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Yes, I’m very aware this is rebel canning and I’m going to explain that below.

We gonna start by getting the stuff you already know out of the way if you’re here and reading this post, but just in the off chance you’re a brand new baby canner, read this.  This recipe is considered rebel canning because I don’t add any extra liquid to the jars.  Dry pack canning is unapproved by the USDA, national center of home food preservation, and powers that be due to it not being tested.  

They then spout off different claims to botulism and death and dying and fear.. blah blah blah… but in reality, it’s just not been tested even a little bit.  So they really don’t prove it’s dangerous.  What I do know is this is a time tested method by home canners for over 100 years.  Many vegetables, including root vegetables, were always dry pack canned (meaning raw packed into jars and no extra liquid is added) because the flavor and texture is unmatched to that of jars filled with extra liquid.  

What you also need to be aware of is in the testing of the recipes they did aPpRoVe of they inoculated said jars with more botulism spores than one human will ever come into contact with in their lifetime and then came up with the guidelines, processing time, weights, and such from there.  The NCHFP was also minimally funded so they obviously didn’t have the money to pay people to test a lot of recipes, but rather come up with some that they would consider popular and go from there.  There was really never any testing to prove things are unsafe due to botulism… they just didn’t test it because they figured not many people are going to can unpeeled potatoes, pasta, and dairy.

If this is your first time canning, I always recommend you start with a canning book and learn to can by the “rules”, learn those principles of home canning, so you can understand how canning works and if someday you start questioning the rules, you will understand how to safely break them.  Or you won’t.  The beauty of home canning is that this food is for HOME consumption and what I’m doing in my kitchen should not bear any control on what you do in your kitchen.  I don’t give a horses butt cheeks what you’re doing.  

You wanna can a jar of rocks, you go can yourself a jar of rocks.  Far too many of the canning police are quick to throw accusations and botulism around to what we call rebel canners, people like myself that use time tested recipes instead of those from the government, when they really don’t know what they’re talking about.  Following the canning rules gives these people a false sense of security from the dreaded botulism, when it is in fact just as easy to get botulism in your jars following the rules as it is breaking them.  I recommend you do some research on clostridium botulinum and understand what it is, how it gets into jars, and how to destroy it prior to learning how to can, EVEN IF you follow those rules.  General cleanliness and common sense prevents a whole lot.

Now.  Onto the next claim.  The thermal process can’t happen without added liquid.  You can believe that if you want.  But let me ask this.  They’re trying to tell me that a vegetable that is quite prominently comprised of… you guessed it… WATER can’t conduct the thermal process within its fibers and natural liquid without MORE WATER being added?? Did know that 90% of a green beans total weight is from water?  Wouldn’t the extra water added to jars actually work as an insulator and prevent the heat from penetrating the vegetables within the jar as much?

I think we’ve already proven that steam is hotter than boiling water considering water bath canning low acid foods is now frowned upon in favor of a STEAM pressure canner… so heating the vegetables without excess water and just steaming them within the jar (like I do with dry pack canning) would potentially heat the contents more thoroughly, making them more safe.  You’re telling me I can raw pack meat tightly into a jar with no added liquid, but a vegetable is where we draw the line?  Absolutely wild.  But again, you don’t have to agree with me and I don’t have to agree with you.

Dry pack canning veggies has been game changing for my canning pantry for delicious year-round eating.  The texture and flavor of dry pack canned vegetables is unmatched.  I opt to add a little dab of bacon fat to each jar for flavor before I add the lids on.  I normally get some comments letting me know that animal fats go rancid really quickly and that’s the opposite of the truth.  Seed oils go rancid quickly… like crisco.  

Animal fats are shelf stable basically indefinitely if rendered properly.  Don’t fall for that goofball lie.  I do not add salt to my jars when dry pack canning because it won’t evenly distribute and instead opt to add the seasoning afterward.  I really like dumping a jar of green beans into my air fryer and heating them that way for an easy side dish.  They are amazing.  Home-canned green beans are delish and they’re much easier to store on the shelf than in the freezer!

Pressure Cooker vs Pressure Canner

These are not interchangeable terms.  A pressure cooker generally does not have the ability to change the weight you’re canning at and also doesn’t hold very many jars.  A legitimate pressure CANNER is made to hold pint and quart sized jars and in larger amounts, like 18 pints and 7 quarts or even more.  The biggest All American model can stack quart jars in one canner load.  You will want to use a pressure canner when canning low acid foods.  High-acid food can be processed by water bath canning or steam canning.  While I do know you can absolutely water bath can low acid foods, like green beans, safely, I’d rather pressure can them because it’s 1.  faster and 2. nobody wants to babysit a pot of boiling water for 3 hours in this household. But, we do have the skill and knowledge to do so if push came to shove.

