Canning green beans
Is it ok to pressure can green beans with a beef bouillon base and slices of bacon. It would be so much easier to just open a can and have it ready rather than having to add it when cooking.
Jacqueline Wieser
Sidney, Nebraska
You could if you processed pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes, as required for meat because you’re using beef broth as a base and meat (bacon) as an ingredient. This time is a lot longer than required for green beans alone and you may find them too soft for your liking. I’ve canned beef stew, etc. like this and they came through fine. Try a batch and see how you like the result. — Jackie
Canning refried beans
Can I re-can refried beans? I got a killer deal on dented #10 cans of a popular brand of refried beans. When I open a can I was wanting to re-can the remaining beans into pint jars. Can this be done? Would you process them in a pressure canner just as if you were canning pintos or other home cooked beans?
Lynette McPherson
Brookings, Oregon
Sorry, but you can’t safely re-can refried beans…or even homemade refried beans. The way I do it is to can up pintos with seasonings and onions/garlic, then when I heat them in a frying pan, I mash them and cook ’em down. It only takes about 5 minutes and they’re done. You’d best freeze them or you could spread them out in a 1/8″ thick layer on your fruit leather trays in your dehydrator and dehydrate them to crispy-dry. Refried beans are a very dense product and it is not thought safe to can them as it is not certain if the centers of the jars heat thoroughly enough for safe canning during the processing time given for beans. The same thing goes for foods with thick gravy, pureed squash and pumpkin, to mention a few. — Jackie
Canning marinated pork chops
1/4 + 1/8 cup honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 cloves garlic (minced or cut fine)
6 boneless pork chops
Mix honey, soy sauce, and garlic…marinade chops, then toss on a hot grill.
My question: This sounds delicious, but I would like to can them. What would you do to the mixture, so it would not be so strong after canning, and, what would you add for liquids so as to bring the liquid lever to 1 inch from the top?
Beverly Giroux
Oxford, Maine
What I’d do is to marinate the chops then just lightly grill. Pack the hot chops into wide mouth pint jars, then just use boiling water to fill the jar to the 1″ of headspace required. The flavor of the marinade and grilled chops should provide a well-flavored broth in your jars. I wouldn’t adjust the marinade; I don’t think it’ll get too strong after canning. Do a batch and see how you like the results. — Jackie
