How to Pressure Can Dried Beans: From Garden to Pantry 🫘🫙
There is something ridiculously satisfying about taking a handful of dried beans we grew ourselves and turning them into rows of ready-to-use jars in the pantry.
This year I grew Jacob’s Cattle beans and Kidney beans (Vesey Seeds), let the pods dry, shelled them, and pressure canned them so they're ready whenever we need them. Chili night? Grab a jar. Soup? Grab a jar. Tacos? Grab a jar.
Before we get into it, dried beans are a low-acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner for shelf-stable storage. The method I used closely follows the tested National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) method for shelled dried beans.
First: The Pillowcase Hack You Need to Know 😂
If you're growing and drying your own beans, shelling them one pod at a time gets old VERY quickly.
Enter: an old pillowcase.
Once my bean pods were completely dry, I put them into a pillowcase, tied the end closed and gave the whole thing a good beat/stomp around. 😂 The dried pods break apart inside the pillowcase and release the beans.
Then I opened it up and separated the beans from the dried pieces of pod.
It's not glamorous. It is strangely satisfying. And it is significantly more fun than sitting there opening hundreds of pods individually.
If you're starting with purchased dried beans, obviously you can skip this part!
What You'll Need
For this batch I used:
Dried Jacob's Cattle and kidney beans
Water
Pressure canner
Canning jars
New canning lids + rings
Jar lifter
Canning funnel
Bubble remover/headspace tool
Clean cloth or paper towel
Salt, optional
🛒 I've linked the canning products I use in my Amazon Storefront, including my pressure canner, which is compatible with a glass-top stove. *
Always confirm that your specific stovetop manufacturer permits pressure canning and that your particular canner is suitable for it.
Step 1: Sort + Soak Your Beans Overnight
Start by sorting through your dried beans and removing any damaged or discoloured beans and any little pieces of debris.
Place the beans in a large pot, cover generously with water and allow them to soak in a cool place for 12–18 hours. I simply did mine overnight.
Step 2: Drain + Rinse
The next day, drain off your soaking water.
I gave my beans a good rinse and returned them to the pot.
Don't use the overnight soaking water for canning. The tested method calls for draining it and covering the soaked beans with fresh water for the next step.
Step 3: Boil for 30 Minutes
Cover your soaked beans with fresh water.
Bring them to a boil and boil for 30 minutes.
You're not trying to cook them the way you normally would for dinner. They'll continue cooking during pressure canning.
This 30-minute boil is part of the tested preparation method for pressure-canning dried beans.
Step 4: Fill Your Jars
Pack your hot beans into hot jars and add the hot cooking liquid.
Leave 1 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
Salt is optional. The tested recipe allows ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart if you'd like to add it.
Remove air bubbles, recheck your headspace, wipe the rims clean and apply your lids and rings according to the manufacturer's directions.
Step 5: Pressure Can Your Beans
This part is important: you cannot safely water-bath can plain dried beans.
Beans are a low-acid food, so they require the higher temperatures achieved by a pressure canner.
For the NCHFP tested method, processing times are:
Pints — 75 minutesQuarts — 90 minutes
The required pressure depends on your canner type and elevation.
For a dial-gauge pressure canner, NCHFP specifies 11 PSI at 0–2,000 ft, increasing with elevation.
For a weighted-gauge pressure canner, it specifies 10 PSI at 0–1,000 ft and 15 PSI above 1,000 ft.
Because pressure requirements change with elevation and equipment, I recommend checking the complete NCHFP instructions before starting your batch:
Once They're Finished 🫙
Allow your pressure canner to depressurize naturally according to its manufacturer's instructions before opening it.
Remove your jars and let them cool undisturbed. Once completely cooled, check your seals, remove the rings, label everything with the contents and date, and into the pantry they go.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my content 🤎
Canning safety note: This post shares my experience alongside a tested preservation method. For shelf-stable home canning, always follow current tested instructions from a trusted source such as NCHFP and use the processing pressure appropriate for your canner and elevation.
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