Canning Kidney Beans

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jessireb

Assistant Cook
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
21
I would like to can kidney beans for chili, but I can't find any information on them. Has anyone here canned them before?
 
No fresh ones here, just the dried kind you get at the store. I can get them so much cheaper. DH thinks I am crazy for wanting to can kidney beans, but I think they would taste so much better.
 
Well, I have to admit that I don't know how canning dried beans would improve their flavor - but I could see maybe doing some for emergency situations when you have no way to cook dried beans and need something on hand that you can eat out of the "can".
 
I "can" a large portion of my dried beans for the very reason mentioned, in an emergency situation one probably will not have that much water available for rehydrating dried beans (or rice for that matter). Canned beans provide the protein and also liquid.

The beans can be done with just water or in a tomato or molasses sauce that improves it flavor for future meals.
 
When I said they have to taste better, I was comparing them to the ones you buy in the store. I have never rehydrated dry beans, not enough time in my days to do that, so I usually buy the canned and use them. I also am all about convenience. If I can whip up a good meal in 1/2 hour - instead of spending 2 hours in the evening cooking and then cleaning up the kitchen, I am all for convenience.

I will be trying beans in the dead of winter, as my cousin who works for Penndot informs me that we are going to have one &$@! of a winter this year, with record snowfall! That will give me something to do while I am snowed in.
 
I have canned a number of different dried beans. The procedure calls for a lengthy soaking period before the canning; I add bay leaves to the soaking beans. Honestly can't tell if that adds any flavor because the beans are usually used in highly spiced dishes, but I like to add bay leaves to foods!
 
I soak dry beans overnight in the crock pot. Then in the am, I rinse the beans, add a little onion and leave them cooking all day. I even bought a bigger crock so I could freeze some for later. I have done just about every type of bean this way.

I freeze 2 cup portions in quart zip lock freezer bags. By freezing flat on a tray I am able to stack up several and they are easy to see what kind they are.
 
I like to can dry beans for convienience. And I think they taste better home canned than store canned. Even when I make a batch of beans it's usually too much for one person and I am the only one in my home that likes beans. When I can them it takes just as much time, but I only have to do it once to have many meals.

I've never done kidneys though. My favorite are pink beans. The large lime beans get too soft canning, I probably won't do those ones anymore.
 
I LOVE to can dry beans! They do taste much better, to me, than store canned beans. Also, when you follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation's way, think about it this way. There are ABSOLUTELY NO ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES in there.

Ahhhhhhhhh, beans beans the magical fruit...
 
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