# Guess what I learned about canning Pinto beans



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

I purchased 20 LB bag of pinto beans to can.

I put one batch in my crock pot to slow cook all day per instructions I got off the internet. I put another batch on the stove. And am soaking another batch which is the entire twenty pounds. 

What did I learn?

TEWNTY LBS OF FRICKIN BEANS IS A LOT OF FRICKIN BEANS!!!!
I'll be canning all weekend.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I am planning on canning some beans but only a dozen or two jars of each kind at a time. I made about four pounds of pintos into refries and canned them. Note to self, do not over fill the jars. I've seen diapers that look better than the inside of that pressure canner.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

When I can beans I try to do it in small 1lb batches. Makes it easier to deal with but then you just learned this...


----------



## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

I don't want to be anywhere near you when you eat all of that.


----------



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

Copy that partner, any idea of recommended head space.
I'm assuming more than the normal one inch.



Caribou said:


> I am planning on canning some beans but only a dozen or two jars of each kind at a time. I made about four pounds of pintos into refries and canned them. Note to self, do not over fill the jars. I've seen diapers that look better than the inside of that pressure canner.


----------



## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

When I can them I just put 2/3 cups or .25 lb dry beans in the jar, fill it with water and process.

Your looking at ~80 pints of canned beans.


----------



## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I have to ask....why can them when you can just keep them forever in a 5 gallon bucket and cook them as needed?


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Moby76065 said:


> Copy that partner, any idea of recommended head space.
> I'm assuming more than the normal one inch.


I'm obviously not the one to ask. I had less than an inch of head space. Previously, fish and meat had good results at this level. I figured that as the beans were already cooked and mashed that expansion would not be significant. I wish this was the worst mistake I ever made. I have a case of scotch on the way to give me the courage to try again.


----------



## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

kejmack said:


> I have to ask....why can them when you can just keep them forever in a 5 gallon bucket and cook them as needed?


Why store them in buckets if you can have them canned and ready to eat and keep them forever?


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Be sure and tell us how many jars it took!


Moby76065 said:


> TEWNTY LBS OF FRICKIN BEANS IS A LOT OF FRICKIN BEANS!!!!


That "Blazing Saddles" has to be one of the best movie scenes of all times!



Marcus said:


> I don't want to be anywhere near you when you eat all of that.


----------



## pawpaw (Dec 21, 2011)

kejmack said:


> I have to ask....why can them when you can just keep them forever in a 5 gallon bucket and cook them as needed?


If I had the space, time, and normal cooking resources of pre-SHTF, I'd far rather put up some food which only needs warmed up to eat. Post-SHTF, a pot of beans taking hours to cook might attract any hungry person(s) within quite a distance, or signal zombies that you must have quite the set-up over at your place. Where practical, it's good OPSEC.


----------



## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

I have read some one year food supply lists that recommended all canned beans. :dunno:


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

25% of my beans in storage are canned(not tinned). I figure I can eat those first then move to the dried beans.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I can some fer normal eatin er durin a short term disaster. Then I got dried stored fer later. Never hurts ta have some a each.


----------



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

kejmack said:


> I have to ask....why can them when you can just keep them forever in a 5 gallon bucket and cook them as needed?


Darlin.....I have been asking myself that all weekend.

I'm finishing up the last pressure canner run of 5 quarts.
I've made 9 gallons of damn pinto beans.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME??

For some reason I always want to do 20 lbs of what ever.
I need professional help.
I'm sure Davarm is laughing at me.


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Just snickering! As for your question "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME??"?

I have the answer to that one, You Only Got 20 Fricken Pounds!



Moby76065 said:


> I'm sure Davarm is laughing at me.


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

kejmack said:


> I have to ask....why can them when you can just keep them forever in a 5 gallon bucket and cook them as needed?


And there you have it ...


----------



## fondini (Mar 18, 2012)

Moby76065 said:


> I purchased 20 LB bag of pinto beans to can.
> 
> I put one batch in my crock pot to slow cook all day per instructions I got off the internet. I put another batch on the stove. And am soaking another batch which is the entire twenty pounds.
> 
> ...


Lol! That is funny!


----------



## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well you better can some green chile too or its gonna be a long slow journey through your frijoles! Don't think you can can tortillas though  just think, you can survive crap-pocalypse with the same diet my great grandpappy served!! Better can some toilet paper too.


----------



## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

Grimm said:


> 25% of my beans in storage are canned(not tinned). I figure I can eat those first then move to the dried beans.


