Updated August4, 2026 — added notes on texture troubleshooting and a few personal notes from my own canning days.
You know what a can of Van Camp’s tastes like.
It’s fine. It does the job. But there’s nothing behind it.
Here’s the thing — pork and beans made from scratch are a completely different thing. Navy beans slow-braised in the oven with caramelized salt pork and onions, a quart of tomato juice, a little sugar, a bay leaf. The kind of thing that smells like it’s been cooking since morning, because it has.
This is my tested method for pressure canning pork and beans from scratch — and it starts days before with salt pork you cured yourself.
And it turns out, you can pressure can them safely — following the tested method from the National Center for Home Food Preserving.
I make my own salt pork. We had a pig butchered and I cure the belly myself — packed in kosher salt for seven to fourteen days in the refrigerator. It takes almost no effort and it changes everything about this recipe.
Around here, these go straight into my Slow-Cooked Cowboy Beans when I make them in the slow cooker. One jar off the shelf and I never touch a store-bought can again.
Let’s get into it.
Why This Works
Navy beans are a low-acid food. Water bath canning is not safe for them!
Pressure canning is the only method that reaches 240°F — the temperature required to eliminate the risk of botulism in low-acid foods. There are no exceptions to this.
This pork and bean recipe follows the tested method from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. That means the bean-to-liquid ratio, jar size, pressure, and processing time have all been validated. Those are the things you do not change.
What you can do is build flavor before the beans ever go into a jar. The oven braise. The caramelized salt pork and onion, gone dark gold and sticky in the pan. That bay leaf sitting in there, doing its quiet work.
The flavor is part of it. But if I’m honest, it’s not even the main part. I can because I want to know how to make this myself — not just pull something off a grocery store shelf without thinking about it. There’s a strength in knowing how. That’s mine, and nobody can take it from me.
None of it touches the safety of the method.
What to Expect
This is a full-day project. Not hard — just not fast. When I’m canning these pork and beans, I remind myself this is “the” project for the day, and I don’t let myself run to the garden to pull a few weeds or anything else. I am so easily distracted.
The beans get a quick soak in the morning. They simmer on the stovetop for 30 minutes, then go into a low oven for 1 hour. Then they process in the pressure canner for 65 minutes.
Have the canner set up and ready before they come out of the oven.
A full day’s work. Six to eight pints on the shelf. Worth it.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Pressure canner (All American, Presto, or equivalent tested canner)
- 6-8 wide-mouth pint jars with new lids and bands
- Jar lifter
- Canning funnel
- Bubble remover / headspace tool
- Large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven
- Skillet for rendering salt pork and caramelizing onions
Ingredients
Yield: 6-8 pints
A Note on the Salt Pork
I cure my own. After we had a pig butchered this year, I pack the belly in kosher salt for seven to fourteen days in the refrigerator. It takes almost no effort and you’ll taste the difference immediately.
Store-bought salt pork works fine if that’s what you have. But if you raise your own pork or can get your hands on fresh belly, cure it yourself. This recipe is worth it.
For the Beans
- 1 quart dry navy beans (about 2 lbs)
- 1/4 lb home-cured salt pork — cut into pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Water as needed (about 1 to 2 cups)
Note: Salt pork is salty by nature. Taste the sauce before adding additional salt. Most batches need less than you’d think.
What You Can and Cannot Change
This recipe is tested as written. Here’s what’s safe to adjust and what isn’t.
| Addition | Safe? | Why |
| Bay leaf | ✅ Yes | Does not affect pH or density |
| Black pepper | ✅ Yes | Dry spice — safe addition |
| Extra sugar or tomato juice | ⚠️ Caution | Stick to tested amounts — large additions affect density |
| Thickening agents (flour, cornstarch) | ❌ No | Prevent heat penetration — not safe for canning |
| Additional vegetables (peppers, garlic) | ❌ No | Changes density — not tested for safety |
| Canned beans instead of dry | ❌ No | The tested method requires dry beans — do not substitute |
How to Pressure Can Pork and Beans — Step by Step
Step 1 — Quick Soak the Beans
No overnight planning required for this one.
