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One of my most used meals in a jar canned in my trusty ole electric pressure canner would be this ham and bean soup recipe.  My electric pressure canner is one of my favorite things because it has made small batch canning so easy to do in the best way!  Electric pressure canners are a set, forget, beep when you need me, and that’s the best way to can when you’re a busy Mom of littles.  

This recipe makes 4 quarts which fills my Nesco canner and makes good use of dry beans I have in mylar bags, leftover ham and a ham bone to make broth, and some spices.  You can absolutely do the no-soak method for canning beans (rebel) but I do choose to soak mine just to prepare them better and make them a little more gentle on our stomachs.  It does disappoint my kids though when they’re not unsoaked beans because they really, really enjoy their “beans beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you……”  

I use a mix of great northern beans and pinto beans because those are my favorite and they can up really well.  Serve this as a dump, heat, and quick eat lunch smothered in ketchup (because there is no other way and I’ll hear no more about it.  I am FIRM in my beliefs and you will not change me), or as a dinner with some homemade cornbread, also smothered in ketchup then, too.  

Canning Smoked and Cured Meats

You can use diced ham, leftover ham, whatever you have.  Just know that canning ham is rebel canning because cured, smoked meats are not a tested recipe by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.  Who knows why, but I don’t worry about it.  Their guidelines do say that some recipes call for a little bacon and that’s fine, so I’ve always figured this recipe doesn’t have much ham so its fiiiiiiine.  If you are uncomfortable canning smoked and cured meats, skip the ham and add it when you open the jar.  

Ham Broth

If I have smoked ham hocks on hand or leftover ham bone, I will make broth with those bones before canning this.  Normally when I soak the beans overnight, I also toss a ham bone(s) in the slow cooker with some veggies scraps, bay leaves, and about 12 cups of water and let it cook on low overnight as well. 12-24 hours is perfect!  That’s the bestttttt flavor and it tastes just like ham and beans you’d slow cook all day in the roaster, except it’s in a jar on your shelf waiting for you when you’re ready without much forethought, planning, and cooking!  My favorite!  This is also a great recipe to use up all that leftover ham after the holidays so nothing goes to waste when you can’t possibly eat one more piece of ham.

Recipe Adjustments

If you would like this recipe in pints instead of quarts, simply halve all the measurements and plan on filling 8 pint jars worth of soup.  Processing times for both sizes are given in the recipe.  Since this recipe contains low-acid foods, it is recommended to pressure can and that is what I do..  If you would like water bath canning instructions, find a rebel canning group or a book with times and use the canning times for meat or dried beans.  Since American and European water bath times vary, I won’t give an exact time, but instead would recommend you find it yourself.  BUT, if you’re water bathing everything, you probably already know, so can away!

Let’s can us some ham and beans!

Equipment You Might Want:

• pressure canner
• quart or pint canning jars
• canning lids and screw bands
• mesh strainer
• jar funnel
• jar lifter

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pinto beans
• 2 cups great northern beans
• 1 lb ham, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 quarts chicken broth or ham broth
  • If making ham hock broth, add 1-2 hocks to a slow cooker along with a bay leaf or two and some veggie scraps (celery, onion, carrot, garlic) and add in 12 cups of water.  Set slow cooker on low and allow to cook for 12-18 hours.  Once finished, remove bones and veggies scraps or strain through a mesh strainer and reserve the hot liquid for canning later.

​Step 1:  Soak Beans

The night before, add 1/2 cup of pinto beans and 1/2 cup great northern beans to each clean quart jar and fill with water.  (Plan on 1 cup of beans per quart jar; half of that for pints).  The next morning, drain and rinse beans but dumping each jar into a mesh strainer, rinsing the beans and jar thoroughly, then return them to the jar.  You don’t have to worry about using hot jars or sterilized jars because the pressure canning process sterilizes everything for you.  

You can also soak them in a large bowl and distribute evenly between 4 quart jars if you’d like.

Step 2:  Fill Jars

Add chicken broth to a saucepan, add a lid, and place over high heat to heat while you are working.  If you made ham broth overnight, just keep it hot while you work.

