How to Can Green Beans Without a Pressure Cooker

Green beans are typically canned with a pressure cooker to ensure safety. If you don't have a pressure cooker, learn how to process green beans in a water bath as an alternative method.

Things You'll Need

• 6 quarts washed and cut green beans
• Knife
• 2 quart-sized sauce pans
• Quart canning jars
• Rims and bands
• Water processing canner
• Water basket to fit inside the canner
• Long-handled tongs
• Towels
• Salt
• White Vinegar
• Timer

Instructions

1. Wash the green beans and cut the tips off the ends. Cut the beans into 1-inch-long pieces.

2. Cook the beans in 6 cups of water, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of salt for 20 minutes in a quart-sized sauce pan. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Fill the canner half full with water. Place the wire basket in the canner and place the empty jars in the wire basket. Set the canner on a large burner on the stove top and heat the water on high until it boils.

4. Place the lids and jar bands in another quart-sized sauce pan and cover them with water. Heat the water and simmer the lids and bands until ready to use.

5. Remove the jars from the canner and place on a rack on the counter. Fill each quart jar with the precooked beans and the liquid they were cooked in. Fill each jar so there is one inch of head space at the top of the jars. Wipe the mouth of each jar with a clean cloth, place a hot lid on the top, and lightly screw on a band. Do not over-tighten the band.

6. Place the quart jars back in the canner and process them for 3 hours. Set the timer so you process them for exactly this time.

7. Watch the canner during the processing period because it is very important that the water continue to boil and that the quart jars are continuously covered with at least one inch of water. Add more water as needed to keep the water level above the jars at all times.

8. Turn the burner off when the three hours of processing time has elapsed. Allow the water in the canner to cool slightly. Spread a hand towel out on the counter, lift out the jars with the tongs, and place them on the towel.

9. Leave the jars undisturbed on the counter for 24 hours.

10. Check each jar after 24 hours to make sure each jar sealed properly. Press down on the center of each lid. If there is no audible click on the lid when you press on it, the jar sealed properly. If you hear a click, the jar did not seal and it will have to be sealed and processed again.

11. Repeat steps 3 through 10 with any jars that did not seal properly. Store jars that sealed properly for up to one year.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish