Canning Green Beans

Canning green beans is an easy way to get started if you are just learning how to can with a pressure canner. Before you start, you will need to know how to use a pressure canner.

I’ve been asked multiple times how to can green beans in a water bath canner, but that is not a safe method. Water bath instructions are not here. Pressure canning is the only safe option for canning green beans, so let’s get started with that method.

I include full, step-by-step pressure canning instructions below.

This Page Includes:

• Canning Green Beans: Extended, Step-By-Step Directions
• Canning Green Beans – Cold Pack or Hot Pack?
• Hot Pack Canning Green Beans
• Cold Pack Canning Green Beans (Also Known as Raw Pack)
• Recipe Card
• {Video} How to Can Green Beans in Half Pints
• {FAQ} Picking Green Beans for Canning
• {FAQ} Do Green Beans Have to Be Pressure Canned?
• {FAQ} How Long Will Canned Green Beans Last?
• {FAQ} Spoiled Green Beans?
• Members’ Extra

If you are new to using a pressure canner, this pressure canning page has more detailed information on how to use one. Read the step-by-step instructions on how a pressure canner works before you start this project.

If you are really afraid of your pressure canner and don’t know how to get past that… check out this video workshop on how to use a pressure canner. Afterwards you’ll be confident and ready to start filling your pantry.

Canning Green Beans: Extended, Step-By-Step Directions

You will need about 14 pounds of beans for a canner load of 7 quarts (or 9 pounds for 9 pints).

Canning Green Beans – Cold Pack or Hot Pack?

When you’re canning green beans, you can either do them hot packed or cold packed. This refers to how to pack your jars. A cold pack is sometimes also called “raw pack.” Please, oh, please, don’t think a cold pack means you don’t process. Most importantly, any method you use to pack your jars, you still must use a pressure canner.

I used to always cold (raw) pack my jars. I believed it was quicker, and at my high altitude, I need a higher pressure. Since I’d like to cook my beans as little as possible (while still remaining safe), I chose to not blanch before processing. However, I now usually end up doing a hot pack. This allows me to get more in each jar. Either method is safe. It is your choice.

Hot Pack Canning Green Beans

Boil snapped beans 5 minutes before packing jars. Drain and pack into jars loosely and cover with clean, boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Easy peasy!

Cold Pack Canning Green Beans (Also Known as Raw Pack)

Fill jars tightly with clean, snapped, raw beans. No pre-cooking needed. Pack them down pretty tight to get as much as you can into the jar. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Just a note here…. remember Cold Pack is NOT waterbath. Sometimes I’m asked how to cold pack green beans and the person actually means waterbath not pressure processing. It is a terminology difference. Cold pack simply means the beans go into the jars raw (cold) not cooked (hot). They are still processed in a pressure canner.

Whichever packing method you choose, after your jars have been filled, you will need to remove air bubbles by running a plastic utensil down inside the jar between the jar and the beans. Press lightly to release any trapped air. I like to use an orange peeler. You could also use a plastic knife.

You’ll probably want to add canning salt to your jars: 1/2 tsp. for pints or 1 tsp. for quarts. Salt is actually optional. It is for taste only, but I do recommend it for most folks. If you add salt, it really does enhance the flavor, so I always include it. But if you are trying to lower your sodium consumption, leaving it out is acceptable.

After jars are filled be sure and wipe the rims of your jars clean before you place canning lids on the jars and add rings. You want the rim clean so no salt or bits of food interfere with the seal during processing.

After packing your jars, place filled jars in a pressure canner and process them according to pressure canning instructions. If you need more instruction on how to use your pressure canner check this link. How to use a pressure canner. You’ll need to heat the canner, vent it and then process it properly. Plus there is instruction on how to cool the canner properly. Lots of details!

Don’t forget to adjust for your altitude. Processing times are listed below. Remember, these are for canning green beans in a pressure canner, NOT a water bath! (There I go again!)

Recipe Card

Canning Green Beans

Sharon Peterson

Home canning green beans is easy with a pressure canner. You’ll need about 14 pounds of beans for a canner load of 7 quarts.  

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 7 quart jars

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 14 lb green beans
• canning salt optional

Equipment

• Pressure canner
• Large pot or blancher 
• Canning jars, seals, and rings
• Funnel, lid lifter, jar lifter, bubble tool
• Ladle

Instructions

 

• Start by preparing your jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.

  If you are new to using a pressure canner, see this article for full pressure canning instructions. Including more detailed information and step-by-step instructions on how a pressure canner works.

For a Raw Pack

• Rinse beans in cold water. Snap beans to desired size. 
• Add canning salt to jars (1/2 tsp. for pints, 1 tsp. for quarts). Pack beans tightly into jars. 
• Fill jar with clean boiling water, leaving 1” headspace.  
• Remove bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place on seal and ring.  
• Place jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars.  
• Process in a pressure canner according to the instructions below.   

For a Hot Pack

• Rinse beans in cold water and snap beans to desired size. 
• Put beans in a pot of boiling water. Boil 5 minutes. 
• Add canning salt to the jar (1/2 tsp. for pints, 1 tsp. for quarts). 
• Pack beans loosely into jar (don’t squish). 
• Cover with clean boiling water, leaving 1” headspace. 
• Remove bubbles, wipe the rims clean and place on seal and ring.  
• Place jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars.  
• Process in a pressure canner according to the instructions. Processing time is listed below. Be sure to adjust for your altitude.

Processing

Processing with a Pressure Canner

Place the jars in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the prepared hot canner. 

Put the lid on the canner leaving the weights off.  Bring to a boil. Watch for the steam to start coming out the vent pipe in the lid.

Allow the steam to ‘vent’ for 10 minutes then put the weights on. Use the proper weight for your altitude (check the chart below) This is when pressure will start to build.  

When the pressure reaches the pressure required for your altitude (check the chart below) that is when you’ll start your time.  Process for the full time indicated, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the correct pressure for the entire time.

When processing time is completed turn off the heat. Do not remove weights yet. Let the canner sit undisturbed until pressure comes back to zero. Do not try to speed up the cooling process.

Remove the weight and wait 5 minutes.

Open the lid to allow steam to escape. (carefully don’t let it hit your face or arms!) Leave the lid setting on top of the canner slightly ajar and wait 5 minutes.

Take the lid off the canner and remove your jars. (optionally you can wait another 5 minutes if the contents appear to be bubbling so hard it is coming out of the jars)

Put the jars a few inches apart on a thick towel and allow them to cool to room temperature undisturbed. 12 hours is suggested.

When the jars are cool, remove the metal bands, check the seals, and store the jars in a cool dark place.

Processing Instructions (Raw Pack or Hot Pack) 

Process pints for 20 minutes or quarts for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude.  

Altitude Adjustments for Pressure Canner  

Altitude – Dial Gauge – Weighted Gauge   

0-1,000 ft – 11 pounds – 10 pounds  

1,001-2,000 ft – 11 pounds – 15 pounds  

2,001-4,000 ft – 12 pounds – 15 pounds  

4,001-6,000 ft – 13 pounds – 15 pounds  

6,001-8,000 ft – 14 pounds – 15 pounds  

8,001-10,000 ft – 15 pounds – 15 pounds 

Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, Colorado State Extension
Last Updated: 5/27/2021

Keyword Canning Green Beans, Home Canning, How to can green beans, Pressure Canning

Canning Green Beans Tips & FAQs

How to Can Green Beans in Half Pints

Transcript – Edited for Clarity

Hi there! It’s Sharon Peterson with SimplyCanning.com, where you can find home canning tutorials and advice to help even a beginner get their pantry filled.

I have a brief question today from a reader. It is from Virginia who lives in Washington. She says, “I want to process green beans in half-pints for an older friend, but I can’t find out how long I should process them. Can you help?”

