Canning green beans is one of the simplest ways to put up food for later.
If you’ve got fresh beans and a pressure canner, you’re most of the way there. This is one of those old-school kitchen skills that’s totally doable once you get the hang of it.
Whether you’re staring at an overflowing garden bed or you picked up way too much at the farmer’s market (we’ve all done it), this article will walk you through everything step by step.
Just a simple, reliable way to keep green beans on your shelf all year long.
If you’re just getting started, this canning for beginners guide will walk you through the basics before moving on to vegetables like green beans.
What Makes Pressure Canning So Important for Green Beans
Green beans are a low-acid vegetable, which means they must be processed in a pressure canner to be safe for shelf storage. There is no tested boiling-water option for plain green beans.
A boiling-water bath only reaches 212°F, which is not hot enough to destroy the spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that can cause botulism.
A pressure canner, on the other hand, reaches about 240°F, a temperature high enough to safely destroy those spores. That extra heat is what makes long-term storage possible.
It may sound tempting to add vinegar or lemon juice to “acidify” beans, but this does not work.
The acid cannot fully penetrate the beans to make them safe, and untested acidification methods are not reliable.
The bottom line: if you want jars of green beans that are both shelf-stable and safe to eat months later, pressure canning is the only method approved and tested by the USDA and NCHFP.
Need more info on home canning?
I’ve put together a whole series of step-by-step guides to help you fill your shelves:
What You’ll Need to Can Green Beans
Fresh green beans – tender, crisp, and filled pods are best.
- Plan about 2 pounds per quart (roughly 1 pound per pint).
- A canner load of 7 quarts requires ~14 pounds, and a load of 9 pints uses ~9 pounds.
- A bushel weighs ~30 pounds and yields 12 to 20 quarts.
Canning or pickling salt (optional) – used only for flavor.
- Add ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart if desired.
- Leaving it out will not affect safety.
Boiling liquid – depends on the pack method:
- For hot pack, use the hot cooking liquid from the beans (after boiling them 5 minutes).
- For raw pack, pour in boiling water to cover beans.
That’s all you need: beans, optional salt, and boiling liquid.
The beans themselves provide the flavor – keeping it simple and safe.
The Basic Gear You’ll Need
You don’t need a high-end setup to can green beans, but a few tools really make the process smoother – and safer.
If you’ve never done this before, most of the gear can be reused year after year, so it’s worth collecting the right stuff.
Here’s what you’ll want on hand:
- Pressure canner – This one’s non-negotiable. Make sure yours is in good working order, with a working gauge or weight (depending on the type).
- Canning jars with lids and bands – Use glass jars made for home canning. Pint or quart jars both work. Always use new flat lids for a good seal – the screw-on bands can be reused.
- Large stock pot – You’ll use this to boil water and prep things like the hot brine.
- Small pot – Handy for simmering your canning lids before sealing the jars.
- Jar lifter – Lets you safely move hot jars in and out of the canner without burning your hands.
- Canning funnel – Helps you fill jars without making a mess. Once you have one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t use it sooner.
- Magnetic lid lifter or tongs – For pulling the hot lids out of simmering water.
- Clean towel or damp cloth – You’ll need this to wipe down the rims of your jars before sealing.
- Timer – Not optional. You need to track your processing time accurately once the canner reaches pressure.
- Trivet or canning rack – Goes in the bottom of the canner to keep jars from sitting directly on the heat source.
- Cooling rack or towel-lined counter – After processing, jars need a place to sit undisturbed while they cool and seal.
(Wash jars; no need to sterilize for pressure canning. Do not pre-simmer lids; follow your lid manufacturer – Ball says wash only.)
11 Steps to Safely Can Green Beans at Home
Canning green beans might seem intimidating the first time, but once you do it, you’ll see it’s just a series of small, simple steps.
Here’s how to go from fresh beans to sealed jars on your shelf.
