Canning Beans, Corn & Peas

If this is your first time canning it is recommended that you read the HGIC 3040, Canning Foods at Home before beginning.

Baked Beans

Quantity: An average of 5 pounds of beans is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 3¼ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints which is an average of ¾ pounds per quart.

Quality: Select mature, dry beans. Sort out and discard discolored beans.

Procedure: Sort and wash dry beans. Add 3 cups of water for each cup of dried beans or peas. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour and drain. Heat to boiling in fresh water. Save liquid for making sauce. Make your choice of the following sauces:

Tomato Sauce: Mix 1 quart tomato juice, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon chopped onion, and ¼ teaspoon of each of the following: ground cloves, allspice, mace and cayenne pepper. Heat to boiling.

Molasses Sauce: Mix 4 cups water or cooking liquid from beans, 3 tablespoons dark molasses, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon powdered dry mustard. Heat to boiling.

Place seven ¾-inch pieces of pork, ham or bacon in an earthenware crock, a large casserole or a pan. Add beans and enough molasses or tomato sauce to

cover beans. Cover and bake 4 to 5 hours at 350 °F. Add water as needed, about every hour.

Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Canning green beans.
Clemson University 2012

Green & Wax Beans

Quantity: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and yields 12 to 20 quarts which is an average of 2 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select filled but tender, crisp pods. Remove and discard diseased and rusty pods.

Procedure: Wash beans and trim ends. Leave whole or cut or snap into 1-inch pieces. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon of salt to quarts, if desired.

Hot Pack: Cover with boiling water; boil 5 minutes. Fill jars loosely with beans leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw Pack: Fill jars tightly with raw beans, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add boiling water, maintaining the 1-inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2, for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Lima Beans – Shelled

Quantity: An average of 28 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 18 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 32 pounds and yields 6 to 10 quarts, which is an average of 4 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select tender, well-filled pods with green seeds (beans). Discard insect-and disease-damaged beans.

Procedure: Shell and wash beans thoroughly. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints or 1 teaspoon to quarts, if desired.

Hot Pack: Cover beans with boiling water; bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes. Pack hot beans loosely into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Fill jar with boiling hot cooking liquid, maintaining 1 inch headspace.

Raw Pack: Pack beans loosely into hot jars. Do not press or shake down. Leave 1-inch headspace for pints, 1½-inches for quarts of small beans or 1¼-inches for quarts of large beans. Fill with boiling water, leaving the headspace listed above.

Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Shelled Green or English Peas

Quantity: An average of 31½ pounds (in pods) is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 20 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and yields 5 to 10 quarts which is an average of 4½ pounds per quart.

Quality: Select filled pods containing young, tender, sweet seeds. Discard diseased pods. It is recommended that sugar snap and Chinese edible pods be frozen rather than canned, for best quality.

Procedure: Shell and wash peas. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired.

Hot Pack: Cover with boiling water. Bring to a boil in a saucepan, and boil 2 minutes. Fill jars loosely with hot peas, and add cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw Pack: Fill jars with raw peas, add boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not shake or press down peas.

Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Whole Kernel Corn

Quantity: An average of 31½ pounds (in husk) of sweet corn is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 20 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 35 pounds and yields 6 to 11 quarts which is an average of 4½ pounds per quart.

Quality: Select ears containing slightly immature kernels or of ideal quality for eating fresh. Canning some sweeter varieties or too immature kernels may cause browning. However, this does not affect the safety of the product. If unsure of variety, can a small amount and check the color and flavor before canning large quantities.

Procedure: Remove corn husks and silk; wash ears. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water. Cut corn from cob at about three-fourths the depth of the kernel. Do not scrape from cob. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to pints or 1 teaspoon to quarts, if desired.

Hot Pack: To each 4 cups of corn, add 1 cup of boiling water, heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Pack corn hot, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Fill jar 1 inch from the top with boiling hot cooking liquid.

Raw Pack: Pack corn into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Fill jars to 1 inch from the top with boiling water. Do not shake or press down.

Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Succotash

Ingredients:

7 ½ pounds unhusked sweet corn or 1½ quarts cut whole kernels
7 pounds mature green lima beans in the pod or 2 quarts shelled limas
1 quart crushed or whole tomatoes (optional)

Procedure: Wash and prepare each food for canning (see directions for specific item). Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, if desired.

Hot Pack: Combine all prepared vegetables in a large kettle with enough water to cover the pieces. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Pack succotash into jars leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw Pack: Fill jars with equal parts of all prepared vegetables, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not shake or press down pieces. Add fresh boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Yield: About 6 pint jars

Cream Style Corn

CAUTION: Quart jars are not recommended due to the denseness of the canned product.

Quantity: An average of 20 pounds (in husks) of sweet corn is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 35 pounds and yields 12 to 20 pints which is an average of 2¼ pounds per pint.

Quality: Select ears containing slightly immature kernels or of ideal quality for eating.

Procedure: Remove corn husks and silk; wash ears. Blanch ears 4 minutes in boiling water. Cut corn from cob at center of kernel. Scrape remaining corn from cobs with a table knife.

Hot Pack: Add 1 cup boiling water to each 2 cups of corn. Heat to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Pack hot corn into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints, if desired.

Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 for a dial-gauge pressure canner or Table 2 for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Table 1. Recommended Processing Times for Canned Beans, Peas & Corn in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner

*Not recommended due to the denseness of the canned product

Table 2. Recommended Processing Times for Canned Beans, Peas & Corn in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

*Not recommended due to the denseness of the canned product.

Originally published 10/99