Yes, I can help. You want to process it for the jar size up. If you want to do half-pints for a friend (who, I assume, probably needs a single serving, which is a great idea), process it for the pint-sized jar. You don’t want to take that pint processing time and cut it in half because you have a half-pint. Don’t do that.

Process it for the full pint size. You might want to try a batch and see how it turns out. It might be a little softer than what you prefer. I don’t think it’s going to be overly mushy, but do a batch to see if you and your friend like it.

I hope that was helpful. It was certainly short and sweet. You guys have a great day, and we’ll talk to you in the next Canning Chat. Bye!

Picking Green Beans for Canning

The first thing to remember when picking green beans? Pick fresh, tender pods. Picking first thing in the morning will give you nice, crisp produce. If you are picking in your own garden…go ahead and snack on a few beans. Yum. And oh, so good for you.

When you are picking green beans, you want to get the beans while they are still a bit immature. I always told my sons to pick anything the size of a pencil. If you let them get too much bigger, you’ll have to pick through and toss some out. Green beans tend to get stringy and tough the bigger they get. In other words, the quality will be poor if you pick overripe, seed-filled pods.

Wash beans in cold water and snap them to the desired size. To snap them just means to break off the ends and break into pieces. I’ve also heard it called “snitting.” I bet there are all kinds of terms folks use for snapping beans.

You can leave the pieces longer if you want, but I prefer to snap them into 2-inch pieces. They fit in the jars much better. I always just break them by hand. My teen sons have been know to pull out some scissors as they thought it went quicker. If they are doing it, I didn’t care, just so the job got done!

Do Green Beans Have to Be Pressure Canned?

• When canning green beans, you must process them in a pressure canner.
• These directions are for pressure canning.
• Don’t get this confused with a water bath. You must process in a pressure canner.

Please Note: Yes, I know I just said the same thing 3 times. It is that important. I have had many questions regarding canning green beans. All of them had something to do with wanting to use a water bath canner to can green beans. Not surprisingly, I do not give these instructions. Click here to find an article explaining why I don’t recommend a waterbath.

How Long Will Canned Green Beans Last?

The NCHFP says that canned foods last at least a year, if they’re stored under proper conditions (cool and dry). You can read more about expiration dates for home-canned food here.

Spoiled Green Beans?

Botulism
by: Marsha

“Got green beans all ready, put in jars and canner. Pressure in canner never would come up. I tried about 3 times. Never have emptied those jars. Do I need to throw them away or will the dishwasher take care of the botulism I know is in there now? It’s been over a year.”

Sharon’s Answer:

You are wise to be wary of eating those green beans. What I would do is dispose of the green beans. Make sure that no animals or family pets can get at them. If botulism is present, they can get sick too. Then sterilize your jars.

Here’s how:

• First place empty jars right side up on the rack in a boiling water canner.
• Fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to one inch above the tops of the jars.
• Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes.
• Finally, carefully remove hot, sterilized jars one at a time and drain. They will be hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.

More on how to sterilize jars.

In Regards to Spoiled Canned Foods
by: Anonymous

“I would also like to mention that in addition to sterilizing jars, it is very important to de-toxify the contents as well, so that no animals or waste disposal workers get sick. The Joy of Cooking (if you have it) has a good article on this topic, is clear to understand and no-nonsense. And this is from the National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/identify_handle_spoiled_canned_food.html“

What Else Can You Do with Green Beans?

Freezing Green Beans

Freezing green beans requires blanching, and we show you how!

Dehydrating Green Beans

Learn how to dry green beans, with step-by-step directions from picking and blanching to storage.

Dilly Beans

Dilly beans (AKA pickled beans) give you some variety in the pantry. Learn how to make and preserve dilly beans with this guide from SimplyCanning.com.

Green Beans with Bacon

Combining green beans with bacon together is scrumptious way to serve your home-canned green beans.

Water Bath Canning Green Beans?

Many ask if water bath canning green beans is safe. Many say their grandmother did it that way for years and no one got sick. The truth is, you can still get botulism. SimplyCanning.com explains why!

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Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, Colorado State Extension

Page last updated: 6/24/2021