1. Wash and prep your green beans
Rinse the beans thoroughly, trim the ends, and either leave them whole (if they’ll fit your jars) or cut/snap them into 1–2 inch pieces.
2) Prepare jars and lids (no jar sterilizing for pressure canning)
Wash jars in hot, soapy water and keep them hot until filling; do not pre-sterilize for pressure canning – the high-temperature process makes that unnecessary.
Prepare two-piece lids exactly as the manufacturer directs (modern lids generally do not require simmering; just wash and use).
3) Choose hot pack (quality-preferred) or raw pack
For hot pack, cover the beans with boiling water in a pot, boil 5 minutes, then pack the hot beans loosely into jars. For raw pack, pack the raw beans tightly into jars.
In either case, headspace is 1 inch.
4) Add optional salt and the correct hot liquid
Salt is optional and for flavor only; it is not needed for safety.
If using it, add ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart.
For hot pack, pour the hot cooking liquid from step 3 into the jars.
For raw pack, add boiling water. Maintain 1 inch headspace.
5) Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, and apply lids
Slide a bubble remover or clean utensil along the inside of the jar to release trapped air, then re-check the 1-inch headspace and adjust with more hot liquid if needed.
Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth, place the prepared lids on the jars, and tighten bands to fingertip-tight. (Proper headspace helps ensure a good vacuum seal.)
6) Load, add the right amount of water, and vent the canner
Place the rack in your pressure canner and add about 2–3 inches of hot water unless your canner manual specifies otherwise.
Load the jars, lock the lid, and heat on high until a strong, funnel-shaped column of steam escapes steadily from the vent.
Vent for 10 minutes before pressurizing – this step is required for safe temperatures inside the canner.
7) Process at the correct time and pressure for your altitude
Start timing only after the canner reaches target pressure (dial-gauge reads the set PSI or the weighted gauge begins its prescribed jiggle/rock).
Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes, whether hot- or raw-pack.
Use the altitude-adjusted pressure from NCHFP’s table:
- Dial-gauge canner: 11 lb (0–2,000 ft), 12 lb (2,001–4,000 ft), 13 lb (4,001–6,000 ft), 14 lb (6,001–8,000 ft).
- Weighted-gauge canner: 10 lb (0–1,000 ft), 15 lb (>1,000 ft).
If pressure ever drops below the target, bring it back up and restart the timing from the beginning for safety. Keep pressure steady to minimize liquid loss.
8) Let the canner depressurize naturally; don’t force cool
When the timed process ends, turn off the heat (and move the canner off an electric burner if feasible) and allow pressure to fall naturally to zero.
Do not force-cool with water or by opening the vent – forced cooling can cause siphoning and seal failures and may compromise safety.
When pressure is fully gone, remove the weight, wait a minute, then open the lid away from your face.
9) Cool the jars undisturbed, then test seals
Use a jar lifter to place jars on a towel or rack, leaving space between them.
Let them cool 12–24 hours without tightening bands or pressing on lids.
After cooling, remove the screw bands, wash and dry the jars and lids, and check seals (lids should be concave and not flex).
Store sealed jars; refrigerate any unsealed jars and use them soon.
10) If a jar didn’t seal, handle it correctly
Reprocessing is not recommended for quality, but if you choose to do it, you must reprocess within 24 hours using a tested hot-pack method and a new lid.
Otherwise, refrigerate and eat within one week, or freeze (leaving 1″ headspace).
11) Label and store for best quality
Label jars with the date and store them in a cool, dark, dry place (about 50–70°F) and without the screw bands.
Properly canned foods keep their best eating quality for at least one year; beyond that, quality gradually declines.
For more details on keeping your pantry organized and safe, check out these best canned food storage tips.
Troubleshooting Your Canning Jars
Even when you follow directions carefully, jars sometimes come out looking a little different than you expected. Here’s what’s normal – and what to do if something goes wrong.
For official guidelines and research-based tips, the National Center for Home Food Preservation is always a reliable resource.
Water level looks low in the jar?
