All of the things you need to know for pressure canning green beans

I was always afraid that the pressure canner would blow a hole in the ceiling, or worse, blow up in my face. Hence, I have always stuck to water bath canning, freezing, dehydrating and freeze drying.

Thank goodness for community and knowing people that know other skills!! Marla of Dibble and Bloom was able to give us a hands on lesson on pressure canning.

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Pressure Canning Class

woman with brown hair smiling wearing a light blue long sleeve shirt, with a blue and white headband holding a bowl pouring into another bowl in front of a lime green wall

During the in-person Pressure Canning Class Dibble and Bloom hosted just outside of Humboldt, Iowa, we learned the processes of pressure canning. Also-It was so much fun to meet up with others from the community! Even though we were all learning, asked a lot of questions, and asked questions to get to know one another, the old saying, “many hands make light work,” really made a short job of preserving green beans that were grown in my garden. The green beans were Provider Bush Green Beans purchased from TrueLeaf Market. I’ll definitely be buying these again (ok, well saving seed from them!).

What types of things should you pressure can vs. waterbath can.

Anything that is a low acid food should be pressure canned. This would include things like (and please note, this is NOT a complete list!)

Examples of foods that can be Waterbath Canned

Jams/jellies/chutneys/preserves
Fruits
Sauces
Salsa (with appropriate acid added)
Anything pickled in a vinegar brine

Examples of foods that should be pressure canned

Vegetables
- Potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn
Meat
Broth/bone broth
Soup

When making the decision on whether or not to pressure can, you MUST always think about your weakest link.

Think about this example. Let’s say I made a soup for an event, like Vegetable Hamburger Soup, loaded with carrots, beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, and ground beef. I have a ton leftover because there was rain for an outdoor event. What should I do with it? I could always cool it down quickly, and freeze it.

I could also pressure can it. This would allow me a little more wiggle room in my freezer in the event of a power outage. I cannot waterbath can this recipe because my weakest links that would have to be pressure canned anyway – potatoes, carrots, beans, corn, are in the recipe. It doesn’t matter that there are tomatoes in there. I HAVE to go by the items in the recipe that have low pH. If there is a low pH food = PRESSURE CAN.

Let’s say I have leftover Loaded Baked Potato Soup loaded with cream, milk and cheese. This unfortunately cannot be pressure canned. It could be frozen though!

Shawn Mills of Hack my Homestead Off Grid Solutions for an on Grid World” talks about frequently how we need to become more aware of what we would do in a scenario where we don’t have power for weeks at a time due to grid power failures.

Recipes to use for canning

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach mentioned in their article about canning that recipes should be followed, and recommended the following resources:

USDA Complete Guide to Canning (2015)
National Center for Home Food Preservation
So Easy to Preserve
Play It Safe. Safe Substitutions to Tested Canning Recipes
Modifying Canning Recipes by South Dakota State University Extension
Ingredients Used in Home Preservation by Penn State Extension

I’m going to add another – The Ball Blue Book.

Another great resource, Canning Made Easy, by Jill Winger of Old Fashioned on Purpose. She already has a bunch of great information about how to can her-go check it out. She also has a post, The Best Canning Resources. Her podcast, Old Fashioned on Purpose, where she talked about canning topics in the following episodes:

The Old Fashioned on Purpose podcast is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to! See my other top podcast choices HERE!

Basics of pressure canning:

Gather Equipment:

Pressure canner -make sure you have your pressure canner checked yearly BEFORE using. You’ll want to check for signs of wear (dents), and corrosion, on the body and on the lid. The dial gauge should be tested annually for accuracy. Your local extension office personnel may have the equipment to test the accuracy of most dial-gauge canner brands such as Presto, National, Maid of Honor, and Magic Seal. National Presto Industries will also test gauges for free.
Canning jars with lids and bands – Dibble and Bloom and I thoroughly recommend Ball Brand flat lids and bands. Remember flat lids cannot be reused, but bands can as long as they aren’t dented or rusting. *I do NOT recommend Country Classics (found at our local farm store) for any food preservation where heat has to be added. They work great for dry storage (dried herbs, popcorn, dried beans, etc)
Jar lifter
Canning funnel
Bubble remover/headspace tool (you can get the jar lifter, tongs, funnel, magnetic wand, and bubble remover in one kit. Just FYI, this makes a great wedding present for your homesteading friends!)
Clean towels and dishcloths

Prepare Jars:

Wash jars, lids, and bands with hot soapy water. You can use a dishwasher to get these items EXCEPT the flat lids. Hand wash those bad boys.
Keep jars warm in hot water until ready to use. Marla recommended using a counter top electric skillet to keeps these items warm. Works great! I have adopted this practice as well. Remember to keep the flat lids facing the same direction so the seal doesn’t seal to another seal-that SUCKS! I like to have them seal down so I don’t have to touch them when I’m putting them onto the jars. Marla likes to have them up. Personal preference, figure out what works for you!

