Cooking with Chef Jo: Canning Dried Beans- The No Soak Method

When it comes to price nothing beats dried beans. Pound for pound it's a great source of protein and fiber to your diet. But who has the time to cook dried beans? Sure, you can put them in your crockpot. But you'd have to remember to do it first thing in the morning. I don't know about your homestead, but mornings are hectic around here. Then you'll have a huge mess of cooked beans to eat before they go bad or you've got them coming out of your ears because you ate them all. Honestly, anything more than a serving or two is too much.

Did you know a 1 cup serving of cooked dried beans with 1/2 a cup of rice form a complete amino acid chain aka protein?

I can our dried beans in pint jars each winter. I calculate how many jars of assorted beans we eat for a year. That includes the number of jars needed for recipes too. Some of the dried beans I can are: black eyed peas, kidney beans, black turtle beans, lima beans, and red beans... to name a few.Then, there are the mixtures like Hoppin' John and 16 bean soup that come together so quick with a jar of precooked, jarred beans. Ready to eat bean dishes like baked beans and chili beans that are heat and eat side dishes.

I used to follow the Ball Canning Book religiously. I'd presoak and precook my beans before pressure canning them. Then I found an easier way, the no soak method. It saved me so much time! It's so simple too. I wash and pick through my dried beans as usual.

For pints jars-
1/2 cup dried beans
1/2 tsp salt
Enough water to fill the jar leaving 1" head space.

For quart jars-
1 cup dried beans
1 tsp salt 
Enough water to fill jar to 1" head space.

I used spend a large amount of time boiling water to fill the jars too. Not anymore, just plain nonchlorinated water. For us, it's just tap water. We have a fresh spring water well. I use plain water to can my dried beans, but if you want to add broth just omit the salt. I don't want to limit my flavor profile by using broth.

It's still cold outside so while I'm preparing my beans for canning, I'm also my White Beans and Ham Soup. I'll also can this up to enjoy later too.

Jo's White Beans and Ham Soup
Makes approximately 3 gallons 

Ingredients
3 lbs of dried white beans (Navy, Great Northern, small white beans)
7 slices of bacon (hickory or apple wood smoked) chopped
2 large onion, diced about 3 cups
3 carrots, diced about 1 cup
6 ribs of celery, leaves and all diced  about 1 1/2 cups
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large bay leaves
1 tbs dry mustard
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 qts chicken broth
1 gallon water
8 cups ham, diced

 How to

• The night before wash and pick through the dried beans. Let soak overnight.
• The next morning drain beans. 
• In 16 qt stock pot, brown bacon over medium heat.
• Remove bacon from pot. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the onions and celery are translucent.
• Add bacon back into the pot and stir well.
• Add chicken broth.
• Use a stick blender the blend the bacon vegetable mixture into small pieces.
• Add remaining ingredients and beans except the ham into the pot.
• Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 1 hour.
• Turn off the heat and let soup sit on the burner for 1 hour.
• After the hour's rest, turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours.
• Check the beans, they should be tender. If not, continue cooking until beans are tender.
• Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaves.
• Ladle out six cups of beans.
• Using a stick blender, blend remaining beans in the pot until smooth. This will thicken the soup.
• Return beans back into the soup and add ham. 
• Stir well
• If canning this recipe, ladle into clean, hot jars. Pressure can jars, your altitude, 65 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. Canning will make this soup thicker.

 To Serve
Add 1/2 a jar of half and half or milk to the soup and top with chopped green onions. Serve with crusty bread.

Have a blessed day!

Jo