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How to Can Green Beans the Easy Way – Raw Pack

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Learn how to can green beans the easy way using the raw pack method. This is the perfect tutorial for beginner canners and those who want their fresh green beans preserved for year-round eating without a ton of prep work.

Homecanned green beans on towel

Choose freshly picked green beans, rinse clean, snap to bite-size pieces, place in jars and cover with boiling water, then pressure can for just 20 minutes! Easy peasy and no need to pre-cook or blanch your green beans.

Green beans were the first thing I learned how to can on my own as a newlywed over twenty years ago (I was 18-years-old when I got married, I'll spare you the math) and I've never bought green beans from the store and neither will you after seeing how easy it is to can them at home. Especially once you taste them, they're full of flavor! My kids refuse to eat green beans from the store or restaurants because they taste nothing like home-canned green beans.

Supplies needed to can green beans

Pressure canner (here's how to pick the best pressure canner for your stove-type and budget)
Canning jars
Canning lids and bands (I buy my canning lids in bulk sleeves here)
Jar lifter
Kitchen towel
Bubble popper/headspace measurer (or a ruler)

Ingredients for canning green beans

Fresh green beans – on average you'll need 1 pound of green beans per pint (or 2 pounds per quart)
Canning salt (salt is optional but trust me, you want to add it or beans will be extremely bland tasting)

How do you prepare green beans for canning

  1. Pick your green beans, avoid beans that have blemishes or rust spots, choose beans that are tender, and crisp when snapped. The beans will be the crispest when picked in the morning.
  2. Rinse green beans thoroughly then strain.
  3. Trim off ends, string if beans are a string variety, and snap into 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch (bite-sized) pieces.fresh green beans being snapped in bowl on counter for pressure canning

How to Can Green Beans

Step 1

Place pressure canner on stove-top and fill with rack and hot water, water level should be 2 to 3 inches deep. Turn burner on medium heat to keep water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil.

Step 2

Wash Mason jars and lids in hot soapy water. DO NOT boil the lids. Canning lid guidelines changed in 2014 and boiling the lids can affect their ability to seal. You do not need to sterilize lids or jars as long as you're processing jars for 10 minutes or longer (which you definitely are when pressure canning). Place freshly washed jars on a clean towel on the counter.

green beans inside mason jars before canning

Step 3

Fill Mason jars with green beans to a 1-inch headspace (space from the top of the green beans to the top of the jar). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pint jars or 1 teaspoon salt to quart jars (salt is optional but does provide better flavor). Always use canning salt or sea salt with NO added anti-caking agents or ingredients, regular table salt is not recommended.

Pouring boiling water onto fresh green beans before pressure canning

Step 4

Pour just off the boil water over the top of the green beans until the liquid level reaches the 1-inch headspace.

removing air bubbles when pressure canning green beans

Step 5

Use a canner bubble/headspace tool (or ruler if you don't have a headspace tool) to remove air bubbles by running it between the glass and outside of the food. Remeasure your headspace and add extra water if needed.

Step 6

Use a damp cloth and wipe the rim of your glass jar clean. This helps to ensure there's nothing that will inhibit a seal from forming. Place lid and canning band on and tighten to fingertip tight (over-tightening canning bands can cause lids to buckle). Place in the prepared pressure canner.

Step 7

Place lid on the pressure canner and allow to vent for 10 minutes. Then place weight on pressure canner according to your altitude and process for 20 minutes for pint jars or  25 minutes for quart jars. Remove from canner following pressure canning protocol 

Can you can green beans without a pressure canner? Can you can green beans in a water bath?

Green beans are a low-acid vegetable and must be pressure canned. The only safe way to water bath can green beans is if they're pickled, the addition of vinegar changes the pH level to 4.6, making them safe to water bath can.

How long is home-canned green beans good for?

The National Center of Home Food Preservation states that home-canned food is best used within 12 months for optimal nutritional benefits but provided you followed tested times/procedures and store canned goods out of direct sunlight and below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, they will be good for years. We practice rotation and try to use all of our home-canned food within 18 months but have had jars that are older and the food has been fine.

Do you cook green beans before canning?

I prefer to use the raw pack (or cold pack) method of canning green beans. It requires less work on my part and is an approved and tested way to can. You can do a hot pack method if you wish, which involves blanching the green beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, before jarring and processing in a pressure canner.

