How to Can Green Beans

Canning green beans is a great way to preserve them! Learning how to can green beans might seem difficult, but it’s easier than you think! In just a few minutes, you can have flavorful and shelf stable fresh green beans in your pantry!

When I first began learning how to can foods (Six Dollar Family), one of the first canning “projects” I did was canning green beans. While the idea of pressure canning green beans scared me at first, it is so simple to do that I actually laughed at myself for being afraid to learn how to can green beans.

Pressure Canning Green Beans

Knowing how to make canned green beans is important for three big reasons.

Okay, I consider them big reasons. You may not.

The first is the emergency preparedness value of having shelf stable food. We have already seen food shortages in 2020 and the likelihood of it happening again soon is very good. Having a pantry full of shelf stable food will help you guard against those shortages and keep your family well-fed.

The next reason for canning green beans and other foods is the savings value. Knowing how to can food is a great way to buy food on sale to keep it for later. I recently did this with chicken breast that I picked up for $0.87/lb and had no freezer space for.

Finally, there is a health value to canning food at home. If an emergency does happen or you simply have a lazy night where you don’t feel much like cooking, you have ready to heat and eat foo that is not take out. Not only is this easier on your wallet but it is your body was well.

How to Use Home Canned Green Beans

The beauty of learning how to can green beans is that they can be used just like fresh or store bought canned! In other words, use them in your favorite green bean recipes!

I personally love to use them in my slow cooker green beans and potato dinner (Six Dollar Family). They’re fantastic in a roasted green beans recipe (Six Dollar Family) and we really like them in my gluten free chicken and vegetables skillet recipe (Six Dollar Family)

How to Can Green Beans Without a Pressure Cooker

If you’re wondering how to can green beans without a pressure cooker, guess what?

According to the USDA (National Center for Home Food Preservation), you can’t.

The last time the USDA tested canning green beans was 2009 and according to them, green beans must be pressure canned in order to kill botulism toxin and any other potential toxins.

Now, with that said; I do know people who follow canning rules for countries other than the US. These folks can green beans in a water bath for an hour. This is made safe by adding a small amount of 5% acidity white vinegar to each jar.

By increasing the acidity of the green beans, they’re safe to water bath.

But this post is not about how to water bath can green beans. We will be pressure canning green beans in this here post. .

What Supplies Do I Need to Can Green Beans?

If you have never canned before, there are a few must-have canning supplies (Six Dollar Family) that you’ll need before you can get started making canned green beans.

Because green beans require pressure canning, you’ll need to have a good pressure canner to process them in. THIS (Amazon) is the one I use most of the time and love it!

You will also need:

• Canning Lid Lifter (Amazon)
• Jar Lifter (Amazon)
• Canning Funnel (Amazon)
• Mason Jars (Amazon)
• Lids and Rings (Walmart)
• Canning Salt (optional) (Walmart)
• Sharp Knife (Amazon)

Do I Need to Sanitize Canning Jars and Boil Canning Lids?

One upon a time, it was recommended that you sterilize all canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them, however, these days we know that it is not all necessary. Since your canning jars will be processed at temps higher than boiling, the only thing necessary is to wash and dry your canning jars well.

With that said, lids should still be boiled. The reason behind this is that boiling helps to soften the rubber around your seal. Simply simmer them until you need them.

The Process to Can Green Beans

The process for canning green beans is a bit time consuming but totally worth it. It can be easiest if you’re canning a lot of green beans to work in batches.

1. Wash the green beans well.
2. Trim or snap the ends and pull the string. Honestly, it’s far quicker to use a knife to trim them, however, snapping is rather zen like.
3. Cut green beans to the length you prefer. Most do either bite sized pieces or leave whole.
4. Fill canning jars. Add 1 tsp canning salt per jar if you prefer. This is for taste only so it’s perfectly fine to leave it out.
5. Add boiling water to jars then top with lid and ring tightened finger tight.
6. Vent canner for 10 minutes and process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes according to your altitude.

Green Beans Canning Altitude Chart

ALTITUDE                  DIAL GAUGE              WEIGHTED GAUGE

• 0-1000 11lbs 10lbs
• 1001-2000 11lbs 15lbs
• 2001-4000 12lbs 15lbs
• 4001-6000 13lbs 15lbs
• 6001-8000 14lbs 15lbs
• 8001-10000 15lbs 15lbs