How to Can Green Beans
Here's how to can green beans in a pressure cooker. It's easier than you think!
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- Canning Jars with Lids amount will depend on the amount of beans
- 1 Jar Lifter for safely removing hot jars from the canner
- Clean, Dry Towels for wiping jar rims
Ingredients
- Fresh Green Beans approximately 2 lbs. of green beans are needed for each quart jar
- Canning Salt optional; 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar or 1 teaspoon per quart jar
- Water enough boiling water to fill each jar
- White Vinegar for hard water spots
Instructions
- Wash green beans in cold water.
- Throw any blemished beans.
- Snap the ends off of each bean.
- Chop, snap, or break beans into the desired size, or leave them whole.
- Wash the canning jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and rinse.
- Pack the raw string beans into each jar, as tightly as possible. It helps to lay the jar down and stack the beans in, so they stand up vertically.
- Add salt, if desired.
- Pour 3 quart jars of water into the pressure canner.
- Add one tablespoon of white vinegar.
- Loosely cover the canner with the lid and bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, put the lids in a pot of water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- While the lids are boiling, and the pressure canner is coming to a boil, boil a pot of hot water. (I like to use a tea kettle.)
- Fill the jars of green beans with boiling hot water.
- Place a lid on each jar and screw the band on tightly.
- Using the tongs, place each jar into the pressure cooker, spacing them out as evenly as possible.
- Lock the Canner Lid securely and heat over high heat until steam flows from the vent.
- Allow the steam to escape for 10 minutes, then place the pressure regulator on the vent.
- Process pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 25 minutes, at 10 lbs. of pressure for altitudes of 1000 feet or lower. Adjust the pressure and time needed for higher altitudes.
- After processing, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure canner to cool down naturally before opening the lid. Do not remove it from the burner.
- Leave the canner on the burner until the pressure drops to zero. Then, remove the pressure regulator.
- Remove the canner lid.
- Using a jar lifter or tongs, carefully remove the jars. Place them on a towel to cool for 12 to 24 hours.
- After cooling, check that the lids have sealed by gently pressing the center. A properly sealed lid will not flex up or down.
- If a jar has not sealed, refrigerate it and eat the green beans within a few days.
- Wipe down the jars with a warm dish cloth, and label them with the date and contents.
- Store your canned green beans in a cool, dark place.