Canning dried beans

Beans, beans,
Good for your heart.
The more you eat,
The more you...

Well, you know the rest.

Beans (what we call "soup beans" in the South) are a staple in my pantry. They're healthy (fantastic source of protein and fiber) and they're CHEAP.

Properly prepared, beans can be a meal in themselves. Fix a pot of beans, ladle them over a piece of cornbread, shake a few dashes of Crystal hot sauce over it all, and voila - supper is served.

When I was growing up, if anybody saw a big, strong boy, people often said that "his mama raised him on good ol' beans and taters and cornbread."

In these economic times, beans are taking center stage in many households. You can have your beans and eat them too - with a trick about canning your own.

I am not a big fan of storebought canned beans, mostly because they've got too much sodium and they just don't taste very good, to me. I don't know what sort of liquid those storebought beans are preserved in, but it ends up being this sweet, syrupy stuff. It tastes awful and it's dang near impossible to completely rinse it (and its taste) off the beans.

I really prefer dried beans. What I don't like about dried beans is how long it takes to cook them. Hours at best and overnight at worst.

Let's face it. I work a full-time job. Plus I keep up a household and run around after anywhere from 2-4 kids, plus a husband. Plus ministry. Plus I volunteer. Plus the gardening. Plus, plus, plus. I just don't have the time to babysit a pot of beans for hours. And to be honest, when I think about having beans, it's usually right when it's time to fix supper. I do well to think 30 minutes into the future, let alone hours.

I needed something that was a little more schedule friendly.

Solution? Can your own beans. Yes, it can be done (with a pressure canner)!

HOME CANNED BEANS

2 lbs. dried beans (white beans, navy, pinto, black, or your favorite dried beans, including multi-bean mix)
1 1/2 c. chopped onion (optional)
6 cloves of garlic or jarred crushed/chopped garlic (optional)
canning salt (optional)
quart canning jars
pressure canner

Wash and rinse jars, lids and bands for canning. Keep jars and lids hot. DO NOT BOIL LIDS.

Pick through the dried beans and remove any stones or "bad" beans. Rinse beans thoroughly.

In a large pot, cover beans with several inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Put 2-3 inches of water in pressure canner and bring to a boil. Put on another large pot of boiling water (for canning liquid for your jars of beans).

Drain and rinse beans. Loosely pack 1 1/2 cups of beans in each jar. (Don't worry that the beans don't fill up the jar - they will expand during the processing.)

If desired, add 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1 crushed clove of garlic (or about 1 tsp. jarred crushed garlic), and 1 tsp. canning salt in each jar.

Fill each jar with boiling water to 1 inch headspace. Put a canning lid on each jar and screw on a band only to finger-resistance.

Put the jars in the pressure canner and process 90 minutes at the correct pressure for your altitude.

2 pounds of dried beans yields about 6 quarts. A real money saver - just a few cents per quart jar.

To serve the beans: just open the jar into a pot - liquid and all. Cook for 20 minutes or so, or until the beans are mushy enough for you. You could add some bacon, ham, salt pork, or any other seasonings you like.

Or, for pinto beans, you can drain the beans and mash them in a blender or food processor to make your own bean dip or refried beans.