Canning dried beans.

[Just Cliff]

Sorry. I know this has been covered before but, tell me about canning dried beans. Pints and quarts. How many beans per jar and how long?
I have been canning for many years and never done dried beans.
Thanks

 

[snappy1]

My info says 1/2 cup dried beans in pints and 1 cup dried beans in quarts. Fill with water. PC 75 minutes pints and 90 minutes quarts. That being said, I have had a few times where the beans (kidney) weren't quite done. I will try soaking first next time I do some. Most seem to turn out fine with no soaking. Good luck!

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Kidney beans need to be presoaked and rinsed to remove toxins. All other beans, what snappy said.

 

[LadyLocust]

My info says 1/2 cup dried beans in pints and 1 cup dried beans in quarts. Fill with water. PC 75 minutes pints and 90 minutes quarts. That being said, I have had a few times where the beans (kidney) weren't quite done. I will try soaking first next time I do some. Most seem to turn out fine with no soaking. Good luck!

That seems amazing to me - I do pints usually. Like you 1/2 c. but also add 1/2 tsp salt then water & process for 20 min. I realize that's less time than recommended, but that's how I learned and have never had any problems so that's what I do. I've not had any problems with uncooked beans. They do have to be rinsed before using due to the oil but that's normal with all beans.

 

[phideaux]

We soak , overnite, all dried beans before canning

Jim

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

That is the approved way. I personally don't like the mushy texture. It's much worse if you follow the soak, cook, can method. Catfood.

 

[UrbanHunter]

We just soak overnight, rinse, and then can, if the beans are old we may soak a little longer to make sure they are fully expanded.

 

[phideaux]

@ClemKadiddlehopper , we only soak overnite , do not cook them.

Ours don't turn out mushy. Although I do like beans of any kind ,red,white ,Lima , or peas , very soft , not hard , like undone.

Jim

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

That's just it. When starting out, try it both ways then pick the results you like best. Contrary to the canning gods, no one is going keel over either way.

 

[Tootsie]

If it’s any help if you’re trying to calculate how many beans/how many jars, directions call for one inch of head space. You could guesstimate by pouring some dry beans into a jar beforehand to get an idea. They will expand after soaking and prepping, but it could give you an idea.
Here’s a recipe to share from Jackie Clay’s Growing And Canning Your Own Food. I used beans that were probably close to 15 years old and they came out perfectly. Regardless if your beans are old or not, this is a great recipe.

 

[Caribou]

The soaking and rinsing is primarily to de-gas the beans.

 

[Haertig]

I thought dried beans lasted nearly forever. Why do you wet them and can them? Don't they keep just fine in the dried state?

I'm asking for my own knowledge growth. I'm not into canning personally.

 

[Bacpacker]

They do keep, and I'm not sure how to state it, but get to the point they ust don't cook down soft. I wonder if soaking then canning would help with old beans?

 

[Haertig]

Or vacuum sealing them (dry) in heavy plastic bags maybe.

 

[phideaux]

I thought dried beans lasted nearly forever. Why do you wet them and can them? Don't they keep just fine in the dried state?

I'm asking for my own knowledge growth. I'm not into canning personally.

If you decided to have Lima beans for supper this evening.
Would you rather take the time (lengthy) to cook .
Or

Pour out of a jar , warm them and enjoy almost immediately.
Also , I don't know for sure , but I'm more inclined to believe the canned beans will hold up better and longer than any other method.

My 2 cents.

Jim

 

[Tootsie]

Dry beans will last like forever, if properly stored. If I need beans, it’s just as easy to prepare 7 jars as it is 1, same work and energy used. And, as Phideaux says canned beans are ready to eat right now. Not hours.

 

[Weedygarden]

I thought dried beans lasted nearly forever. Why do you wet them and can them? Don't they keep just fine in the dried state?

I'm asking for my own knowledge growth. I'm not into canning personally.

I have many dry beans. But when I cook up a pot of something with beans, such as soup, I reach for my canned beans. Having some beans canned up helps with preparedness in that they are ready to use, won't require lots of cooking, when fuel might be limited, and take little time. I have a couple friends who cook up big pots of beans and then freeze them in cooking sizes.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Canned beans will turn into packed mush after a year or so. Stick with dry beans for the long haul. The canned beans as stated by Phideaux, are for a quick supper.

The intermediate option is to use a pressure cooker; not instant like a jar, or a couple hours like dry beans.

The other reason for canning beans is keeping the better half from trashing the kitchen and my storage or from living off of boiled eggs and candy when I am off doing other stuff.

 

[LadyLocust]

I thought dried beans lasted nearly forever. Why do you wet them and can them? Don't they keep just fine in the dried state?