Looking for more canning recipes and resources

Discover the 9 home food preservation methods to safely store delicious food for year-round eating with Melissa’s step-by-step tutorials, recipes, and easy-to-use charts. Get ready to learn everything you need to know about cold storage (aka freezer), water bath/steam canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freeze-drying, root cellar, infusion, and salt/curing!

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https://melissaknorris.com/book/everything-worth-preserving/

Other Articles You May Like

How to Can Green Beans the Easy Way – Raw Pack

Melissa Norris
Preserve your fresh green beans for year-round eating with this easy tutorial on how to can green beans. You'll never go back to store-bought after experiencing the flavor difference of homegrown and home-canned green beans! Go through my free video series on how to pressure can without fear and safely!
3.98 from 41 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Course side
Cuisine American
Servings 9 pints

Equipment

  • Pressure Canner

Ingredients
 
 

  • 9 pounds fresh green beans
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (per pint jar)

Instructions
 

  • Pick your green beans, avoid beans that have blemishes or rust spots, choose beans that are tender, and crisp when snapped.
  • Rinse green beans thoroughly then strain. Trim off ends, string if beans are a string variety, and snap into 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch (bite-sized) pieces.
  • Place pressure canner on stove-top and fill with rack and hot water, water level should be 2 to 3 inches deep. Turn burner on medium heat to keep water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil.
  • Wash Mason jars and lids in hot soapy water. DO NOT boil the lids. Canning lid guidelines changed in 2014 and boiling the lids can affect their ability to seal. You do not need to sterilize lids or jars as long as you’re processing jars for 10 minutes or longer (which you definitely are when pressure canning). Place freshly washed jars on a clean towel on the counter.
  • Fill Mason jars with green beans to a 1-inch headspace (space from the top of the green beans to the top of the jar). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pint jars or 1 teaspoon salt to quart jars (salt is optional but does provide better flavor).
  • Pour just off the boil water over the top of the green beans until the liquid level reaches the 1-inch headspace.
  • Use a canner bubble/headspace tool (or ruler if you don’t have a headspace tool) to remove air bubbles by running it between the glass and outside of the food. Remeasure your headspace and add extra water if needed.
  • Use a damp cloth and wipe the rim of your glass jar clean. This helps to ensure there’s nothing that will inhibit a seal from forming. Place lid and canning band on and tighten to fingertip tight (over-tightening canning bands can cause lids to buckle). Place in the prepared pressure canner.
  • Place lid on the pressure canner and allow to vent for 10 minutes. Process at 10 pounds of pressure if you’re zero to 1,000 feet above sea level and if 1,001 feet above sea level use 15 pounds, start timer when pressure is reached (weight should be rocking and hissing). Process for 20 minutes for pint jars or  25 minutes for quart jars. Remove from canner following pressure canning protocol 
  • Allow jars to cool for 12 to 24 hours before removing bands and checking seals. Then store in cool area out of direct sunlight.

Video

Notes

  • The beans will be the crispest when picked in the morning. Only use blemish-free green beans.
  • Use the salt, beans will be tasteless without it (ask me how I know). Always use canning salt or sea salt with NO added anti-caking agents or ingredients, regular table salt is not recommended.
  • You’ll need 1 pound per pint or 2 pounds per quart jar
Keyword how to can green beans
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How to Choose the Best Pressure Canner

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Knowing how to choose the best pressure canner for you and your family is one of the first steps towards becoming more self-sustainable. A pressure canner will help you preserve a greater variety of foods to stock up your pantry and food storage.

Two pressure canners and jars of home canned food sitting on a kitchen counter.

Choosing the best pressure canner depends on your needs, how large your family is, and how much food you intend to be home canning.

If you're just getting started with pressure canning, I recommend taking my free 4-part video series where I teach you how to safely operate a pressure canner. Including what you can and cannot safely can at home, even with a pressure canner.

Read on to compare Presto and All-American to learn which pressure canner you can use to meet your canning needs.

What is a Pressure Canner and How Does it Work?

If you have a garden, you have probably already ventured into different preservation methods and maybe even home canning. I use ten different methods of preservation for various foods. Learn more about each of the ten preservation methods here.

You’ve purchased your canning jars and canning lids and understand the basics of the canning process. If you don’t have the supplies you need, check out this helpful guide to home food preservation. 

