Pressure Canner Beans in Tomato Sauce

My kids like to take these beans in a thermos to school for lunch (often with veggie dogs cut up into them for what we call "Beans and Weens"). With a pressure canner you can easily make your own at home without having to soak a single bean.  Below is a basic recipe that you can adjust according to your size of jar, the number of jars you want to make, and your tastes.

When cooking dried beans in a jar in a pressure canner you want 1 part dried beans to 3 parts liquid. So, in the recipe below, 1 cup of beans is cooked in 3 cups of liquid in a 4 cup (1 quart) jar. If you are using pint jars (2 cup) then use 1/2 cup of dried beans to 1.5 cups of liquid.

As for the liquid/sauce, do whatever suits your tastes. If you are canning 7 one quart jars, you need 21  cups of liquid. It's best to have at least 8 cups of water so the beans cook properly, but you can play around with other ingredients. Less sugar, more tomato, for example. More sugar, less tomato sauce +  a cup or two of ketchup + mustard + chilli powder+ hot sauce = beans in BBQ sauce (as an example).

Making the liquid a little on the salty side is OK because the beans will soak it up. Have made a few batches of bland beans that needed salt when served, so I lean towards the 4 tbsp side of things now.

Finally, if you have ever canned before then you know that "leakage" can be a problem. I have found that this problem can be ameliorated by doing 2 things: 1. leaving enough headspace in your jar; 2. realizing that "fingertip tight" can be pretty darn tight. Inevitably, some sauce will leak out of the jars during processing. Not to worry. Take the rings off and wipe down the entire jar before storing. 

INGREDIENTS
Makes 7 quart (4 cup) jars
- 8oz/227g/1 cup dried navy beans x 7

- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, small dice
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2  48 fl oz cans tomato juice
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- kosher salt to taste (2 to 4 tbsp)

METHOD

Sterilize your jars. Prepare your pressure canner.

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute onion for 5-7 mins, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 min.

2. Add tomato juice, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to boiling.

3. While sauce is heating, add 8oz/227g of dried beans to each sterilized jar.

4. Ladle hot sauce into the jars, leaving a good 1" of head space. If you are short on liquid, top up with boiling water. Top with lids and tighten the rings as much as you can with your fingertips.

5. Process the jars per your pressure canner's instructions at 11 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes. Remove canner from the heat and let pressure drop before removing the jars. 

Pressure Canner Chili

This is part two of my pressure canning recipe series (for more explanation of the canning process, see Part One). The recipe is Isa's Meat Beany Chili supersized to make seven large jars. Having chili in the pantry is great for those days when you want a chili dog, or a quick lunch for the kids.

INGREDIENTS
Makes seven 1 quart/litre jars
- 1.5 cups dry black beans
- 1.5 cups dry red kidney beans

- 1/4 cup oil
- 4 cups chopped onion
- 3 cups chopped green pepper
- 3/4 cup chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup oregano
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 1 48oz can tomato juice
- 2 28oz cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar

METHOD
1. Soak beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse the next day.
2. Get all of your canning apparatus ready (canner, jars, lids).
3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic for 5-7 mins, or until translucent. Add spices and salt and sauté for a minute, until fragrant.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Increase heat to med-hi and bring to bubbling, stirring regularly.
5. Transfer chili to sterilised jars, making sure each one has the same ratio of solid to liquid. Put on the lids and tighten the rings finger tight.
6. Process in the pressure canner at 10lbs of pressure for 75 mins. Remove from heat and let pressure drop to zero. Remove jars from the canner and let completely cool.

Pressure Canned Beans

This is the first post in a series of three on pressure canning. Pressure canners are relatively inexpensive (around $130) and can save you money in the long run by providing an economical way to can vegetables, beans, and other low-acid foods. Also, you don't have to worry about BPA in cans, and you can control the amount of salt that goes into the canned foods. 

This first instalment is canned beans--a convenient staple for any pantry. 

INGREDIENTS/EQUIPMENT

- 8 to 10oz dried beans per 1 litre/1 quart jar (see note below)

- boiling water

- canning jars with lids and rings

- pressure canner (I use a dial gauge canner)

METHOD

1. Rinse then soak beans in plenty of water overnight. My canner holds 7 jars, so I soak at least 3.5 lbs of beans. Or, follow the directions on the bad for quick soaking. I prefer the overnight soak. No need to do all one kind of bean--the picture above shows chickpeas, pinto beans, and black beans getting ready for the canner. 

2. On canning day, sterilise your jars. Get the water to boiling in your pressure canner--follow the directions that came with your canner. Keep your rings and lids in hot but not boiling (82 C) water.

3. Drain beans, rinse, then add 16 to 20oz of beans per sterilised jar (see note below).

4. Fill the jars with boiling water, leaving 1" headspace.

5. Place lids on jars, then tighten rings finger tight. I have found that finger tight is pretty darn tight. It's as tight as you can get the ring on without using the palm of your hand. If your lid is too loose, liquid will seep out of jar during processing. 

