holds steady for the remaining time, however, sometimes my stove has acted fussy and I've adjusted every few minutes the entire time. (Yes, bathroom stops are allowed, but make sure you hurry back.)

Actually, I took this freak-out photo on one of those days when the little Grands were pushing my buttons and I needed a psychological release. We snapped silly photos until things were back under control. I had no canning problems today, and don't expect them.

Step 19: Don't freak out. Water may condense beneath the Pressure Regulator and drip onto the lid where it splatters and hisses. That's normal, so don't freak out. The bottles inside are sitting in boiling water and will rock and rumble. That's not a problem, so don't freak out! (Remember, you packed your canner so they can't.) If the pressure goes up to 20 pounds or more you'll hear angry hissing and sputtering. Okay, now you have permission to freak out, but not until after you turn the burner down. Don't freak out, but turn it down! But, also stick around and watch as the pressure drops to where it should be. That means you can't hide out in the garage in your car biting your fingernails and waiting to dial 9-1-1. Once it gets back to the correct pounds, maintain it. Can you see why you can't walk away from the canner for more than a minute or two? I promise you don't want to freak out, so just relax and hang out with your canner like it's your best friend, because it is!  

After turning the burner off I walked into the garage and brushed the first coat of paint on this little wooden box. Now is a good time for me to advise you to not use rusty canning rings for canning. Mine used to go into the recycle bin, but I've found a new use: as spacers between my painting projects and the drop cloth. I keep a bunch of rusty rings in my craft box.

 Step 19: After 75 minutes turn off the heat and walk away. You are free! Your kitchen should be clean by now, all your emails read, you're caught up on Pinterest and FaceBook and paid the bills. The pressure needs to drop naturally, so don't rush it. (Trying to rush it might be why there are old stories of Grandma blowing up the house.) It takes my canner about 1 hour to reach zero pressure. If you're canning late at night, go to bed. You can open the canner in the morning.

Step 20: Remove the Pressure Regulator after the pounds are at zero and the little steel button in the Automatic Air Vent drops down. If the pressure is at zero and the steel button is up, wait a few minutes. If it hasn't dropped, lightly tap it with a spoon. If it drops, take off the Pressure Regulator. If it doesn't drop, wait a few more minutes and repeat. 

Step 21: Once the Automatic Air Vent button is down and the pressure regulator is off, wait 10 minutes for the canner to cool, then lift the lid so escaping steam won't burn you. Remove jars to a waiting towel on the countertop. (I double or triple the layers.)

How pretty! And worth every minute!

Step 22: Allow jars to cool 24 hours (or overnight) before washing them. Remove the rings and wash them separately, allow them to dry and store them separaately. Don't put the rings back on the jars.

All of these jars sealed!

You'll hear the jar lids pinging as the pressure in the jars change. The lid will go from convex to concave in the center. Always check the seal by pressing in the center of the jar before opening it. If it's bulging outward the seal is broken. Throw out the food. If you press the center and it goes in and springs out again, the seal is broken. Don't eat unsealed food! If you press the center and it's in and stays in, yay! your jar is sealed. Open it and enjoy!

Step 23: Label jar lids. I use a sharpie and put the product and date. (Garbonzo beans; 2/26/15) Don't ever expect yourself to remember when you bottled something, and believe it or not, some things look similar in jars. Save yourself from surprises and guessing.

Step 24: Store the jars where you can easily pull one out to use. The key word is use. Like I did today. I made hummus while a new batch of jars sat in their hot pressure bath and it snowed outside. So yummy!

Quick note about Garbonzo beans: They come out of the canner basking in a clear golden liquid. After cooling and sitting the liquid begins to solidify and thicken. Don't fret. I drained the liquid from one jar, and partially from a second jar when I made hummus today. I saved the liquid in case I needed some for thinning, but it was perfect without adding any more. 

Enjoy!

*I check beans for rocks, dirt clods or yucky looking beans before I place them in a jar. I don't rinse them.

*I've bottled several different kinds of beans in one batch: black beans, garbonzo, pinto and kidney beans.

*I don't precook my beans. I've never had a jar not seal or one explode or had any problems with them. Beans expand--just look at the before and after pictures. Make sure you have 1-inch head space in the jar and water. Please, no more than 1/2 cup per pint (except Garbonzo) Yes, that 1/2 cup is exact or slightly less on other varieties.

*I've been told bottled beans without salt are yucky. I don't want yucky beans so I always use salt.

*I've been told iodized salt makes liquids in bottled foods look cloudy, and sometimes it looks unappetizing. That can lead to tossing out the food thinking it has spoiled when it hasn't. If  you use iodized salt please be aware of that and don't throw your investment away.

*I've heard there are anti-caking agents added to salt, both iodized and non-iodized, and those may also cause clouding. True canning salt supposedly doesn't have anti-caking agents, but I can't find it in stores anymore and haven't found any online.

*Iodine is important in the diet, but I don't worry about it with my canned foods because our family uses iodized table salt and I'm fairly certain we aren't lacking.

*I have no idea if french fries, chips and processed foods contain iodized salt. I doubt it. Why would they want a creepy looking cloud or color? 

*If a jar is cloudy looking check the seal first. You should already know what type of salt you've used, so also be aware of that. If seal has been compromised the cloudiness could kill you if consumed. (Think botulism.) Throw it away in the jar--don't open it and sniff--and wash your hands in hot water with soap. (Don't google how to wash your hands and spread the microbes.)


*I definitely don't know it all or have all the answers, but I've read a ton of material about canning and how to do it safely, may know the answer, so if you have a question, please ask. There are also professional experts you can ask.

*Some of the basics of preserving food include temperature, pressure, acid, sugar, salt and lack of oxygen. It's good to know which foods can be successfully and safely canned by which methods.

*Don't freak out. Get the facts, do it correctly, and enjoy your investment.