How to Can Baked Beans

Baked beans are a popular side dish, especially at summertime events. As with most foods, people usually prefer homemade baked beans over the store-bought kind. You can make baked beans and can them so you have your own supply of this crowd-pleasing favorite.

Things You'll Need

• Dried navy beans
• Salt
• Lean salt pork, cubed
• Onions, sliced
• Dry mustard
• Packed brown sugar
• Molasses
• Pressure canner
• 6 pint canning jars with lids and rims

Instructions

1. Place dried navy beans in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Refrigerate the soaking beans for 12 to 18 hours.

2. Remove the pot from the refrigerator and salt them. Place the pot on the stove and cook the beans until the water boils. Turn down the heat and allow the beans to simmer until the skin of the beans starts to come apart.

3. Pour off and save the water. Add pork and onions to the beans. Combine the rest of the ingredients plus 4 cups of the saved liquid, and add it to the pot.

4. Put a lid on your pot and place it into a 350 degree F oven for 3 1/2 hours. Check to see that the mixture has enough liquid to remain runny. Add water to the pot as necessary.

5. Heat six canning jars with hot water or by drying them in the dishwasher. Pour the baked beans into each jar, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top of the jars.

6. Top the jars with their flat lids and screw down the rims. Place each filled jar into the rack of the pressure canner and set the rack inside the canner.

7. Add 2 to 3 inches of water to the pressure canner and close the lid tightly. Center your canner on the stove burner. Heat the pint jars in the pressure canner at 10 lbs. of pressure for 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish canning your baked beans.

Tips & Warnings

• Canning jars have either a company name or a design blown into the glass. These jars are very thick and can withstand high pressures.

• Ensure that your lids and rims fit exactly in order to get a good seal.

• Allow your pressure canner to expel any trapped air when you close the lid. See specific manufacturer recommendations for this process.

• Don't use recycled jars of any other type. Other types of jars can break during the canning process. Only use jars designed for canning.

Resources

• See Cooks.com for ingredient quantities.