Canning Pinto Beans Recipe

Learn how to pressure can pinto beans at home! Pinto beans are super versatile. They can be the main dish or play a supporting role in recipes like soup! In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you how to pressure can dry pinto beans so you can stock your pantry with yummy ready-to-eat pinto beans.

I was a new wife, a new mom, money was tight, and I needed to stretch our grocery budget. Canning was one of those things that helped do that. Since I didn’t live near family, I’d call my great-aunt Jean for canning tips, and she’d walk me through the process on anything I was working on.

As the years went on, her memory started to fade, and the instructions got a little fuzzier and more confusing. That’s when I started collecting all the canning books to teach myself how to can, and pinto beans were one of the first things I canned without asking Aunt Jean. I’m so grateful for those phone calls and the knowledge I gleaned from her, and I miss her tons.

Why You’ll Love Having Home-Canned Beans on Your Pantry Shelf:

• Cost-Effective: Buying dry beans in bulk and canning them can be cheaper than buying them from the store.

• Quality Control: You have more control over where you source your beans and what ingredients you are adding, or not adding, to them.

• Versatile: Beans are a great addition to many dishes. They’re great for bean burritos and refried beans, dips, and added to soups or chili!  There are so many options. 

• Save time: All the hard work has been done already, no need to remember to soak your dry pinto beans for dinner just grab a jar from your shelf!

To soak or not to soak the beans? 

This question always turns into a debate between the “rebel” canners and the “by-the-book” canners online. 

Rebels will add a cup of dry beans into a quart jar, add seasoning, top it with water, and pressure can as is.

The safe canners soak first to rehydrate the beans and help pre-digest some of those gas-causing compounds beans are famous for. 😉

I tried the rebel method for the sake of trying it for myself. The result was jars that weren’t full of beans, as you can see below, and a handful of them were undercooked. 

When I shared my rebel method results on social media, a few people said they can dry beans all the time, and theirs always fill the jar just fine. I asked them if they extended their processing time, and they said they stuck to the recommended 90 minutes.

On the flip side, I had quit a few people say they had the same results as me, including my mom, soooo???

I will be sticking with the soaking method; it has always given me consistent results.

“But…is the rebel method UNSAFE?”

There are plenty of canners out there who swear by the no-soak method. And honestly,  I’ve never read or heard of anyone keeling over from a jar of “rebel” home-canned beans.

That being said, here are a few things to take into consideration when making a decision on what method you want to use.

When something gets labeled “unsafe” in the canning world, it usually comes down to one big, scary word…botulism. And yeah, it sounds dramatic because it really can be serious.

The good news is that pressure canning has built-in safeguards that drastically reduce that risk. 

First off, when you pressure can at the right PSI, the canner reaches 240ºF. That’s the temperature that kills off harmful bacteria and spores when it’s maintained for the full processing time.

Processing times are based on density. The denser the food, the longer it takes for heat to fully penetrate the center of the jar. 

Beans are little bricks, dense and starchy bricks. The density of the bean and the starch play a role in how the heat is going to penetrate through the jar. Fun fact: The older the bean, the less moisture it has, and it becomes even MORE dense. 

Soaking hydrates the beans and starts breaking down starches ahead of time. Hydration changes how heat moves through the beans, which gives you a head start on heat penetration during processing. Tossing the soaking water gets rid of some of that starch as well.

So is the no-soak method dangerous? As I said, I’ve never known or read about anyone getting sick from beans canned the rebal way. But it isn’t the method that the tested processing times were built around, and could increase the risk of botulism. So like I always say, your kitchen, your rules. Do your research and make a decision you are comfortable with. I am not the canning police. 😉

Bottom line for me with pinto beans is I prefer my jars all the way full, so I’ll keep soaking my beans.

If you’re ever nervous, there’s one more safety net.  According to the CDC you can also boil your home-canned food for 10 minutes before serving (add 1 minute per 1,000 feet of elevation) to further reduce the risk of botulism.

Ok, if you’ve made it this far, you get 10 points 🙂

If you’ve decided to soak your beans before canning them, let’s get started.

You will need the following ingredients:

• Dried pinto beans – using fresh, dry pinto beans ensures optimal flavor and nutrition. As I mentioned, the older the bean, the less moisture it has, and it becomes even MORE dense, making it harder for heat to penetrate through. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends 5 pounds of pinto beans for 7 quarts of jars. This has always been too much for 7 quarts in my experience. I shoot for about 1/2 pound per jar.

• Water – Liquid is important when canning. Not only does it help the beans finish cooking properly, it also helps circulate the heat all the way into the center of the jar. This prevents uneven heating and cold spots. Even heating is important to properly penetrate the jar and kill off any pathogens.