Most people start with water bath canning and then progress to pressure canning as they get comfortable with the process. Read through my post on canning 101 to help you feel confident in preserving your food.

Water bath canning is only safe for high acid foods. To preserve foods such as meats and low-acid vegetables, you must use a pressure canner.

Water bath canners (usually made of granite ware) and steam canners don’t reach as high of a temperature as pressure canners to kill the bacteria in low acid foods. This can lead to botulism, sickness, and even death.

And no, you can't just water bath can your food longer, it simply won't get hot enough.

Pressure canning brings the contents of your filled jars to a higher temperature, effectively killing all the bacterial contaminants. The heat inside the tightly sealed canner builds up pressure that needs to be monitored and released by the weighted gauges on the lid.

A whole raw chicken in the Instant Pot. Text overlay says, "How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot".

What is the Difference Between a Pressure Canner and Cooker?

Both the canner and cooker are designed to build up the pressure through steam in a sealed environment. It reaches a high temperature allowing foods to cook quickly. 

The differences are basically in size and sustained pressure. Pressure cookers can heat up and pressurize containers, but they can’t maintain heat and pressure long enough to safely can food.

Pressure canners are made of heavier material and designed for prolonged heat, steam, and pressure to achieve the necessary safety in home canning.

What is the Best Pressure Canner to Buy?

This is a question I get asked a lot. There are different opinions dependent on people’s experiences with them. I believe you have to think through several different factors when choosing the very best one for you and your family.

Let me begin by telling you that when you learn how to use a pressure canner, you will love how easy it is to cook a meal from home pressure canned foods! Look through some of my canning recipes to inspire you.

Furthermore, if you'd like to get a copy of my newest book, Everything Worth Preserving, you can pre-order now. This is THE cookbook I wish I could find where I walk through every possible fruit and vegetable and list out the safe, approved methods for canning, including recipes!

Pre-order now, and they will be shipping in the fall of 2022. Plus, for those who grab their book now, I'll throw in all sorts of freebies!

I will walk you through five different areas to consider in reaching a decision. 

Dozens of empty canning jars.

#1 – What Size Pressure Canner to Buy

Pressure canners come in different sizes. If you have a large family and plan to exclusively eat home canned foods, then you will want to choose a larger size model. If you don’t cook for many people, you’ll be fine purchasing a smaller one.

I always recommend choosing a one that will hold both pint and quart size jars. Don’t limit yourself to only pint-sized jars. 

If you are wavering between sizes, choose the larger model. It’s not much more work to put up 14 jars of beans than to do 7. If you can process them all at the same time instead of having to repeat the process, it saves you time.

Pressure canners will often be listed as holding a certain amount of liquid in quarts. Read the label to understand how many quart jars it holds. For example, my All American 21.5 quart pressure canner holds 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars. The 21.5 qt. Measurement is the liquid measurement.

A pot and teapot on a glass stovetop.

#2 – Consider your Stovetop 

If you have a glass stovetop, you risk breaking it using the heavier pressure canners. They are not manufactured for the weight of the canner combined with the high temperature.

This Presto pressure canner states that it is safe for use on glass stovetops.

I have an electric range, and it works great for pressure canning. If you use a gas range, be sure not to heat it on too high of a setting.

For induction stovetops, you need to use a stainless steel base canner. This Presto 23-quart induction compatible pressure canner is the only one I have found that is suitable for induction stoves.

Two old Mason jars with paper money and coins.

#3 – Finding the Best Value

The price of an item always comes into play. Don’t let the initial investment scare you away from buying a pressure canner. Save your pennies if needed because the years of use the pressure canner gives you will quickly compensate for the money spent.

If you are just getting into canning and aren’t convinced you will be doing it long-term, start with this Presto pressure canner. I have used this economic pressure canner for almost fifteen years, and it is still working wonderfully.

For a greater lifetime investment, purchase this All-American pressure canner. As its name states, this canner is made in the United States and has earned a reputation as a premier pressure canner.

#4 – Replacing Parts

A gasket-based pressure canner like the Presto model requires replacing the gasket when it begins to wear out. The gasket is the rubber seal that fits around the edge of the lid. 

You will need to check it regularly for cracks or fatigue. Oiling it helps to prolong the lifespan as well. I recommend having a replacement on hand before you need it.