I'm asking for my own knowledge growth. I'm not into canning personally.

I just do about half doz. jars but keep most in dry form. If I want to make chili or something quickly, they are ready to go in the pot & just need heating up.

 

[UrbanHunter]

We have been using and storing dry beans for a very long time, the time in storage got longer as the children left the nest. During the first months of the Wu-Flu we decided to eat down the old beans (I'm talking decade old) and using the rinse and cook in a quick pot method, gave us some very nice rocks, almost editable... We were able to eat them after canning, just barely. Once we ate them down and got re-supplied we decided to always keep a batch up to 7 jars of pinto and kidney beans. This is to keep us using the dry beans so they don't get old enough to become rocks.....

Last summer we added lentils and split pea + a half dozen other things to the canning list and it is working for us...

Now we keep about 2 years supply of dry beans and can them as we need them, this allows us to avoid the grocery store canned bean isle....

 

[Just Cliff]

Thank you for the replies.
I have about 40 lbs of beans to do so it'll keep me busy for a couple of days.
Strange thing. I have been making beans for 40 years or so with no troubles. In the last year, I have had some issues with beans not wanting to get done. Every 3 or 4 pots they don't want to get soft. I have tried different water, well water, bottled water, city water and nothing seems to effect it. I am thinking that the sellers of said beans are getting rid of some of their old inventory. I will go ahead and can all of them and it really wont matter because if they are a little hard coming out of the jar, I can just pressure cook them on 15 lbs and that should take care of it.
I may can some in tin cans. I do have all the equipment to can in tin cans but have not done it in a couple years. I have never done beans in them so that may be interesting.

 

[Caribou]

I haven't been able to get cans in decades, except #10's. Where do you get your cans. The canneries here quit selling cans to the public due to legal concerns.

 

[Just Cliff]

I haven't been able to get cans in decades, except #10's. Where do you get your cans. The canneries here quit selling cans to the public due to legal concerns.

https://www.berlinpackaging.com/open-top-cans/

 

[jazzy]

i basically follow snappys info but i soak the beans in water in the quart jars overnight. in AM i drain that water and put in fresh plus a bit of salt and then pressure can. i can mostly big beans like kidney or garbanzo or fat limas. turned out pretty good once i started soaking overnightt.

this is what i follow for quarts

small beans - 45 min
med beans - 60 min
large beans - 90 min

 

[JustMe]

I do the same as Snappy and have a few different types of beans canned. Some with ham for a canned ham & bean soup, ready to heat up. Some to add to chili, but the one I use the most is pintos for refried beans. Just heat them up, add a bit of seasoning and mash. I like refries some as mush and some whole(ish) beans and home canned allows for that. You can add the seasoning to the jar when you can it and would probably import the flavor better, but I haven't done that yet. Always worried any seasoning would become too strong during canning & storage.


I've also canned ham & split pea soup that way too, though it came out of the canner as a solid mass. Still good though, just a condensed version

 

[Terri9630]

I have a few jars of every type of bean hubby likes ready in the pantry. I don't store more than 2 years worth because we grow them.

 

[Caribou]

https://www.berlinpackaging.com/open-top-cans/

Thanks Cliff! A case is $436, contains 306 cans, and works out to #1.42 each plus freight. OUCH! I'm glad to know they are available but I don't think I'll ever be able to use my can sealer again. We used to be able to buy cans by the dozen here from the salmon canneries.

I like the idea of being able to buy the easy open lids. Right now I have plenty of jars and enough Tattler lids to get me through to the Second Coming. My trial is to get a garden going.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a few jars of every type of bean hubby likes ready in the pantry. I don't store more than 2 years worth because we grow them.

What kinds of beans do you grow? Pintos would be classic in New Mexico, but there are other kinds of beans that are grown there. How many do you think you grow each year? Do you hand plant and harvest, or do you have equipment for growing them? I will understand if you don't want to answer these questions.

One of my cousins has neighbors plant and harvest for him, for a share of his crops, I believe.

 

[catsraven]

I use the quick soak method. In an hour you can can the beans

 

[JustMe]

What kinds of beans do you grow? Pintos would be classic in New Mexico, but there are other kinds of beans that are grown there. How many do you think you grow each year? Do you hand plant and harvest, or do you have equipment for growing them? I will understand if you don't want to answer these questions.

One of my cousins has neighbors plant and harvest for him, for a share of his crops, I believe.

I grew pintos last year, about 20ft row. I got the seeds from a store bought bag and tested for germination. They sprouted, so I planted them. They grew about 5 or 6ft high, and I picked a few as green beans to give them a boost for more, and harvest about a gallon or so of the dried beans.

I've also done that with butterscotch beans from a bag of mixed soup beans.