​Evenly distribute between 4 quart jars the diced ham and onion.

To EACH QUART JAR, add:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Ladle over hot broth to 1 inch head space, remove air bubbles, and add more broth if needed to maintain headspace.

Wipe rims with vinegar soaked cloth and add lids and bands. 

Process pint and quart jars at your elevations recommended pounds pressure for pressure canning low acid foods (more on elevation and canning here) for 75 minutes pints or 90 minutes quarts. 

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

Once depressurized, remove jars to a heat proof surface to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.

Step 3:  Storage

Once cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a dark cool place away from direct sunlight.  Room temperature is fine, just avoid extreme temperatures.

Shelf life is ’til you eat it.  I am to use and rotate out canned goods every 2 years for maximum nutritional benefits and quality, but they keep much longer than that if needed.

Notes:

Add any dried spices, like garlic powder, you prefer in your hearty ham soup.

If you would like to add things like diced bell peppers or carrots, go for it, the processing time won’t change but do consider adding a little less beans to make room for them.

This recipe makes a very thick, hearty meal.  If you would like your soup a bit thinner, back off the amount of beans by 1/4-1/2 cup for each jar and see how you like that.  The processing time doesn’t change.  But I like thick soup, so that’s the recipe I’m giving ya!

If making ham hock broth, add 1-2 hocks to a slow cooker along with a bay leaf or two and some veggie scraps (celery, onion, carrot, garlic) and add in 12 cups of water.  Set slow cooker on low and allow to cook for 12-18 hours.  Once finished, remove bones and veggies scraps or strain through a mesh strainer and reserve the hot liquid for canning later.

To Serve:

Dump contents of jar into a sauce pan and heat through over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  If you would like the soup a little thinner, add in a little broth until it’s to the consistency of your liking.  Serve with a side of crusty bread or corn bread and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this great way to use up leftover ham for delicious convenience meals right at your fingertips with so much flavor wrapped up in a simple recipe.  

Happy canning!

Pressure Canning Recipe: Delicious Ham and Bean Soup

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Canning Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 quarts

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

• Pressure Canner
• Quart Canning Jars
• Canning lids & screw bands
• jar funnel
• jar lifter

Ingredients

• 2 cups pinto beans
• 2 cups great northern beans
• 1 lb ham diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 quarts chicken broth or ham broth see notes

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Instructions

• The night before, add 1/2 cup of pinto beans and 1/2 cup great northern beans to each quart jar and fill with water. The next morning, drain and rinse beans in jar. You can also soak in a big bowl and distribute evenly between jars. Your preference.
• Evenly distribute diced ham and onion among 4 quart jars, adding on top of the drained beans..
• To EACH quart jar add, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1-2 cloves of minced garlic.
• Top off jars with boiling broth, de-bubbling well, and adding more to maintain 1″ headspace.
• Wipe rims with vinegar soaked cloth and add lids and bands.
• Process in a pressure canner at your elevations recommended weight for 90 minutes quarts or 75 minutes pints.
• Once canner is depressurized, remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours prior to removing bands, checking seals, washing, labeling, and storing. Any jars that did not seal can be refrigerated and consumed soon. I do not recommend reprocessing as the bean texture would be very overcooked and mushy.
• Store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight; room temperature is fine, just avoid extreme temperatures.
• Shelf life is ’til you eat it. Aim to rotate out canned goods every 2 years for maximum nutritional benefit and quality, but they will last longer than that!

Notes

Add any additional dried spices and additions, like bell peppers or carrots, that you prefer.  If you want to add extra veggies, you may want to adjust the amount of beans per jar to accommodate the extra space the vegetables will need.

If making ham hock broth, add 1-2 hocks to a slow cooker along with a bay leaf or two and some veggie scraps (celery, onion, carrot, garlic) and add in 12 cups of water.  Set slow cooker on low and allow to cook for 12-18 hours.  Once finished, remove bones and veggies scraps or strain through a mesh strainer and reserve the hot liquid for canning later.

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