Depending on the model you own, you will also want to have an extra pressure release valve on hand. I have purchased both the gasket and valve at our local hardware store, but you should be able to purchase from the manufacturer as well.

The metal-on-metal seal of the All American model doesn’t require any replacement parts.

Upclose shot of a pressure canner with jiggler.

#5 – Maintenance and Care

There are two kinds of pressure gauges for these canners. One has a dialed gauge to monitor pressure, and the other has a weighted gauge.

The dialed gauge has a dial that monitors the pressure in the canner. If you purchase a dialed gauge pressure canner, you will need to have it checked at your local county extension office annually. They will make sure the dial is accurately showing the correct PSI (pounds per square inch of pressure). 

A weighted gauge pressure canner does not require this (pictured above). The weighted gauge is the control that jiggles, hisses, and rocks back and forth. This is the kind of pressure canner I use and prefer.

No matter which pressure canner you end up with, I highly encourage you to invest in one. The doors this opens as far as processing food for long-term storage is fantastic. Never again will you have to buy broth from the store; you can easily pressure can bone broth at home!

New to pressure canning and want to make sure you're doing it correctly? Take my free 4-part video series where I teach you how to safely operate a pressure canner. Including what you can and cannot safely can at home, even with a pressure canner.

Canned pumpkin in quart sized Mason jars with a large pumpkin in the background.

More Canning Resources

12 Ways to Preserve Apples at Home

by 42 Comments

Learn all the fantastic ways to preserve apples at home, including fresh storage, freezing, canning, dehydrating, and more! Here are my favorite 12 ways to preserve apples at home.

Red apples in a wooden crate with more crates stacked behind it.

We've all heard the saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but my apples don't grow all year round. My goal is to put up as much food as possible when it's in season to keep our food bill down by increasing our food storage.

It's apple season ya'll (When I get excited a little bit of southern kicks in, it's just how I roll) and I happen to have almost 75 pounds of apples sitting in my kitchen waiting to be preserved into something glorious.

Preserving apples in jars (and having multiple ways to do so) makes my Mason jar loving heart very happy. You ready?

What Can I Do With a Lot of Apples?

Learning how to preserve apples at home is a great, frugal skill to undertake. Anytime you can either harvest, or even buy, food when it's in season, you're getting it at the lowest cost, and when you can learn how to preserve it for the full year – without using icky ingredients – it's a major score!

While most folks think of making applesauce (and applesauce is delicious), there are many more ways to preserve those apples for use all year long. I’m going to share with you how to make apple preserves, apple pie filling, dehydrated cinnamon apples, apple pectin, apple cider vinegar, and more!

Apples in a wooden barrel.

What Are the Best Apples to Preserve?

There are so many varieties of apples, it can be difficult to choose. When canning, preserving or freezing apples, it is best to pick a crisp, firm variety that is both sweet and tart.

The most popular varieties are:

  • Jonagold
  • Braeburn
  • McIntosh
  • Golden Delicious
  • Pink Lady

You can even combine apples of different varieties to create a unique, dynamic flavor.

How to Preserve Apples

My top 11 ways (plus a BONUS) to preserve apples are:

  1. Apple Pie Filling
  2. Dehydrated Apples
  3. Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
  4. Apple Butter
  5. Homemade Apple Pie Jam
  6. Apple Jelly
  7. Homemade Pectin
  8. Apple Fruit Leather
  9. Storing Fresh Apples (for Long-Term)
  10. Canned Apple Sauce
  11. Freezing Apples
  12. BONUS: Homemade Apple Cider

Apple Pie Filling

Canning apples for pie when I'm short on time (or when apple prices are sky-high) is one of my favorite home-canned apple items to have in the pantry.

Is there anything better than lovely jars of home-canned apple pie filling? Yes, there is, diving headfirst into said jar with a spoon… or no spoon.

Ever notice how apple prices go up during the holidays? Preserving apple pie filling ahead of time saves so much time when I'm busy with Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can bake a homemade pie by just popping open a jar of this filling and pulling out the best flaky pie crust from the freezer…

Here's how to safely can apple apples for pie with my Homemade Apple Pie Filling Tutorial and Recipe.

Homemade dehydrated apple chips with cinnamon sticks and two whole apples sitting on a wooden countertop.