• Canning salt – Adding salt to pinto beans is purely for flavor and has nothing to do with preserving the beans. I love using Redmond’s sea salt. It’s not a canning salt, but it doesn’t have any anti-caking agents in it and is perfectly safe to use.

You will need the following equipment:

• Pressure canner: I use a 23-quart induction-compatible pressure canner. This is a great canner for beginners who need a more affordable option. It’s also lighter and safer to use on smooth top glass stoves. It can also double as a water bath canner for high-acid foods. I have never had any issues using a Presto canner for 20 years on a smooth glass stop. Note: Please read your instruction manual and decide for yourself if you’re comfortable using your pressure canner on your smooth glass-top stove. The All-American pressure canner is also a fantastic option, and most well-seasoned canners lean in this direction.

Canning rack: Your pressure canner should come with a canning rack for the bottom of your canner. You never want to put your jars straight on the bottom of the canner. I like to have two racks, one for the bottom and one for stacking jars if I’m using pint jars. Whether of not you can stack jars will depend on pressure canner size.

Canning kit: It should include a jar grabber, canning funnel, lid magnet, and bubble popper/headspace measurer. 

Clean kitchen towel or a bath towel for cooling hot processed jars. Laying a toweldown to place piping hot jars on protects your jars and your counters.

Canning jars: I love using wide-mouth quart jars, but regular mouth jars will work too. 

Canning lids and rings: If you buy new jars, they will come with lids and rings. If you are using used jars, make sure you have enough lids and rings on hand. Save your rings; you can reuse them if they are in good condition (no dents, major rust, etc.). However, you need a new lid each time you preserve something new. You can, however, reuse old lids for vacuum-sealing jars or everyday use if they are free of dents. 

How to Pressure Can Pinto Beans

Prepare the Beans

Sort through your beans looking for anything that doesn’t belong. I pick out discolored, broken, and shriveled beans. Occasionally, I’ll find a rogue pebble.  Is it the end of the world if a tiny pebble finds its way into your jar of beans? Probably not. However, it might be the end of someone’s tooth. 😉 

After you’ve sorted the beans, give them a good rinse. 

When it comes to soaking the beans, you can do it one of two ways:

Overnight Method: Add them to a large clean bowl or pot, cover the beans with cool water, and store in a cool place overnight for 12-18 hours. 

Quick Soak Method: Add beans to a large pot, and cover with water. Boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat, and let sit for one hour.

The beans will expand and soak up a lot of the water, so make sure you have a big enough bowl or pot and plenty of water to cover the beans with either method. I usually shoot for about 3 times the amount of water to the volume of beans. 

When beans are done soaking, drain the water and cover the beans with fresh water.

Boil the beans on high for 30 minutes. When finished boiling, turn off the heat.

Ladle the hot beans into your jar, leaving an inch of headspace. I like to use a slotted spoon to keep any cooking water out of the jar.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt for quarts and 1/2 teaspoon for pints. 

Add fresh hot water to the jar, leaving a 1-inch headspace.

Debubble your jars.

​After debubbling, check for a 1-inch headspace. If the liquid level dropped after debubbling, go ahead and add more to achieve the proper headspace.

Wipe down the rim of the jar with a damp, clean cloth or paper towel.

Add your lid and ring, tightening just finger tip tight. Add the jar to the canner and repeat for the remaining jars.

Process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 75, adjusting PSI for altitude. (see below)

Altitude adjustments:

1 – 1,000 ft: 10 pounds for weighted gauge, 11 pounds for dial gauge
1,001 – 2,000 ft: 15 pounds for weighted gauge, 11 pounds for dial gauge
2,001 – 4,000 ft: 15 pounds for weighted gauge, 12 pounds for dial gauge
4,001 – 6,000 ft: 15 pounds for weighted gauge, 13 pounds for dial gauge
6,001 – 8,000 ft: 15 pounds for weighted gauge, 14 pounds for dial gauge
8,001 – 10,000 ft: 15 pounds for weighted gauge, 15 pounds for dial gauge

There’s just something comforting about a pantry lined with jars of food you put up yourself. Having tender, ready-to-eat pinto beans is perfect for busy nights. Use them in burritos, make refried beans, and toss them into soups and chili! A pantry stable that makes homemade easy.

We love using these home-canned pinto beans in our Cheesy Pinto Beans (Easy, Creamy, and Ready in 20 Minutes) recipe!

If you’re in pantry stocking mode, here are a few more of our favorite pantry staples!

Pressure Canning Chicken Soup Recipe | Tutorial

Canning Beef Tutorial: Great for Beginners (Raw Pack Method)

How to Can Chicken (Raw Pack Method)