Canning pinto beans is quick and only requires two ingredients: pinto beans and optional salt. Pinto beans are a staple food in many households. They are nutritious, affordable, and versatile, making them a great addition to many meals. However, storing dry pinto beans can take up a lot of space in your pantry, and cooking them from scratch can be time-consuming.
One solution is to pressure can your own pinto beans, which allows you to have them ready to use at any time. Let’s discuss the benefits of pressure canning pinto beans and take a look at the provided step-by-step instructions on how to safely and effectively can them.
Why Use a Pressure Canner When Canning Pinto Beans?
Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning low-acid foods like pinto beans. Unlike high-acid foods, such as fruits and pickles, low-acid foods can harbor dangerous bacteria like Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism if not properly processed. While boiling water canning is effective for high-acid foods, it is not sufficient for low-acid foods like pinto beans.
Pressure canning involves heating the food in jars to a temperature of at least 240°F (116°C) for a specified amount of time. This high temperature and pressure effectively destroy harmful bacteria and create a vacuum seal that prevents the growth of new bacteria. By using a pressure canner to can pinto beans, you can ensure that they are safe to eat and will have a long shelf life.
Recipe for Canning Pinto Beans
When canning pinto beans you will need an average of 5 pounds of pinto beans per canner load of 7 quarts. If canning pinto beans in pints you will need an average of 3 and 1/4 pounds per canner load of 9 pints. This works out to around 3/4 of a pound of pinto beans per quart.
This recipe is from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. You can safely swap out the pinto beans for other dry beans in this recipe.
Choose high-quality mature pinto beans and sort them to remove any debris, discolored beans, or damaged beans.
Supplies Needed to Pressure Can Pinto Beans
Here are the suggested supplies to use when pressure-canning pinto beans.
Ingredients for Canning Pinto Beans
This simple recipe only requires two ingredients and one of them is optional.
- Dry Pinto Beans (When canning dry pinto beans you will need an average of 5 pounds of beans per canner load of 7 quarts. If canning dry pinto beans in pints you will need an average of 3 and 1/4 pounds per canner load of 9 pints. This works out to around 3/4 of a pound of dry pinto beans per quart.)
- salt (Optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions for Canning Pinto Beans
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Soak your pinto beans: Place dried pinto beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak your pinto beans for 12-18 hours in a cool place. Note: Your pinto beans will swell as they rehydrate. Make sure you have left enough room for them to expand. If you don’t have enough time to soak your pinto beans overnight you can also quickly hydrate your pinto beans by covering your beans with water in a saucepan. Bring your pinto beans to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and soak your beans for 1 hour. After the soaking period for either method of rehydrating your beans, drain off the soaking water.
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Prepare your Pressure Canner according to Manufacturer instructions.
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Clean jars and lids with warm soapy water. Ensure the jars do not have any chips or bubbles in the glass. Heat jars in hot water.
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Cover your pinto beans in the pot with new water and bring to a boil. Boil your pinto beans and water for 30 minutes.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart jar, if desired.
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You might want to have some extra boiling water on hand in case you do not have enough water for your jars. I use an electric kettle to have additional boiling water if needed.
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Fill the hot jar with pinto beans and cooking water, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
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Remove air bubbles with a de-bubbler and adjust the headspace as needed by adding more cooking or boiling water. Wipe the rim to ensure a good seal is made with the lid. Center the lid on the jar and screw the band down to fingertip tight.
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Place jars into the pressure canner using your jar lifter. Repeat steps 5-8 until all beans have been used.
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Adjust the water level in the pressure canner if needed, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating your pressure canner to achieve 10 lbs of pressure (Make sure to adjust for your altitude) and maintain that pressure for the entire cooking time.
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Process Pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Set a timer so it is much easier to remember how long you need to pressure can for.
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Turn off the heat when the timer is complete. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes after the pressure gauge reads 0, then open your vent. Remove your canner lid (making sure to lift it away from you so you don’t get burned by the steam).
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Leave jars in the pressure canner for 10 minutes after you remove the lid. Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.
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Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.
Pressure-canning pinto beans is a safe and convenient way to store this nutritious and versatile food. By following the above instructions, you can enjoy the convenience of canned pinto beans while also ensuring their safety and long shelf life. Remember to always use a pressure canner when canning low-acid foods like pinto beans to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and protect your health
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Additional Pressure Canning Recipes
Recipe Card
Canning Pinto Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- Dry Pinto Beans When canning dry pinto beans you will need an average of 5 pounds of beans per canner load of 7 quarts. If canning dry pinto beans in pints you will need an average of 3 and ¼ pounds per canner load of 9 pints. This works out to around ¾ of a pound of dry pinto beans per quart.
- salt Optional
Instructions
- Soak your pinto beans: Place dried pinto beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak your pinto beans for 12-18 hours in a cool place. Note: Your pinto beans will swell as they rehydrate. Make sure you have left enough room for them to expand. If you don't have enough time to soak your pinto beans overnight you can also quickly hydrate your pinto beans by covering your beans with water in a saucepan. Bring your pinto beans to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and soak your beans for 1 hour. After the soaking period for either method of rehydrating your beans, drain off the soaking water.
- Prepare your Pressure Canner according to Manufacturer instructions.
- Clean jars and lids with warm soapy water. Ensure the jars do not have any chips or bubbles in the glass. Heat jars in hot water.
- Cover your pinto beans in the pot with new water and bring to a boil. Boil your pinto beans and water for 30 minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart jar, if desired.
- You might want to have some extra boiling water on hand in case you do not have enough water for your jars. I use an electric kettle to have additional boiling water if needed.
- Fill the hot jar with pinto beans and cooking water, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles with a de-bubbler and adjust the headspace as needed by adding more cooking or boiling water. Wipe the rim to ensure a good seal is made with the lid. Center the lid on the jar and screw the band down to fingertip tight.
- Place jars into the pressure canner using your jar lifter. Repeat steps 5-8 until all beans have been used.
- Adjust the water level in the pressure canner if needed, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating your pressure canner to achieve 10 lbs of pressure (Make sure to adjust for your altitude) and maintain that pressure for the entire cooking time.
- Process Pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Set a timer so it is much easier to remember how long you need to pressure can for.
- Turn off the heat when the timer is complete. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes after the pressure gauge reads 0, then open your vent. Remove your canner lid (making sure to lift it away from you so you don't get burned by the steam).
- Leave jars in the pressure canner for 10 minutes after you remove the lid. Using your jar lifer carefully move the jars onto a wire rack or kitchen towel to allow them to cool. When moving the jars try not to tilt them to the side as this could affect the seal of the jars. Allow your jars to cool for 12-24 hours before handling.
- Once cool, remove the canning rings from the jars. Wash your jars off to ensure no food residue on the outside of the jar from processing. Label your jar with the name of the recipe and date. This will help you remember what recipe you used to can and the date will allow you to use the oldest canned goods first.