It’s very common for beans to absorb liquid or for some liquid to siphon out during pressure canning, especially with the raw-pack method.
If the jar sealed, the food is safe to store and eat even if beans aren’t fully covered, though exposed beans may darken over time.
However, if more than about half the liquid is gone, refrigerate that jar and use it within a few days instead of storing it long term.
Liquid looks a little brown?
This happens sometimes with long processing times or hard water. It doesn’t mean the beans are unsafe – just a color change.
One of the jars didn’t seal?
If a lid didn’t seal, you have two safe options: reprocess the beans within 24 hours using a new lid and a tested hot-pack procedure, or refrigerate and use them within one week.
You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Jar cracked or the bottom fell out?
That usually means the jar was stressed – either from a flaw in the glass or from sudden temperature change.
Always use jars made for canning (Ball or Kerr are reliable brands), and always keep jars on a rack in the canner instead of directly on the bottom.
Putting cold jars into hot water can also cause breakage.
Rusty-looking rings or lids after a while?
This often happens if rings are left on the jars or if they’re stored in a humid space.
For best results, always remove rings after jars have sealed and cooled, wash and dry jars before storing, and keep them in a cool, dry place.
If the jar is sealed, the food is still safe even if the ring rusted. Just replace the band with a clean one before reusing.
Ways to Use Your Home-Canned Green Beans
Once you’ve got jars sealed and on the shelf, the fun begins – figuring out how to enjoy them.
Home-canned beans are already fully cooked, so they’re quick to use on busy nights.
Just remember the USDA’s safety guidance: always bring home-canned vegetables to a rolling boil for 10 minutes (add 1 minute per additional 1,000 feet above sea level) before tasting or serving. This ensures the beans are not only convenient but also safe.
For a simple side, reheat a jar with a little butter, garlic, and salt. If you want something heartier, warming them in bacon drippings is a classic preparation.
These beans are also excellent stirred into casseroles (yes, green bean casserole is a staple), added to soups and stews, or chilled for a tangy salad with vinegar and onions.
Home-canned beans also make wonderful gifts.
A sealed jar, labeled with the date and tied with string or cloth, is a thoughtful addition to a holiday basket or a hostess gift – especially if the beans came from your own garden.
Just be sure to gift jars that are well sealed and no older than one year for the best quality.
Simple, nourishing food – safely canned, carefully stored, and always ready to heat and serve – that’s the real beauty of home canning.
Add Canned Green Beans to Your Shelves!
Once you’ve done a batch or two, canning green beans starts to feel like second nature.
The rhythm of it settles in – clean beans, hot jars, steady pressure, sealed lids. It’s a little time upfront for months of easy meals later.
So don’t stop at just one round. Do a few more jars while beans are in season. Your future self will be glad you did – especially on busy weeknights when dinner needs to happen fast.
That shelf of home-canned food is satisfying to look at too.
FAQs
Can I water bath green beans instead of pressure canning?
No – green beans are a low-acid food, which means they need a pressure canner to be safely preserved. A water bath doesn’t get hot enough to kill the kind of bacteria that can cause botulism.
Do I have to use canning salt?
Canning salt is optional, but it helps with flavor. Table salt isn’t recommended because it can make the brine cloudy and may contain additives that mess with the preserving process. If you skip the salt, your beans will still be safe – just a little plain.
How long do home-canned green beans last?
They’re best eaten within a year, but if the seal is good and there’s no sign of spoilage, they can last longer. Store them somewhere cool, dark, and dry.
Can I reuse jars and lids?
You can reuse jars and metal rings if they’re in good shape. But always use new flat lids (the part with the rubber seal). Once a lid’s been used and sealed once, it’s not reliable for another round.
Why did my beans float or the water level drop?
This happens sometimes with raw-pack canning. The beans shrink a bit as they cook, and some water might get pushed out during processing.
As long as the jar sealed properly and the food is covered or partially covered, it’s fine.