"How to Can Green Beans" by Thesurvivalmom.com

Try it Today! How to Can Green Beans in a Pressure Canner

Posted in: Canning, Featured, Skills, Try It Today

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Green beans are a great candidate for a first-time gardener and for someone new to canning. They grow well in lots of different gardening zones. They grow and produce rather quickly, and the more you pick them, the more they produce.

They are easy to can and will provide your familywith a green vegetable throughout the winter, making them a great choice for food storage. We love green beans in our house. It’s the only green vegetable my whole family likes, so we eat them about twice a week, with lots of bacon grease. You can find our favorite recipe here.

Equipment Required

1. Clean canning jars with lids and rings

1. Pressure canner with gauge and rack (you cannot use a water bath canner)

1. Canning funnel

1. Ladle or large spoon

1. Jar lifter

1. Magnetic lid wand

1. Non-metallic small spatula (I use a chopstick)

1. Large pot to heat jars

1. Large pot to heat beans

1. Colander

To Can Green Beans

1. Break ends off beans and then break into smaller, 1 – 1 ½ inch, pieces. (I normally break beans at night while watching TV and can them the next day; it takes awhile to get them all broken.) Rinse well in several changes of water.

1. Gather your equipment and wash with hot soapy water.

1. Place clean jars in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Place the lids in a smaller pot and bring to a simmer as well (do not boil lids.)

1. Add water to your pressure canner to the appropriate level (check the directions for your specific canner model) and turn the burner to medium. You want to warm the water to about 180 degrees, not boil it. Tip: add a splash of vinegar to your water to help keep your jars free from residue while processing.

1. Bring another large pot of water to a boil and add the broken, washed green beans. Boil for 5 minutes and remove beans from cooking liquid. Reserve cooking liquid to cover beans in jars.

1. Working one jar at a time, use your jar lifter to remove the jar from simmering water, dumping the water back into the pot.

1. Put the canning funnel on your jar and fill hot jar with hot beans, to 1 inch of headspace.

1. Add canning salt (optional) ½ tsp for pints, 1 tsp for quarts.

1. Ladle the hot cooking liquid over the beans, leaving 1-inch headspace.

1. Slide your spatula – or any non-metallic utensil – between the green beans and jar; press back gently on the beans to release any trapped air bubbles. Do this a couple times, then add more cooking liquid if necessary to the correct headspace.

1. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean, damp cloth. (Any liquid or debris on the rim of the jar could keep your lid from sealing properly.) Remove lid from hot water using a lid wand; place lid on jar and add the ring, screwing to fingertip tight (do not over-tighten).

1. Place jar on rack in pressure canner and repeat with remaining jars.

1. When all jars have been filled, put lid onto the canner and lock it into place, leaving the vent open. Turn up the heat under your canner and watch for the stream of steam to escape out the vent. When steam is escaping steadily, set your timer for 10 minutes, turning the burner down if needed to maintain a steady stream.

1. Once the steam has vented for 10 minutes, add your 10 lb pressure gauge (for altitudes below 1,000 ft above sea level, refer to this chart for proper adjustments) and turn the heat back up if you turned it down while the canner was venting.

1. Once your canner has come to the correct pressure, start your timer. (The weighted gauge will begin to rock when the correct pressure has been achieved.) Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes. Make sure to keep the pressure steady during this time. (Steady means the pressure gauge should be rocking gently back and forth for canner that use a weighted gauge.) When processing time is complete, turn off the burner.

1. Let canner cool down and return to zero pressure naturally, then let cool for at least an additional 10 minutes before opening the lid. Unfasten the lid and remove it. Always lift the lid towards you so that the steam inside doesn’t burn you. Let jars cool inside canner without lid for 10 minutes then remove each jar using your jar lifter and set on a dry towel to cool. Make sure to leave a couple inches between each jar. Let set  12 to 24 hours. You will hear a loud popping noise as the jars cool (the sound of success!!).

1. Remove bands and check to make sure your jars have sealed by pressing down in the center of the lid. If the lid pops back up, your jar hasn’t sealed correctly and should be refrigerated and consumed within one week. Store your canned goods in a cool, dry, dark place.

Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor!