Canned kidney beans are great to keep on hand for adding to soups, salads, and rice or making into refried beans. Store bought kidney beans can often have a tinny flavor and are about 4-5 times the cost of dry kidney beans. Canning kidney beans at home helps you save money and have the convenience of canned beans without the tinny flavor.
While these instructions are for canning kidney beans, the same process can be used to can different types of beans such as pinto beans, black beans, cannellini beans, navy beans, or garbanzo beans (chickpeas).
Preparing the Kidney Beans
There are two main things you need to know about canning beans. The first is that they are only safe to can in a pressure canner (not a water bath canner or electric pressure cooker, like an instant pot) since they are low acid foods.
And secondly, dry beans need to be rehydrated by soaking in water before they are packed in the jars to give you the best results.
If you raw pack the beans, you run the risk of them soaking up all the water and becoming a big clump of beans. There is no way to tell if the heat was able to penetrate to the center of the clump to make them shelf stable. The beans can also swell so much that they break the jar or distort the lid. There is nothing more depressing than opening up the canner and finding broken jars.
There are two ways to soak beans, the overnight method and the quick soak method. For both methods you need to wash the beans and remove any small pebbles that might be mixed in with them.
For the overnight soak method: put the cleaned beans in a large bowl or stock pot and add 10 cups of water per 1 pound of beans or peas. Cover the bowl or pot and put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Be sure that there is enough water to completely cover beans as they rehydrate.
For the quick soak method: put the cleaned beans in a large stockpot and add 10 cups water per 1 pound of beans or peas. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Let the beans soak for 1 hour.
Some people are concerned that the beans will split if you soak them ahead of time. However, when properly soaked very few split. If there isn’t enough water, the beans that swell above the water line are more likely to split. So, use plenty of water.
Also, the finished product will be a jar of loose, easy to pour beans and not a big bean clump.
How to Can Kidney Beans
Once the kidney beans have been cleaned and soaked, they are ready for canning.
One pound of dried beans turns into about 7 cups of cooked beans. You’ll need three or four pint jars or two quart jars to pressure can a pound of dried beans. This should help you estimate how many jars you need to prepare.
For reference, a full canner load is 9 pint jars or 7 quart jars. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends using 3 1/4 pounds of beans to fill 9 pint jars and 5 pounds of beans to fill 7 quart jars.
However, I think that’s too much per jar so I use a little less. It’s completely safe to put fewer beans in the jars, but it’s not safe to put more than the recommended amount of beans in the jar.
After the beans have soaked, pour off the soaking water and give the soaked beans a quick rinse with fresh water. Drain again.
Put the kidney beans into a large pot and cover with fresh water. Heat the beans over medium high heat and gently boil for 30 minutes. This should not be a full rolling boil, just a gentle boil. A rolling boil can cause the beans to split.
Preparing the Canning Equipment
While the beans are boiling, prepare the canning jars, lids, and pressure canner. I like to use wide mouth jars for canning dried beans, but regular mouth jars will work just fine.
Wash the inside of the pressure canner and the canning rack with hot, soapy water. Place the rack in the pressure canner and fill it with three quarts of water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the canner on the stove top and heat the water over medium heat.
Wash the lids in hot, soapy water and set aside. Check the instructions on the box of lids, some manufacturers (Bernardin) recommend the lids be placed in just boiled water to keep them hot and some manufacturers recommend that the lids just be washed (Ball).
Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and check for any nicks or cracks along the rim of the jar. The jars need to stay hot, so I put them in the canner after washing them. The water in the canner should be hot but not boiling. Set the lid on the canner but don’t lock it in place.
Canning Kidney Beans
When the beans are finished boiling, it’s time to remove the hot jars from the canner and pour out any water that is in the jars. Do not dry the jars, the water remnant will evaporate quickly.
Turn the heat off from under the beans and ladle the beans into the jar leaving a generous 1-inch headspace. Don’t discard the cooking water, as that will become the broth to fill the jars with.
I like to use a slotted spoon and evenly distribute all the hot beans between the jars before adding the cooking liquid. This way I don’t end up with a jar with just a few beans in the end.
You can add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart jar, if you want to. Salt helps the beans be more flavorful and helps them retain their color, but it is perfectly safe to can kidney beans without adding salt.
You can even add a little bit of your favorite dried herbs, such as red pepper flakes, marjoram, cumin, garlic powder or onion powder to each jar. Just know that the plainer the canned beans, the more versatile they are.
When the beans are distributed, ladle the bean broth into each jar leaving a 1-inch headspace. In leu of the bean broth, you can use hot fresh water or even hot broth.
Using an air bubble remover tool or silicone spatula, remove the air bubbles from the jars. Recheck the headspace, adding more liquid if needed. If you run out of bean broth, top the jars off with hot water.
Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp dishcloth and add the lids and bands. Screw bands on to fingertip tight, like you would a mayonnaise jar.
