Commercially canned food often contains trace amounts of BPA and other chemicals that are used to manufacture the actual cans themselves. BPA, a chemical that can affect certain hormones and may potentially increase blood pressure, cancer risk, and lead to behavioral issues. A 2016 Johns Hopkins study found that people who ate just one canned food item in a day saw increased urinary concentrations of BPA by 24 percent compared with consuming no canned foods; two or more cans of food increased BPA concentrations by 54 percent. This is not something I want my children eating on a daily basis.
With our concerns for the safety of canned beans and the price of the cans themselves, (on sale I am able to pick up a large can of refried beans for about $2.50), we decided the solution was to buy dried beans and make a large pot weekly. Dried beans cost approximately $1 per lb for pinto beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans being a little more per lb. This worked well except we always wasted beans or ran short and would still open a can of beans. I found it hard to estimate the right amount of beans we would eat in a week. I am a big fan of canning, nothing is quite as satisfying as filling your shelves with food you preserved, so I set about finding the right recipe for canned beans that would suit my family best.
Pressure Canned Beans
Learn how to can beans without soaking them. This recipe makes 16 pints of beans or 8 quarts of beans.
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Black Beans
- 2 Gallons Water Boiling
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
Instructions
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Check jars, lids, and bands for good condition. Jars with nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges may prevent sealing or cause jar breakage. The underside of lids should not have scratches or be uneven or have incomplete sealing compound as this may prevent sealing.
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Fill a stock pot with water (or broth) and bring to a boil.
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Rinse your beans under cold water and pick out any shriveled beans, sticks or stones that may have been mixed in with beans.
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Wash and sterilize your canning jars, and bands in hot, soapy water, rinse well. After washing I place the jars in the oven for a half an hour at 225°f. You may also use a dishwasher to wash and heat jars. Keep jars hot until ready for use. Keeping jars hot prevents them from breaking when hot food is added. Leave the bands at room temperature for easy handling.
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Fill the pressure canner with 2 to 3 inches of water. Place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Keep water at a simmer until hot jars are filled and placed in the canner. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for usage instructions. Fill a small pan halfway with water, place new canning lids in the water and heat to a simmer. New lids do not require heating before they are placed on the jars, but I still heat my lids.
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Fill each hot pint jar with 1/2 or for drier beans a scant 2/3 cup of beans. Add salt and cumin.
If using Quart Jars add 1-cup of beans per jar and double the salt and cumin (do not use any more beans than that or your beans will be too dry).
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Add the hot water but leave 1-inch space for headroom, using a butter knife or chopstick slowly mix the beans to remove any air bubbles.
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Clean rim, and threads of the mason jar using a clean, damp cloth or paper towels to remove any food residue or oils. Using a magnetic lid lifer, center the hot lid on jar allowing the sealing compound to come in contact with the jar rim. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place filled jars in canner until the canner is full. Check that water level is about 2 to 3 inches high or that recommended in manufacturer’s manual.
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Lock the pressure canner lid in place. Adjust heat to medium-high. Close vent using weight or method described for your canner. Gradually adjust heat to achieve and maintain the recommended pounds of pressure.
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Process beans for 75 minutes at 10lbs of pressure, and 90 minutes for quart jars. This is for sea level, so adjust your psi for your altitude ( image above).
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Cool pressure canner by removing from heat. Do not remove the weighted gauge. Let canner stand undisturbed until pressure returns to zero naturally. Follow manufacturer’s instructions. Wait 10 minutes. unlock lid, tilting away from yourself to allow the steam to escape.
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Remove jars from pressure canner with a jar lifter and set upright on a butcher block or cooling rack to prevent jar breakage that can occur from temperature differences. Leave jars undisturbed for 12 hours. Bands should not be retightened as this may interfere with the sealing process.
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Check lids for seals. Lids should not flex up and down when the center is pressed. Remove bands. Try to lift lids off with your fingertips. If the lid cannot be lifted off, the lid has a good seal. If a lid does not seal within 12 hours, the product can be immediately refrigerated. Label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year.
According to the National Center for Home Preservation dry canning beans is not acceptable. BUT… I have used the official specified method and my beans are very mushy and compact tightly in the bottom of the jar. Below is the official method of canning beans if you would like to try it. I would not ever use this method for canning black beans though, black beans have a much shorter cooking time than many other beans and the consistency turns to mush when they are pre-cooked before pressure canning.
Procedure: Place dried beans or peas in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain water. To quickly hydrate beans, you may cover sorted and washed beans with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour and drain. Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water and boil 30 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with beans or peas and cooking water, leaving 1-inch headspace.