6. Place jars into the pressure canner. Close and seal the lid.

7. Bring to boiling. Let the water boil for a good 10 mins--the steam should be shooting out of the vent pipe with gusto.

8. Place the pressure regulator over the vent pipe. Bring the pressure up to 11 lbs. This takes a little finesse. Lower heat will give you lower pressure, so when the gauge reaches 8 lbs I turn the heat down from high to med-lo so that it reaches 11 but does not blow past it. You will need to fiddle a bit to find out what heat keeps the pressure at a constant 11 lbs.

9. Process the jars for 90 minutes. If the pressure drops below 11 you will need to get it back up to 11 and start the timer again. 

10. When done, remove the canner from the heat. Allow it to cool and the pressure to go to zero. 

11. Remove the canner lid and remove the jars, being careful not to tilt the jars or touch the lids. Allow to fully cool, then check to make sure all the lids have sealed. 

NOTE: Aquafaba is all the rage these days. 20oz of beans per jar comes out of the canner looking like the pic above. After the beans have cooled, the aquafaba gets more viscous. I use if for mayonnaise (delicious!). If you want a thinner aquafaba, use 16oz to 18oz of soaked beans per litre/quart jar. 

 

Canned Pears

Pears are in season here in Ontario so I spent some time canning them to enjoy later during the winter months.  Canning is not hard, but it does take some time.  It is time well spent, though, and you will thank yourself in February when you are feasting on the succulent fruits of the summer.  

INGREDIENTS

- 10-12 lbs pears = 4 1L (1 quart) jars

- sugar

- water

- lemon juice

First, get your jars sterilized (or sterilizing) in boiling water or the dishwasher.  Since you will need to process the pears in boiling water, it makes sense to sterilize them first in your canning pot.  

Then, you need to make some syrup for the pears.  Light or medium syrups are perfect for pears.  Combine the sugar and water, bring to bubbling, then keep warm over low heat while you prepare the pears (i.e. don't let it boil down).

LIGHT = 2.25 cups sugar + 5.25 cups water

MEDIUM = 3.25 cups sugar + 5 cups water

Peel the pears and remove stem and blossom ends.  

Halve pears and remove seeds with a small spoon.  Place pears in a solution of 4 cups water + 1/4 cup lemon juice to keep from browning.  Bring the syrup to near bubbling over medium heat.

When syrup is hot (bot not boiling), place one layer of pears into the pot.  Reduce heat to medium-lo.  The idea here is to warm to pears for about 5 mins, not boil them.  You want the syrup to replace the air in the pears while still maintaining the fruit's integrity.  You will notice that the pears will slowly bubble when they first go into the syrup, like they are being deep fried.  Generally, when the bubbles slow down/stop, you are ready to can them.

 I like to use a funnel like you see above to transfer the fruit into the jars.  Working in batches, fill your sterilized jars with fruit, removing each batch of pears from the syrup with a slotted spoon.  Make sure there are not any air bubbles trapped in the fruit's cavities.

When you have four jars filled (or however many you can fit in your canning pot), fill each jar with syrup, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.  Top with lids and rings adjusted finger tight.

 Your jars must be submerged in the boiling water for processing.  Cover with a lid and boil for 25 minutes.  Then, remove from the heat and remove the lid.  Let the jars stand in the hot water for 5 mins, then remove and let cool.  Done!

Chokecherry Jelly

At the beginning of August a neighbour tipped me off that there were about a bazillion chokecherries growing along the old train tracks. So, I trekked off and picked hug bowl. I have never used chokecherries before so I went to the interwebs for a recipe. I went with this one and followed it more or less. First, it's pretty much impossible to crush a chokecherry. They are rather pulpy and have very little juice. I also ended up adding about 3 cups of water and crushed them as they cooked, then let it drip over night. The resulting juice was milky pink, but the final jelly a lovely purple-red. The jelly is mellower than currant jelly, and is lovely on toast in the morning.

Sweet Onion Relish

Sweet Onion Relish from Vegan Dad on Vimeo.

INGREDIENTS
- 9 lbs Vidalia onions
- 1/2 cup salt
- 4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 4.5 cups sugar
- 1-2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper, or pimento
- 1 tbsp pickling spice
(more or less this recipe)

Vidalia Onion Relish

Let the canning begin! My plan this summer is to can and preserve as much as I can so we can rely less on canned food. Fresh and local is the way to go, right? The grocery store has had Vidalia onions on for real cheap lately (not even close to local, I know) and that got me thinking about the Vidalia relish I used to buy at Trader Joe's. Man, that stuff was good. With a little Googling I found this recipe, which seemed pretty much like the relish I used to buy. It is easy to make (if you have a food processor to chop the onions), and taste so good it will make even the lamest veggie dog a real treat.

Speaking of veggie dog-like things, let's not forget our good friend the homemade veggie sausage. I recently made the bratwurst version, grilled it, and was reminded of how quick, easy, and tasty they are.