Place the jars in the prepared pressure canner, place lid on the pressure canner and lock into place. Processing time for kidney beans is 75 minutes for pint-size jars and 90 minutes for quart-size jars at 10 psi (69kPa), adjusting for altitude if needed.
Be sure to let the canner vent for 10 minutes and fully come up to the correct pressure before you start timing. (Follow the instructions that came with your pressure canner.)
When the beans are finished processing, turn off the heat and allow the canner to naturally depressurize. This will take 30-60 minutes. Refer to the instructions that came with your canner.
Once the pressure canner has depressurized, lay a clean towel on the counter to set the jars on. Remove the vent or open the petcock and let the canner sit for 10 minutes before opening the lid. This keeps the liquid in the jar from surging and lids being compromised.
When you remove the lid, open it away from your face to avoid the blast of steam. Let the jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before removing them.
Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and place them on the prepared kitchen towel to cool. Leave at least 1” space between the jars.
Let them cool for 12-24 hours and then check the seals the next morning. If all the jars have a proper seal, the jars are ready to be stored away in a cool place. The shelf life of home-canned beans is 12-18 months. If any jars failed to seal, put them in the refrigerator to use first.
Can I Water Bath Can Beans?
No! According to the groups that actually do the scientific research for developing safe canning methods and processing time for each food, such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation, the University of Georgia and Ball, it is not safe to water bath can dried beans.
Beans are a low-acid food and need the added pressure that pressure canners (weighted-gauge pressure canner or dial gauge pressure canner) provide to get the heat high enough to kill botulism spores. A water bath canner just cannot get the temperature that high.
I realize that there are some people can beans by water bath canning, but to me, the risk to too high. Their method doesn’t save any time and you can never be sure about the safety of the finished product. You can get a pressure canner for less than $100, which is an amazing price to guarantee the safety of your family.
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Canning Kidney Beans
Use this delicious home-canned kidney beans recipe to stock the pantry with shelf stable beans to be enjoyed in various recipes like chili, soups, and salads.
Ingredients
- Dried kidney beans
- Water
- Salt (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the dried kidney beans under cold water to remove any dirt or impurities. Then, place them in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow the beans to soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
- Drain and rinse the soaked kidney beans. Transfer them to a large pot and cover them with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and gently boil the beans for 30 minutes.
- Start by preparing your canning jars and lids. Wash them with hot, soapy water and rinse them thoroughly.
- While the beans are boiling, prepare your pressure canner according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fill the canner with water and heat it over medium heat.
- Put the clean jars in the pressure canner to keep them hot.
- After the beans have boiled for 30 minutes, remove them from the heat.
- Put a towel down on the counter and place the hot jars on the counter. Using a slotted spoon, divide the beans into the hot jars, leaving a generous 1 inch of headspace.
- If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar.
- Using a ladle and canning funnel, carefully fill the jars with the bean broth, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Ensure that the beans are fully submerged in the liquid.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth. Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until they are fingertip-tight.
- Carefully transfer the filled jars to the pressure canner using a jar lifter.
- Put the lid on the pressure canner and lock it in place.
- Process the beans at 10psi for 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes). Be sure to let the canner vent for 10 minutes and then bring it up to full pressure before starting the timer.
- Once the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the canner to depressurize naturally. Do not force-cool the canner.
- Once the canner has completely depressurized, remove the weight and unlock the lid.
- Let the canner rest 10 minutes before removing the lid. When you do remove the lid, be sure to remove it away from your face.
- Let the jars rest for another 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a clean towel on the counter. Allow them to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
- The next morning, check the lids to ensure they are properly sealed. Press down on the center of each lid. If it pops back up, the jar did not seal correctly and should be refrigerated and used within a few days. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Notes
For the overnight soak method: put the cleaned beans in a large bowl or stock pot and add 10 cups of water per 1 pound of beans or peas. Cover the bowl or pot and put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Be sure that there is enough water to completely cover beans as they rehydrate.
For the quick soak method: put the cleaned beans in a large stockpot and add 10 cups water per 1 pound of beans or peas. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Let the beans soak for 1 hour.
This recipe can be used to can all varieties of dried beans, such as navy beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cannellini beans and lima beans.
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Using Home Canned Kidney Beans
Home canned kidney beans can be used just like store bought kidney beans. They are perfect for adding to soups or chili. They can be mashed and used for refried beans. You can drain them and add them to a salad or serve them over rice. The possibilities are endless!
Here are a few dried bean recipes to inspire you.
Other Pressure Canning Recipes to Fill Your Pantry
Pressure canning is such a wonderful way to fill your pantry with shelf stable ingredients and even full meals. Check out these pressure canning recipes below and start filling your pantry shelves today.
Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup
For more pressure canning inspiration and recipes, get Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond which has over 90 pressure canning recipes in it.