Dehydrated Apple Chips

Want to know how to preserve apple slices? My favorite way is to make cinnamon apple chips. Apples lend themselves well to dehydrating and they're a great addition to a hike or to take on the go for a quick snack.

Simply peel and slice your apples, taking care to cut them relatively the same size and thickness for even drying. The beauty of preserving your apples this way is the cinnamon gives them a brown color so no need to worry about spraying them with lemon juice or citric acid to keep them from browning.

Place prepared apple slices in a container with a lid or a plastic ziptop bag. Sprinkle 1 to 2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon on top (or to taste), close the container, and shake to evenly coat the apple slices.

Place on dehydrator trays, taking care to leave space around each apple slice for proper airflow. (I've had this dehydrator for years now and feel you can fit more on these square trays.) Set dehydrator to 135 degrees F and dehydrate until fully dry.

Depending upon how thick you cut your apples and the water content, this can be anywhere from 6 to 24 hours, it's best to check on them after 6 hours, then every hour until completely dry. 

How Do You Know When Apples Are Completely Dry?

The best way to determine if your apples are fully dry is by weight. Weigh your empty trays and then weigh your trays when they are full of prepared fruit. Subtract the empty tray weight from the full tray weight to find the weight of your prepared fruit.

Follow this ratio: 20 pounds of prepared apples should dry to 6.5 pounds. Put dehydrated cinnamon apple slices in a sealed container and enjoy!

For long-term food storage, use an oxygen absorber or a vacuum seal attachment on a Mason jar and store in a cool dark area of your home.

A bowl of homemade apple cider vinegar with the mother next to whole apples.

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

Did you know you can make homemade apple cider vinegar? Yep, and the bonus is it will be fermented with “the Mother”, just like the good stuff from the grocery store!

The perk of learning how to make homemade fruit vinegar (with any kind of fruit) is that you generally can use the fruit scraps. So for apple cider, you can use the skins and apple cores to make something from a byproduct that may have ended up in the compost pile.

You won't believe how incredibly easy it is. Check out this tutorial with photos and a video on how to make raw apple cider vinegar.

Then put that ACV to work in recipes (like this amazing old-fashioned vinegar pie), catching fruit flies, and for delicious and tangy salad dressings.

Two jars of homemade apple butter in swing-top jars with tags. Sliced and whole apples and cinnamon sticks surround the jars.

Apple Butter

Fruit butter, how I love you. You're thick and spread so nicely on homemade buttermilk biscuits and pancakes.

This recipe uses a special ingredient for a delightful flavor… get your homemade apple butter recipe right here, complete with canning instructions for long-term storage.

Homemade Apple Pie Jam (Low-Sugar Recipe)

Oh yes, apple pie in a mason jar ready to smear on your favorite biscuit, sandwich, cornbread, in between cakes… or, let's be honest, just by the spoonful!

Learn how to make easy apple pie jam.

Apple Jelly in a jar with spoon. Apples, cinnamon sticks and star anise around it.

Apple Jelly

Apple jelly not only looks pretty in jars (especially as gifts around the holidays), but it also only uses two ingredients to make! I'm a fan of simplicity and the fewer ingredients the better.

Check out this great apple jelly recipe and tutorial from my girl Laurie over at Common Sense Homesteading.

A woman crouched down next to an established fruit tree with mountains in the background.

Homemade Apple Pectin

Did you know apples are high in pectin? In fact, my grandmother never used store-bought pectin, she just grated a green apple into her jam or jelly. But you can make and can or freeze apple pectin for use in all your jam and jelly recipes.

Apple fruit leather rolled up and piled on a white plate.

Homemade Fruit Leather

Have you checked out the ingredients in store-bought fruit leather? Yeah, not happening in my house. This one has only 3 ingredients (are you noticing a theme?) and is easy and straightforward to make.

Here's how to make apple and cinnamon fruit leather. But if you're looking for that store-bought thick and chewy consistency (rather than the oftentimes tough and even crispy fruit leather), check out my friend Carolyn's tip (from Homesteading Family) on making homemade fruit leather with a secret ingredient!

Red apples in a wooden crate with more crates stacked behind it.

Storing Fresh Apples (Long-Term Storage)

Apples are one of the cool fruits that can be stored for a long time with very little effort. Have you ever heard the saying one bad apple spoiled the barrel? It's true, and it dates back to when people used root cellars a lot more than they do today.

