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Canning dried beans...Can the Ball Blue Book be right on this?


GinnyB

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Now that I've pressure canned salsa, tomato sauce, beef in sauce, seasoned hamburger, chicken cubes, and pork cubes, and water bathed a few jams and a lot of apples (well, a lot by my city standards!), I'd like to try pressure canning some pinto, white, and red kidney beans (or something more exotic like cranberry beans if I can find them). I checked my 2006 Ball Blue Book, page 64. It says to use two and one-quarter pounds of dried beans or peas per quart.

This sounds like way TOO many beans per quart to me, but I've never done beans before so maybe this is correct. Also, directions call to soak the beans for 12 to 18 hours, drain, and then boil in fresh water for 30 minutes before filling jars. One cooking site I read said this made for mushy beans.

 

I know the experts here have pressured canned dried beans. What's your experience?

 

Thanks, Ginny

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Beans, dried Navy or Baby Limas - 2 1/3 cups per pound (6c cooked)

Beans, dried Kidney = 1 1/2 cups per pound (6c.cooked)

http://www.barryfarm.com/How_tos/how_many_..._a_pound_of.htm

 

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I put one cup of dry beans in a qt jar and fill with water to within 1/2 inch. Let soak over night in the jar. Then I loosen the beans up so they aren't packed in the bottom of the jar (I use a plate knife) add a tsp of salt and 2 tablespoons of dried onion and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Put lid on and pressure can 10 pounds for 90 minutes. You can omit the seasonings if you prefer.

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Trish, you don't cook the beans first? That sounds like a recipe I'd like to try. The only failure I ever had in canning was my soup beans. I only tried it once but all 8 of my quarts didn't last. I cooked the beans first.

 

After a couple of months the lids popped and the smell was awful. Evidently, they fermented in the jars. I might have packed them too tightly.

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Dried beans should be hot before they are packed into the jars for safety. When something says hot pack, that is how it should be done. If it says either hot or raw pack, then it doesn't matter, but dried beans are packed hot.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_04/beans_peas_shelled.html

Beans or Peas - Shelled, Dried: All Varieties

Quantity: An average of 5 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 3¼ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints--an average of 3/4 pounds per quart.

 

Quality: Select mature, dry seeds. Sort out and discard discolored seeds.

 

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.

 

Pints 75 min. quarts 90 min. in a pressure canner. Use 11 lb. dial gauge, 10 lb. weighted, unless you need to increase for atltitude.

 

* I find the 30 min. cooking time makes them softer than I like.

Also, this is from USDA and says it takes 5 lb. for 7 quarts.*

 

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Thanks to all who have replied. The 5 pounds for 7 quarts still sounds like an awful lot to me. I might try the method CrabGrassAcres suggested first. I'd sure hate to see the beans ferment, stink up the closet, and pop the lids like Jeepers did.

 

Ginny

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I did the Ball Blue Book recipe. Can't remember the measurements, but just wanted to say that cooking them for 30 minutes first as the book says worked well. My beans were the best I'd ever tasted and weren't squishy at all. The texture was fantastic. I used the optional salt, though, and next time I'll leave it out. The beans would have been too salty for any recipe that already had any salt in it.

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Originally Posted By: GinnyB
Thanks to all who have replied. The 5 pounds for 7 quarts still sounds like an awful lot to me. I might try the method CrabGrassAcres suggested first. I'd sure hate to see the beans ferment, stink up the closet, and pop the lids like Jeepers did.
Ginny

They sure did stink! DarleneSwoon
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My guess is that they were packed too densely. They really do need enough liquid and headspace in the jars. If they don't have enough liquid, the heat will not safely penetrate them, and that will cause them to be underprocessed and they will spoil.

That is one reason the hot pack is called for. They are fully rehydrated and won't swell as much in the jars. They will have already absorbed more water by being cooked first for the 30 min.

 

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I am in the process right now this very minute of simmering two pounds of soaked pinto beans. I did the salt in the soaking water recommendation from Cook's Illustrated. I've added 4 bay leaves to the water and will add some hydrated (soaked them overnight) green and red bell peppers and onion to give color and flavor. Plan on using quart jars. Based on numerous comments I've read online, I will pack the jars only half full of beans and add hot liquid to within an inch of top.

 

I'll let you know how they turn out. Thanks for all the help here.I'm hoping these come out well as I'd like to incorporate a few more legumes into our diets and cooked, tasty beans ready -to-go would be very helpful.

 

Ginny

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Yeah I think I'll bump this too, because I was just looking in my ball book, which is out this year, and it says 3-5 POUNDS per QUART. I'm thinking, umm, no. So, of course, I came here and here you are, with the answer already here!

 

Mo7

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while we're on the subject of canning beans, has anyone tried canning baked beans with turkey bacon? I've been wanting to and just haven't worked up the nerve.

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