Rinse and sort 1 quart of dry navy beans. Pick out any shriveled beans or small stones — they are always in there.
Use the quick soak method: cover beans with cold water by at least 3 inches, bring to a full boil, boil 2 minutes, turn off heat, cover, and let sit 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.
The beans will have swelled considerably. That’s exactly right.
Step 2 — Render the Salt Pork and Caramelize the Onion
This is the step that separates this from every other canned pork and beans post on the internet.
Cut your salt pork into small pieces — roughly half-inch cubes. Render them in a skillet or directly in your Dutch oven like I do, over medium heat until the fat releases and the edges start to brown. This takes about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped onion directly to the rendered fat. Cook low and slow until the onions are golden, soft, and caramelized — 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t rush this. The color you’re building here is flavor that stays in the jar.
Step 3 — Pre-Cook the Beans
Cover drained beans with fresh water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
They’ll be partially cooked — not soft, not done. That’s what you want. They finish in the oven and again in the canner.
Drain and set aside. Save the cooking liquid — you may want it later.
Step 4 — Build the Sauce and Oven Braise
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, combine:
- The drained pre-cooked beans
- The caramelized salt pork and onions, with all the rendered fat from the pan
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Water – as needed (1 to 2 cups) to make sure the beans are covered
Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour, checking every hour. Add a little additional water or reserved cooking liquid as needed to keep the beans just covered. They should be completely tender but still holding their shape before they go into jars.
The finished beans should look soupy — not thick like a stew. If they’ve thickened up considerably, add water. Thick beans don’t process safely. You need liquid moving freely through the jar for proper heat penetration.
Remove the bay leaf before packing jars.
Step 5 — Prepare Your Canner and Jars
While the beans finish braising, get your canner ready.
Wash the 6-8 pint jars in hot soapy water and keep them warm. You don’t need to sterilize — pressure canning handles that. But warm jars prevent thermal shock when the hot beans go in.
Before you start filling jars, add the amount of hot water specified in your canner’s manual — for the All American 921, you want approximately 2–3 inches of hot water in the bottom of the canner. Heat to a simmer.
Step 6 — Fill the Jars
Using a canning funnel, pack the beans into hot pint jars until 3/4 full. Ladle braising liquid over the beans until they’re covered. If you run short on braising liquid, top off with hot water. You need beans covered with liquid and 1 inch of headspace — both matter.
Run your bubble remover around the inside of each jar to release air pockets. Check headspace and adjust liquid to maintain that full 1 inch.
Wipe jar rims with a clean cloth dampened with white vinegar — it removes any fat residue that could interfere with the seal. Place lids and screw bands on fingertip tight. Not cranked down.
Step 7 — Process in the Pressure Canner
Load jars into the canner on the rack. Lock the lid.
Vent steam for 10 full minutes before closing the petcock or placing the weight. This removes air from inside the canner — a required safety step, not optional.
New to pressure canning? My complete guide to Pressure Canning for Beginners walks you through everything — how the canner works, venting, pressure, and what to do when something looks off.
Process at the pressure appropriate for your altitude:
| Altitude | Dial Gauge | Weighted Gauge |
| 0–2,000 ft | 11 lbs | 10 lbs |
| 2,001–4,000 ft | 12 lbs | 15 lbs |
| 4,001–6,000 ft | 13 lbs | 15 lbs |
| 6,001–8,000 ft | 14 lbs | 15 lbs |
I’m canning at 2,566 feet here in Idaho — that puts me at 15 lbs on a weighted gauge canner.
Process time: 65 minutes for pints.
When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the canner depressurize naturally. Do not rush this. Do not run it under cold water. Do not touch the weight or petcock.
Wait until the dial gauge reads zero. Then wait another 10 minutes before opening the petcock and removing the lid.
Step 8 — Remove and Rest
Remove the lid carefully, tilting it away from your face. Steam will escape.
Use your jar lifter to remove jars without tilting. Set them on a towel-lined counter with at least an inch of space between jars. Do not press the lids. Do not adjust the bands.
Let them rest undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. You’ll hear them ping as they seal — one of the best sounds in this kitchen.