There are many tips for storing apples for long-term storage. This post by Living Homegrown discusses which varieties store best, how to harvest apples so they last the longest (and which apples should be eaten sooner), and she even covers how to store apples if you don't have a root cellar (she's speaking my language here!).

Here's the low down on storing apples for long-term storage.

Homemade applesauce in a swing top jar with apples around it.

Homemade Applesauce (Plus Canning Instructions)

My tip for applesauce is to not bother cutting or peeling beforehand. I steam my apples whole and then put them through the sieve to catch the seeds and peelings. Easy peasy and a lot less work.

Though Lauren over at Tastes Better From Scratch uses a different method, her tutorial is spot on for learning how to can applesauce.

Freezing Apples

It is handy to have fresh frozen apple slices on hand, especially around the holidays. Freezing apple slices allows you to store apples in the freezer until you are ready to bake them into a delicious apple pie, or maybe a cobbler. 

First wash, peel, and core your apples. Then cut the apples into slices that are relatively the same size and thickness. 

Blanching the apples will preserve the quality and allow you to keep your apples in the freezer for up to a year.

To blanch apples, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl with cold water plus 1 to 2 cups of ice. Put the apple slices in the boiling water for two minutes. Immediately transfer the apples to the ice water to cool completely. 

When you remove the apple slices from the cold water, let them drain. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat and arrange the apple slices on it so that they are not touching. Let them freeze for several hours or overnight in a single layer. 

In the morning, take the apples and seal them in freezer bags. Keep them in the freezer until you are ready to bake with them.

Hot apple cider in a glass with apples and cinnamon around it.

Hot Apple Cider

Bonus! Don't you love a bonus? I do. Like when you put on a pair of pants you haven't worn in a long time and not only do they still fit but you find a $20 in the pocket!

How could I have forgotten to add this one with the original 11? I blame it on the 12 jars of tomato sauce I made and canned today, but really, homemade apple cider is a must. Would someone please bring me a cup and we'll toast to the loveliness of fall and apples?

How do you preserve apples at home?

Canned pumpkin in quart sized Mason jars with a large pumpkin in the background.

More Posts You May Enjoy

Apple Preserving & Use (Mini Cookbook)

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8 Tips to Keep Sane when Preserving the Bounty

by 8 Comments

Of all the things we do on our homestead, preserving the harvest is one of the most crucial parts to our self-sustainability and old-fashioned pioneer roots. It's also one of the ways we keep our food bill down. In the long run, it keeps our health bills down, too, because the food we put up at home is done at the peak of freshness and when grown by us, heirloom and organically.

8 tips to keep sane when preserving the bounty. During peak canning season I always feel behind, these are some great tips to remember. Plus, the food saver and canner giveaway would be awesome to win.

You might say I'm a little bit in love with preserving food at home. And my husband is totally okay with my other “love”. In fact, he encourages and even helps… yea, he's pretty awesome that way.

[Read more…]

10+ Easy Home Canning Recipes

by 9 Comments

10+ easy home canning recipes. Perfect to take advantage of coming summer harvests to stock y our pantry and build your home food storage. Which is your favorite?

Am I the only one always on the hunt for awesome canning recipes? I've rounded up my favorite 10+ easy home canning recipes for you. I have a love affair with canning. Seriously, wholesome food, ready to go meals with just a pop of the lid, food storage in case of emergency or financial crisis, frugal (as in most of the time free except for the cost of the lid with our garden), and fun. What's not to love?

Yep, I said it, fun. I know it's some work, but I truly enjoy it. I'm gonna let you in on a secret, I sometimes turn on the light in our pantry and gaze at my rows of home canned goodies because I think they're pretty. You don't do the same thing? No judgement, folks, no judgement.

[Read more…]

How to Pressure Can Shelled Beans

by 23 Comments

I have a thing for home canned foods, kind of like an obsession, but a healthy one. Because there is such thing as a healthy obsession, don't ya think?

How to pressure can shelled beans using the raw pack method. I love how fast these can become a meal and I don't have to worry about soaking them when I realize dinner is like 20 minutes out. Get these in your food storage now, perfect when water and time is scarce.

I believe in an emergency situation home canned food is your best bet, and I wrote a full article about it over at Mom with a Prep. But another reason I love home canned food is because it's my fast go to meal when I didn't plan dinner… because sometimes I get busy and don't realize I forgot until it's only twenty minutes before dinner time. You do that too, right?

