Canned Baked Beans

Canned baked beans are a great pantry staple to make for those long summer days when outdoor eating is enjoyable. What better way to avoid heating up the house in summer than to prepare some baked beans in the cooler seasons to have ready to go for the summer. These baked beans have a traditional molasses and tomato sauce with a rich, smoky flavor from bacon.

Jump to recipe.

---

Makes: 7-8 pt, 3-4 qt

Prep time: 1 hour

Total time: 6-7 hours

---

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs dried beans

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 12 oz bacon, diced

• 2 onions, diced

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup mustard

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup molasses

• 1 qt tomato juice

• 8 oz tomato sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse and pick through beans the night before you want to make baked beans. Soak beans overnight with apple cider vinegar. Rinse beans in the morning and soak in fresh water another 1-3 hours. Drain soaking water before starting.

2. Bring soaked beans to a boil in plenty of fresh water. Reduce heat to a simmer and gently cook beans until they are just barely tender. There should be a slight bite to the bean when tested. Allow at least an hour for this if not more time.

3. When the beans are almost finished, it is time to prepare the sauce. In a 4 qt dutch oven or frying pan, cook diced bacon until fat renders out and bacon is almost cooked, add onions. Do not overcook. Cook onions until translucent and soft.

4. In a 4 cup measuring cup, measure out the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and molasses. Once onions are soft, add measuring cup of ingredients, as well as tomato juice, tomato sauce and at least a 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Add beans if they are cooked to above doneness. Otherwise remove sauce from heat.

5. Preheat oven to 300F. Once beans have been added, bring everything up to a gently simmer, cover, then place in oven to cook for 4 hours. Make sure the level of liquid is enough to just barely cover the beans throughout the baking process. Stir at least once each hour to check on the liquid level.

6. When 30 minutes of cook time remains, prepare your pressure canner according to manufacturer's direction. Add in appropriate amount of jars to begin heating. 7-8 pints or 3-4 quarts.

7. When jars are hot and beans are finished. Add hot beans to hot jars making sure to get an even distribution of sauce between the jars. Make sure there is 1 inch of headspace. Wipe rims and place lids according to lid directions. Finger tight for two piece, finger in the middle for three piece reusable.

8. Place jars in prepared pressure canner and place lid on. Bring to a boil and allow the canner to vent for 10 minutes.

9. Process pint jars for 80 minutes, and quart jars for 95 minutes.

10. Allow jars to cool 12-24 hours before washing and checking the seals. Label and store.

Tips and Notes:

• Crushed or pureed tomatoes can be substituted for tomato juice and tomato sauce. Ketchup can also be added for more tomato flavor.

• Apple cider vinegar can be replaced partly or totally with regular white vinegar. This is to taste preference.

• A ham hock can be used in place of bacon. Simmer ham hock with the beans and sauce in the oven. Remove and pick meat from bones. Stir meat back into beans before adding to jars and processing.

• This can be made vegetarian or vegan by omitting the bacon. Use oil in place of bacon fat to soften the onions.

• Molasses increases in strength after processing, so be mindful of how much is added. Beans can be tasted to adjust seasonings before processing.