Canning Pinto Beans

Why I Love Canning Pinto Beans

Canning pinto beans at home is one of my favorite ways to save time in the kitchen while keeping wholesome ingredients stocked in the pantry. Homemade canned beans are convenient for busy days and can be used in soups, chili, tacos, burritos, casseroles, and side dishes. I also love knowing exactly what goes into each jar without unnecessary preservatives or additives.

Another reason I enjoy canning dry beans is the long shelf life. Having jars of ready-to-use pinto beans on hand makes meal planning easier and helps reduce food waste. It’s a simple way to prepare homemade convenience food while using affordable pantry staples.

Best Ways to Use Canned Pinto Beans

Once your jars are ready, there are so many delicious ways to use home canned pinto beans. They can be heated and seasoned as a quick side dish, mashed into homemade refried beans, or added to soups and stews for extra protein and flavor.

Here are a few easy meal ideas:

• Homemade chili
• Taco bowls
• Burritos
• Bean soups
• Southwest salads
• Refried beans
• Cowboy caviar
• Slow cooker meals

Keeping canned beans in the pantry can make homemade meals faster and more convenient throughout the week.

Why Homemade Pantry Staples Matter

Learning traditional kitchen skills like canning can help create a more intentional and prepared home. Homemade pantry staples can save money, reduce trips to the grocery store, and provide peace of mind knowing meals are always within reach.

There’s something satisfying about seeing rows of filled jars on the pantry shelf. Home canning is not only practical, but it’s also a rewarding way to preserve simple ingredients for everyday use.

I use an Electric Pressure Canner a modern twist on traditional canning methods. It makes canning easier and less intimidating. If your new to canning I recommend a electric pressure canner over a traditional pressure canner. The electric canner can also be used for water bath canning. I can 7 wide mouth pint jars of pinto beans at a time in my electric canner.

Use to make homemade refried beans!

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Pressure Canning Pinto Beans

Easy no soak canned dry pinto beans.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword beans, canning beans, pinto beans

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Pressure canner
• funnel
• Debubbler
• Pint Jars
• Lids
• Rings
• Strainer

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Dry beans per jar
• 3/4 tsp Salt per jar
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder per jar
• 1/2 tsp cumin per jar
• Hot water Boiled

Instructions

• Measure out beans and add them into a strainer. For pints you will need 1/2 a cup of beans for every pint jar. Rinse them thoroughly in cold water and remove any debris or pebbles.
• In a large stock pot add hot water and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling set it aside.
• Prepare your jars, lids, and bands.
• Add water to your pressure canner up to the bottom fill line. Turn the burner on low heat to begin heating the water.
• Scoop 1/2 cup of washed beans to your jars. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt to each jar. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to each jar. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin to each jar.
  
• Pour the boiling hot water over the dry beans. Leave 1 inch headspace.
• Wipe the rim of each jar. Place your clean lids onto each jar and add a ring. Don't over tighten the rings but ensure they are on finger tight.
• Add your jars into heated water in your canner. Place your lid on and ensure it is locked. Turn up the heat on your stove. Once you see a steady stream of steam coming from the vent start the timer for 10 minutes. Dry beans need to process at 10 pounds of pressure. Allow it to vent for 10 minutes and then place your weighted gauge on the canner. Once the weighted gauge begins to rock start your timer for 75 minutes for pints.
• After the allotted processing time turn the burner off. Do not do anything to the canner. Allow the canner to cool naturally until the air vent has gone back down. Once the air vent goes back down remove the pressure regulator or weight whichever your canner has. Allow the canner to set for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes open your canner and using the jar lifter remove the jars from the canner.
• Place jars on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours. After 24 hours remove rings and check the seal. Any unsealed jars go into the refrigerator to be used first.
• Store sealed jars without rings to make sure the jars stay sealed. Don't use a canned food on the shelf if you can take the lid off easily by hand.

Notes

Soak the beans (optional): While not necessary, soaking the beans overnight can help the beans become easier to digest for those with stomach problems. If you choose to soak them, cover the beans with water in a large bowl and let them soak for 8-12 hours before the rinse and strain step. 

After soaking, each 1/2 cup of dried beans will expand to approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups of beans, as dried beans typically double or triple in size when rehydrated. The exact amount of expansion depends on the type of bean and its age, with older beans sometimes expanding less evenly or thoroughly.

Add the soaked or expanded beans into jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Then pour hot water over the beans, ensuring they are fully covered while maintaining the 1-inch headspace.