Step 9 — Check the Seals
After 12 to 24 hours, check each lid. Press the center — it should be firm and concave with no flex. Remove the bands and try to lift the lid with your fingertips. If it holds, it’s sealed.
Any jar that didn’t seal goes straight to the refrigerator and gets eaten within a week. Do not re-process. If you’re getting repeated seal failures, my guide to Why Did My Canning Jars Not Seal walks through every cause and exactly what to do about it.
Label with contents and date. Store in a cool, dark location for up to 18 months. Before you open a jar, give it a quick check — my guide to Is My Canned Food Safe walks you through exactly what to look for.
More From the Canning Hub
→ Home Canning & Preserving: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
→ Pressure Canning for Beginners: How to Use Your Canner Safely
→ Why Did My Canning Jars Not Seal? — if you’re getting failures, start here.
→ Quick Bean Soak Method — No Overnight Soaking Required
→ Slow-Cooked Cowboy Beans — use these instead of the store-bought can
Shop This Post
- All American Pressure Canner — The metal-to-metal seal means no gasket to replace, no rubber parts to wear out. It’s the canner I bought once and will use for the rest of my life.
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving — I love the spiral-bound version. It lays flat on the counter while you work, which is exactly where a canning book belongs.
- Wide-mouth pint jars — Pints are the right size for pork and beans. Wide-mouth makes filling and emptying easier — don’t bother with regular mouth for this one.
- Canning funnels — Non-negotiable. Trying to fill jars without one is how you burn your hands and waste your beans.
- Jar lifter — Also non-negotiable. You will drop a jar without one. Don’t find out the hard way.
- Bubble remover / headspace tool — Does two jobs in one tool. Run it around the inside of each jar before you wipe the rims.
Pints of Something Real
Six to eight pints of pork and beans on the shelf — made from scratch, from a tested recipe, with salt pork you cured yourself.
Not convenience. Not a shortcut. The thing itself — beans that taste like something because you took the time to render the salt pork, braise them low and slow, and do it right.
Pull one off the shelf next time you make Cowboy Beans. Open it up and skip the store-bought can entirely. You’ll notice the difference immediately.
If you make this, I’d love to know how it went. Drop a comment below — especially if you’re canning at altitude. What pressure are you running?
New to canning? First Batch walks you through water bath canning from the very beginning — equipment, safety, tested recipes, and the confidence to actually open that canner.
Simple Living ❤️ Country Style — one tested jar at a time, on shelves built to carry you through.
Pressure Canning Pork and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 quart dry navy beans about 2 lbs
- 1/4 lb home-cured salt pork cut into pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion about 1 medium
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- water (about 1 to 2 cups)
Instructions
- Sort and rinse dry navy beans. Quick soak: cover with cold water by 3 inches, bring to a full boil, boil 2 minutes, turn off heat, cover and rest 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
- Cut salt pork into small pieces. Render in a skillet over medium heat until fat releases and edges brown, about 10 minutes. Add chopped onion to the rendered fat and cook low and slow until golden and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cover drained beans with fresh water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, combine beans, salt pork and onions with all rendered fat, tomato juice, sugar, salt, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and bake 1 hour, checking every hour and adding water as needed to keep beans just covered. Beans should be tender but still holding their shape. Remove bay leaf before jarring.
- Wash the 6-8 pint jars and keep warm. Fill pressure canner with water per your manual and heat to a simmer.
- Pack beans into hot pint jars using a canning funnel until 3/4 full, then ladle braising liquid over beans leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace. Wipe rims with a vinegar-dampened cloth. Apply lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Load jars into canner. Lock lid and vent steam for 10 full minutes. Close petcock or add weight.
- Process at the pressure appropriate for your altitude. I use the weighted gauge regulator on my All American 921 — at 2,566 feet here in Idaho, that means 15 lbs. Process pints for 65 minutes.If you're using a dial gauge canner, adjust as follows: 11 lbs (0–2,000 ft), 12 lbs (2,001–4,000 ft), 13 lbs (4,001–6,000 ft), 14 lbs (6,001–8,000 ft).
- Turn off heat and let canner depressurize naturally. When dial reads zero, wait 10 more minutes, then open petcock and remove lid carefully.