Equipment You May Want:

• Pressure Canner
• Strainer
• Canning jars
• Canning lids and rings
• Lar lifter

Ingredients:

• Green beans
• Bacon fat, butter, or fat of choice (optional)

Let’s rebel can some beanzzzz!

Step 1:  Wash the Fresh Green Beans

Plan on around 1 pound of green beans per pint jar and 2 pounds beans per quart jar.

When canning, you need to make sure you’re very thorough in washing your produce.  Remove ends and snap beans into pieces, then wash the raw green beans in cool water with a couple glugs of vinegar.  Let them soak for about 10 minutes in a large pot of water or bowl or your clean sink before draining and rinsing well under cold running water.  Allow to drip dry in a strainer.  Since we’re dry pack canning, we don’t really want that extra liquid.

Step 2:  Pack Jars

Wash canning jars and lids in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well and set aside to stay clean.

Since we’re dry pack canning these beans, you can pack the jars very tightly and to the top of the jar rim.  During the canning process the beans will shrink once heated and they release their liquid.  I add beans, smack the bottom of the jar to settle them, and pack them as full and tightly as possible.

I do not add seasoning since it’s hard to distribute it into the jar and opt to season them when I open them to use them.  If you would like to add salt, add up to 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar and half that for pints.

Top each jar with 1/2 teaspoon or so of bacon fat if desired.

Wipe rims with a cloth dipped in vinegar and clean thoroughly.  Add a lid and secure with a screw band according to lid manufacturer’s specifications for tightening.

Step 3:  Pressure Canning

Place jars of green beans into pressure canner.  Since we raw packed beans and don’t have hot beans, heat your canner a little more gently than normal so you don’t bust a jar.  Place pressure canner over medium heat.

Process quart jars for 25 minutes and pint jars for 20 minutes at your elevations recommended pounds of pressure for low-acid foods.  If you don’t know what this means, see this blog post on canning and elevation.

Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and allow canner to cool and completely depressurize.

Step 4:  Storage

Remove jars using a jar lifter from canner and allow to cool undisturbed on a heat proof surface for 18-24 hours.

After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place away form direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.  Room temperature is good.  Anything that’s not extremely melty hot or freezing cold.  You don’t want the jar temps fluctuating that much because it will affect not only the food quality but can cause jars to come unsealed and you’ll lose all that hard work.

Shelf life is til you eat them.  I aim to rotate my canned goods out every 2 years, but as long as the seal is good, they’re good, so don’t go tossing perfectly good food because the jar box said 18 months.  Best nutritional content is by 18-24 months when it starts to degrade and sometimes discolor, but that doesn’t make it any less edible.  Also, by canning enough for 2 years, you can make a small garden work for you and rotate the crops you grow in your own garden on a yearly basis.

Use these canned beans for a lovely homemade green bean casserole!

Dry Pack Rebel Canning Green Beans with Bacon Grease

Rebel canning green beans by dry pack canning them with a bit of bacon fat has been the most delicious addition to my canning shelves. The texture and flavor is unmatched and they make the best green bean casserole.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Canning Time: 24 minutes minutes

Total Time: 49 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 quart

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

• Pressure Canner
• Strainer
• Canning jars
• Canning lids and rings
• Lar lifter

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green beans ends snipped, snapped
• 1/2 teaspoon bacon fat or butter, tallow, etc.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Wash the raw green beans in cool water with a couple glugs of vinegar.  Let them soak for about 10 minutes in a large pot of water or bowl or your clean sink before draining and rinsing well under cold running water.  Allow to drip dry in a strainer.
• Wash canning jars and lids in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well and set aside to stay clean.
• Since we're dry pack canning these beans, you can pack the jars very tightly and to the top of the jar rim.  During the canning process the beans will shrink once heated and they release their liquid.  I add beans, smack the bottom of the jar to settle them, and pack them as full and tightly as possible.
• Top each jar with 1/2 teaspoon or so of bacon fat if desired.
• Place jars of green beans into pressure canner.  Since we raw packed beans and don't have hot beans, heat your canner a little more gently than normal so you don't bust a jar.  Place pressure canner over medium heat.
• Process quart jars for 25 minutes and pint jars for 20 minutes at your elevations recommended pounds of pressure for low-acid foods.
• Remove jars using a jar lifter from canner and allow to cool undisturbed on a heat proof surface for 18-24 hours.
• After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place away form direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.  Room temperature is good.  Anything that's not extremely melty hot or freezing cold.
• Shelf life is til you eat them.  I aim to rotate my canned goods out every 2 years, but as long as the seal is good, they're good, so don't go tossing perfectly good food because the jar box said 18 months.  Best nutritional content is by 18-24 months when it starts to degrade and sometimes discolor, but that doesn't make it any less edible.

Notes

I do not add seasoning since it’s hard to distribute it into the jar and opt to season them when I open them to use them.  If you would like to add salt, add up to 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar and half that for pints.

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