I've probably put up around 7-8 canner loads of pintos since last summer. They're MREs, period. I add lots of ham to mine, it's actually a really fine eating 'pork & beans'.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

kyredneck said:


> I've probably put up around 7-8 canner loads of pintos since last summer. They're MREs, period. I add lots of ham to mine, it's actually a really fine eating 'pork & beans'.


So you just add the ham and nothing else?


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Grimm, It's really just a matter of taste preference. I know folks who change up the recipe same as other meals.

The basics; Beans -- Water -- Ham.....
Add salt, onion, garlic, spices as desired.

My grandmother, used to only cook hers on the stove, overnight, after carefully hand picking through the beans, she added ham, and bacon grease for flavoring and salt. I can still taste them now, and have been trying for years to get my recipe to match hers. I'm getting closer each batch.

I like mine a little spicier so I add some cumin, chili and cayenne pepper powder. But to each his own. Some of the 1lb packages I have seen recently have a "ham flavor" packet. Haven't tried using that yet, as I live in the middle east for work and haven't found the beans with ham flavor just yet.

Don't forget the most important part of the Pinto beans regardless of how you prepare them.

CORNBREAD​


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

smaj100 said:


> Grimm, It's really just a matter of taste preference. I know folks who change up the recipe same as other meals.
> 
> The basics; Beans -- Water -- Ham.....
> Add salt, onion, garlic, spices as desired.
> ...


Recipe would be helpful. I am always looking for new ones to try.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Grimm,

All I can give is a basic recipe as most of what and how I cook is by taste and feel. I'll give you a run down of the basic not spicy version.

Since I am living alone just for me I use the 1lb packages. I am able to find smoked pork belly, and I try to find ones with a good balance between meat and fat. I like the smoke flavoring. I partially thaw the pork, separate the fat from the meat leaving the fat in as big of chunks as possible to remove it after cooking.

I dumb the beans into a strainer basket rinse, look for rocks or other things that shouldn't be in the beans. Place in a bowl or pot and cover with a liberal amount of water cover and let sit overnight at least 8hrs or so.

The next morning, I dice a med sized onion up pretty small, not quite minced but close. Place the onions, beans, a tsp or 2 of minced garlic, cut up the meat from the pork (leave the fat in big chunks), and salt I use sea salt for most of my cooking so It usually requires a little more 1-2TBSP initially. Cover with what the package directions say I think 6-8 cups. I like my beans a little thicker so I use the low side of 6. All of this goes in the crockpot on low put the lid on and leave it till dinner.

About an hour before I am ready to eat dinner, I pull the lid and taste test. Now I can add a little more salt, garlic or onion powder or any other spices. If it's too thin (runny) I turn the pot to Hi and leave it uncovered stirring once in awhile to help cook off the water. About 30 minutes before dinner, I start the cornbread. I don't have a muffin pan and the only way my wife likes cornbread is like pancakes (so I cook the cornbread like pancakes with butter in a cast iron skillet).

Hope this helps, all this talk of beans makes me think im gonna start some for dinner tomm.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

smaj100 said:


> Grimm,
> 
> All I can give is a basic recipe as most of what and how I cook is by taste and feel. I'll give you a run down of the basic not spicy version.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I wonder how well this 'recipe' would can.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

I know it freezes well. I've never canned it but I don't have any canning stuff here.  I would think if you nail down a recipe taste you like it would be easy to assemble and then can before cooking so the beans dont get double cooked and turn to refried beans and ham. 

If you can them let me know.


----------



## Scotsman (Jan 24, 2013)

How long the canned beans last before they go bad?
What about refried beans?


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Scots,

I would say they would last just as long as most any other canned product. IMHO 3-5 years. The re-fried bean comment, was aimed at the over cooking of the beans during the canning process. IF you cook the beans until they are finished like you are making dinner, I would think then recooking them while canning and they might turn to mush (ie. re-fried beans)


----------



## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

I think the home canned beans will last until the rust on the lid gets so bad that it pops the lid.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Packer,

Do the beans become acidic? I've gotten pickles and sauerkraut from my grandmothers root cellar and they were over 5yrs old. They all ate and tasted fine, pickles were a little mushy not real crisp.


----------



## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

smaj100 said:


> Packer,
> 
> Do the beans become acidic? I've gotten pickles and sauerkraut from my grandmothers root cellar and they were over 5yrs old. They all ate and tasted fine, pickles were a little mushy not real crisp.


I don't think so.

We are eating 4 year old apple sauce right now and it's just as good, if not better, as it was when it was first canned.


----------



## Scotsman (Jan 24, 2013)

Thank you smaj. I got where you were going with your refried beans comment, and that got me wondering how long actual refried beans would last, since they have oil or lard in them.


----------