- Remove jars without tilting. Set on towel-lined counter with space between jars. Do not press lids or adjust bands. Rest 12 to 24 hours.
- Check seals. Press center of each lid — firm and concave means sealed. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within one week. Label and store sealed jars in a cool dark location up to 18 months.
Notes
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a water bath canner for pork and beans?
No. Pork and beans are a low-acid food and must be pressure canned. Water bath canning does not reach the temperature required to eliminate botulism risk in low-acid foods. There is no tested water bath method for pork and beans.
Can I use canned beans instead of dry?
No. The NCHFP tested method requires dry beans that are soaked and pre-cooked. Canned beans have a completely different density and texture and have not been tested for this process. Do not substitute.
Can I skip the overnight soak?
Yes — that’s exactly what the quick soak method is for. Boil 2 minutes, cover and rest 1 hour, drain and rinse. Works beautifully and saves you the overnight planning. See the full quick soak guide linked above.
Can I use bacon instead of salt pork?
Salt pork is the tested ingredient in the NCHFP recipe. Bacon is a reasonable substitution for flavor — keep the quantity the same. Smoked bacon will give you a noticeably different flavor than salt pork, so go in knowing that. Salt pork is traditional for a reason.
Why do I have to vent steam for 10 minutes?
Venting removes air from inside the canner. Air pockets prevent the canner from reaching accurate temperature and pressure — which means your processing time is unreliable. This step is not optional. It is a safety requirement, not a suggestion.
Can I add garlic or peppers to this recipe?
No. Adding additional vegetables changes the density of the pack, which affects how heat reaches the center of the jar. The NCHFP recipe has been tested as written. Adding untested ingredients means you’re no longer using a tested safe method.
My beans are mushy after canning. What happened?
Beans continue to cook during pressure processing, so texture going into the jar matters. They should be tender but still holding their shape with a little resistance when you bite one — not falling apart.
The oven stage is usually where it goes wrong. This recipe braises for 1 hour at 300°F — that’s intentional. If you push it longer thinking more time equals more flavor, you’ll pay for it in texture.
I’ve done this myself. Let a batch braise a couple of hours instead of one, thinking it’d deepen the flavor. By the time they went in the canner, they were already soft, and pressure canning finished the job and made the mush. Pull them at 1 hour. The pressure canner does the rest.
A note on safety: mushy beans and unsafe beans are two different things. What makes a pack unsafe is a thick, paste-like consistency where liquid has absorbed into the beans and nothing is moving freely through the jar. That’s when heat can’t reach the center.
Overcooked but still soupy — safe to can; texture will suffer.
Overcooked and thick like paste — do not can. Eat them now.
Can I skip the stovetop pre-cook and just braise the beans longer in the oven?
No. The 30-minute stovetop pre-cook is not about flavor — it’s about density. Beans need to be partially cooked before they go into the jars so heat can penetrate to the center during pressure processing. The oven braise runs at 300°F and does not replicate a full boil. If you forgot the pre-cook, get the beans back on the stove before they go anywhere near the Dutch oven. It adds time. It is not optional.
How long do canned pork and beans last on the shelf?
Up to 18 months stored in a cool, dark location. Quality is best within the first year. After 18 months the beans are likely still safe if properly sealed, but flavor and texture begin to decline.
What if some jars didn’t seal?
Any unsealed jar goes in the refrigerator immediately and gets eaten within a week. Do not re-process — the beans have already been cooked three times and the quality will suffer. Unsealed jars are still safe to eat, just not shelf-stable.
Do I need to adjust pressure for high altitude?
Yes. If you’re above 2,000 feet, you need to increase pressure — see the altitude table above. The processing time stays the same at 65 minutes. Only the pressure changes. If you’re in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, or anywhere in the mountain west, check your altitude before you process.
Can I double this recipe?
You can make a larger batch, but do not change the jar size or processing time. The 65-minute processing time is based on jar size and density, not batch volume. Stick to pints with 1 inch headspace and process for the full time regardless of how many jars you’re running.
Hi, I’m Yvonne — the voice behind Our Country Life. I share from-scratch recipes, garden know-how, and simple living inspiration rooted in real farmhouse life. Thanks for being here ❤️
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