One of the beautiful things about having canned beans on hand, is I don't have to remember to soak them the night before and let them cook all day. Don't get me wrong, when I plan right, I love having a pot of chili or soup beans simmering on the stove or in the slow cooker all day, but there's something to be said about having dinner on the table in less than a half hour, too.

[Read more…]

Canning 101 Water-Bath vs. Pressure Canner

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Have you ever been confused about the difference between water-bath canning and pressure canning? Huge thanks to one a reader who pointed out she didn't know all of the canning terms and equipment.

So for those of you new to canning or even seasoned-pros, I hope to share the basics and tips to make your canning adventures as easy and successful as possible.

Water-bath canning is processing your canned foods in boiling water for a specified amount of time. Acidic foods can safely be canned via the water-bath method. These are jellies, jams, preserves, marmalade, fruits,fruit spread, fruit sauces, tomatoes (with acid added via lemon juice or vinegar), pickles, relishes, and chutneys.

Water-bath canner

Pressure canning heats your canned food under steam pressure, allowing for much higher temperatures and faster cooking times. All low-acid foods must be canned using a pressure canner. Low acid foods include vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, and combination recipes.

Pressure canner

I know people used to can with just the water-bath and may have not experienced problems. But newer strains of tomatoes don't have the acid levels and unless you can check the ph level at home, I wouldn't risk it. Growing and preserving your food is rewarding but hard work, I'd rather know it's done safely and correctly using these guidelines.

Time-saving tip- I also use my pressure canner to can my applesauce, though you can use a water-bath because this is acidic food. One of the benefits to the pressure canner is you can raw pack all of your vegetables and fruits. It will cook fully while it's being canned.

Wash your jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water and rinse well. You can keep your jars heated in hot water in your canner, but I keep mine in the hot wash water until I'm ready to fill them. New canning guidelines no longer require to pre-heat the lids, juts put them on cold. (If water-bath canning for less than 10 minutes processing, sterilize jars by boiling them for 10 minutes beforehand)

Pint-sized jars are two cups and quart jars hold four cups. Make sure your pressure canner holds both sizes so you only have to make one purchase. See 5 Tips for Choosing the Best Pressure Canner for You

Proper Headspace for Canning

Fill your jars with the prepared recipe. If raw packing your fruit and vegetables, pour your boiling water or syrup over raw fruit/vegetable. Leave 1/4 inch headspace for fruit juices, pickles, jams, and jellies(space between top of jar and your food) 1/2 inch for fruits and tomatoes, 1 inch for vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, and combinations recipes.

Remove air bubbles by sliding a spatula between the side of the jar and your food. Run it around the outside of the jar and tap on the top of the food.

Wipe the rim and threads of the jar with a damp, clean cloth. Place lids on jars, screw band down until resistance is met. Don't over tighten.

Place jars in the canner. Be sure the rack is inside, this keeps the jars from sitting directly on the heat source or bottom of the pot. If jars aren't on the rack, they can become too hot and burst or crack. For water-bath make sure the water covers the top of your jars by at least 1 inch of water. Follow the amount of water your manual suggestions for your pressure canner, more is better. Mine calls for a quart and a half.

Start the timer for your recipe when the water is at a full boil for water-bath or when the pressure control starts to jiggle. For pressure canner, you'll need to lock your lid into place, but don't put the pressure control on yet. Allow steam to come through the vent for 10 minutes. This allows the pressure to build and the air to exhaust, very important so don't skip this step. Then select the correct pounds of pressure and put your controller in place. Once it begins to jiggle and hiss, at least 3 to 4 times per minute, start your timer.

Jars of apple pie filling cooling on a towel

When time is up, allow canner to cool according to the manufactorer's guide. Carefully remove jars, with either a jar lifter (will save those fingers) or using an oven mitt. Set warm jars on a double folded towel. Allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours without moving.

After jars are cool, test the lids for a seal. Press the center of the lid with your finger. If it doesn't flex, jar is sealed. Remove band and store in a cool, dry, dark place like a pantry shelf. If it does flex, you may try and re-seal or place in the fridge to eat!

Do you have any canning tips? For information on other food preservation methods, check out 10 ways to preserve food at home.

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