Prepare Food:

Follow a tested canning recipe for the specific food. See above!!!
Pack food into jars, leaving the recommended headspace.

Remove Air Bubbles:

Use a bubble remover to eliminate air pockets. A butter knife or a super skinny spatula works great for this. No special equipment needed.
Adjust headspace if needed.

Wipe Jar Rims:

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to ensure a good seal.

Apply Lids and Bands:

Place the lid on the jar and screw on the band until fingertip tight. That tool that comes in some canning equipment sets really is completely useless. You do NOT want to get them too tight.

Load the Canner:

Place the filled jars on the rack in the pressure canner. Sometimes your pressure canner is able to be stacked with jars on the inside. COOL! Only do this if recommended, and remember to place the pressure canner rack on the bottom to prevent the jars from sitting right on a direct heat source. That is when they break.
Add the recommended amount of water to the canner.

Seal the Canner:

Lock the canner lid in place. Sometimes you need to focus on what the arrows are telling you on the top.
Leave the vent open to allow steam to escape.

Vent Steam:

Heat the canner on high and allow steam to vent for 10 minutes.
Close the vent or place the weight on the vent pipe.

Build Pressure:

Allow the pressure to build to the level recommended in your recipe.
Start timing the process once the desired pressure is reached. If the pressure ever drops below the recommended pressure for your recipe you must start the time over once it has reached the proper pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pressure Canning

What to do if your pressure drops below target amount?!

Here’s an example to think about that I’m sure almost everyone can relate to. You get everything ready, jars are filled, lids are on, jars go into the pressure canner. You’re doing something that requires 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Everything is going well so you start doing dishes. The dog starts barking, your neighbor Betty is coming in the driveway. The toddler starts screaming. The baby has taken off their diaper and there is poop on the wall, carpet and window.

You decide it is probably best to shut off the pressure canner with seven minutes left on the timer to allow neighbor Betty to come to the house to get her cup of sugar and leave while you clean up the baby. The task of cleaning the literal poop off of everything is finished. You get back to the stove to work on your food. The pressure in the canner has dropped back down to zero.

To remedy this situation you should do a few things:

Take a deep breath. Children are a blessing. Neighbors are wonderful when you need something. Everything will be ok.
Just mentally prepare yourself. This stuff you’re pressure canning may not be the quality you’re used to. It is likely going to be more mushy than you’re used to. Maybe think about noting the quality issue on the jar once it’s done, and consider using this in your inventory first.
Turn the heat back on for the pressure canner and get it to the correct pressure and then start the timer over again for the full, original amount of time. This is the only way to ensure whatever you’re canning is going to be safe to consume. This is science. It is not an art. Be safe rather than sorry!

Maintain Pressure:

Adjust the heat to maintain consistent pressure for the entire processing time. Marla showed us during the class how you can wrap your hand in a towel and press down on the pressure relief valve to let some steam escape. This will lower the pressure inside, and make your reading come down.

Depressurize:

Once processing time is complete, turn off the heat.
Allow the canner to cool and depressurize naturally. This can take up to about 40 minutes. Be patient. Do a load of laundry, water your animals, play with your kids. Don’t rush this.

Remove Jars:

Unlock and carefully remove the canner lid, opening it away from you.
Use a jar lifter to remove the jars and place them on a towel. Always with the lid upright.

Cool and Seal:

Let jars cool for 12-24 hours undisturbed.
Check for seals by pressing the center of each lid; it should not pop up.

Store:

Label and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
Take rings off after jars have sealed. Do this to ensure the flat lid didn’t loose it’s seal, and then reseal on it’s own. This is not safe.
Refrigerate any jars that did not seal properly and use them right away.

"I take my rings off...Getting pings all day baby, all day" in black cursive font with a cottage kitchen in the background with four steaming jars, jars on a rack to the upper right, flowers and plants and other kitchen utensils in the background of image — *This is an example of one of the products available*
*in our online Rooted Delight store!*

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