***I know this is a VERY long post but I was asked to show how to do it for beginners.***Na Na How to Make Homemade Canned Dried Beans and Peas (from Lima Beans, Pinto Beans, Kidney Beans, Snap Beans, Pole Beans, Runner Beans, Cowpeas, Chickpeas, Peas, etc.) Kidney, navy and other varieties of dried beans are good candidates for canning or storage. Of course, you can store the dried, too, but some people prefer them canned. In your own home garden, leave the beans on the vine to mature. They will dry naturally. In canning the dried beans, there is a key tip: Water plays an important part in the final quality of canned beans. The harder the water used for soaking and blanching, the harder and firmer the finished beans. Also, excessive alkalinity will cause the beans to disintegrate somewhat, becoming soft and mushy. However, this will not be seen until after canning them. theres not much you can do about this, but try to avoid softened water. The only other trick is, you really do need a pressure canner. Every university food science department and the government will tell you that it just is not safe to use the water bath bath method; it takes the higher temperatures of the pressure canner to kill the botulism bacteria. See this FAQ for details: Can I use a water-bath canner instead of a pressure canner for low acid foods like green beans? BUT, with a pressure canner its easy. And although a pressure canner costs $100 to $200 they last a lifetime, and your children and grandchildren may be using it. Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of about 12 months, and aside from storing in a cool, dark place, require no special attention. Directions for Making Canned Dried Beans and Peas Ingredients and Equipment Dried Beans or Peas (see step 1) Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars) Jar funnel At least 1 large pot Large spoons and ladles Ball jars Salt (optional - I dont use any) 1. Pressure Canner (a large pressure pot with a lifting rack to sanitize the jars after filling. For low acid foods (most vegetables, you cant use an open water bath canner, it has to be a pressure canner to get the high temperatures to kill the bacteria. If you plan on canning every year, theyre worth the investment. Recipe and Directions Step 1 - Selecting the dried beans or peas The most important step! You need dried beans that are FRESH - not old to begin with! Remove and discard any soft, diseased or spotted beans. How many dried beans or peas and where to get them You can grow your own, pick your own, or buy them at the grocery store. About 5 pounds of beans makes 7 quart jars; or 3-1/4 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints – an average of 3/4 of a pound per quart. A bushel, which produces anywhere from 13 to 20 quarts, weighs 30 pounds. Step 2 - Prepare the jars and pressure canner Wash the jars and lids This is a good time to get the jars ready! The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a sanitize cycle. Otherwise put the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. I just put the lids in a small pot of almost boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic lid lifter wand (available from target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) to pull them out. Get a large pot of water boiling We will use this water to pour over the beans and fill each jar with liquid, after weve packed them full of beans. I use the largest pot I have, so that there is plenty of clean, boiling water ready when I need it. Get the pressure canner heating up Rinse out your pressure canner, put the rack plate in the bottom, and fill it to a depth of 4 inches with hot tap water. (of course, follow the instruction that came with the canner, if they are different). Put it on the stove over low heat, with the lid OFF of it, just to get it heating up for later on. Step 3 -Wash the dried beans or peas! Im sure you can figure out how to rinse the dried beans or peas in plain cold or lukewarm water. Step 4 - Soak to Rehydrate the beans You can use one of the following methods: Method 1. Place washed dried beans or peas in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain and discard the water. Method 2. To quickly hydrate beans, you may cover washed beans with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour and drain. Discard the water. Step 5 - Heat/cook the beans Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water and boil 30 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per pint or teaspoon per quart to the jar, if desired. Save the water you cook them in! Step 6 - Packing the beans in the canning jars Fill jars with beans or peas . Pack the jars evenly, but be sure to leave 1 inch of space at the TOP of the jar. Step 8 - Pour boiling water into each packed jar Fill the space around the beans to 1 inch from the top of the jar with the water you cooked the beans in. That 1 inch space is called headspace and is needed for expansion during heading. Use a ladle or pyrex measuring cup to carefully fill each packed jar with water from pot of boiling water. The beans should be covered and there should still be 1 inch of airspace left in the top of each jar. Be careful not to burn yourself, (or anyone else - children should be kept back during this step!) Step 9 - Put the lids and rings on Put the lids on each jar and seal them by putting a ring on and screwing it down snugly (but not with all your might, just snug). Step 10 - Put the jars in the canner and the lid on the canner (but still vented) Using the jar tongs, put the jars on the rack in the canner. By now the water level has probably boiled down to 3 inches. If it is lower than that, add more hot tap water to the canner. When all the jars that the canner will hold are in, put on the lid and twist it into place, but leave the weight off (or valve open, if you have that type of pressure canner). Step 11 - Let the canner vent steam for 10 minutes Put the heat on high and let the steam escape through the vent for 10 minutes to purge the airspace inside the canner. Step 12 - Put the weight on and let the pressure build After 10 minutes of venting, put the weight on and close any openings to allow the pressure to build to 11 to 13 pounds in a dial-type gauge canner - shown in the photos (or at 10 to 15 pounds pressure in a weighted gauge canner. Step 13 - Process for the required time Once the gauge hits 11 pounds (or 10 pounds in a weighted gauge type), start your timer going - for 75 minutes for pint jars and quarts for 90 minutes. Adjust the heat, as needed, to maintain 10 pounds of pressure. Pressure required depends on the altitude where canning is being done. Note: the chart below will help you determine the right processing time and pressure, if you are above sea level. It is important to learn how to operate your pressure canner by reading the owners manual that came with your particular canner. If you cannot find your owners manual, you can obtain find one online: Here is where to find some common manufacturers manuals: Presto canner manuals or by contacting the company that made your canner. Give the model number to the manufacturer, and they will send you the right manual. Click here for more information about pressure canners and a variety of models you can order. Recommended process time for Dried Beans in a dial-gauge pressure canner. Minimum Canner Pressure (PSI) at Various Altitudes Jar Size Process Time 0 - 2,000 ft 2,001 - 4,000 ft 4,001 - 6,000 ft 6,001 - 8,000 ft Pints 75 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb 14 lb Quarts 90 11 lb 12 13 14 Step 14 - Turn off the heat and let it cool down When the processing time from the chart above is up, turn off the heat, and allow the pressure canner to cool and the pressure to drop to zero before opening the canner. Let the jars cool without being jostled. After the pressure drops to zero (usually, you can tell but the click sound of the safety release vents opening, as well as but the gauge. Let the pressure in the canner drop to zero by itself. This may take 45 minutes in a 16-quart canner filled with jars and almost an hour in a 22-quart canner. If the vent is opened before the pressure drops to zero OR if the cooling is rushed by running cold water over the canner, liquid will be lost from the jars. Too rapid cooling causes loss of liquid in the jars! Step 15 - Remove the jars Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool on a wooden cutting board or a towel, without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they wont be bumped. You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they dont rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then thats a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, its usually ok. Youre done!
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 16:19:55 +0000
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