How to Can Green Beans (Pressure)
Green beans are a low-acid vegetable, so they must be pressure canned, never water-bath canned. Pack prepared beans into jars, process in a pressure canner at the exact pressure and time a tested USDA or NCHFP recipe specifies for your altitude, then cool and check seals.
Home-canned green beans are a pantry classic, but they are also a textbook low-acid food, which means one rule matters above all: they must be pressure canned.
The process in outline
- Prepare beans (wash, trim, cut) per a tested recipe; raw-pack or hot-pack as it directs.
- Fill jars to the specified headspace; add salt if desired; wipe rims.
- Process in the pressure canner at the exact pressure and time for your altitude.
- Cool naturally, let pressure fall on its own, then check seals.
Learn the full method in how to pressure can, adjust with altitude adjustments, and test your gauge, see gauge testing.
- National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) — tested home-preservation methods and the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) — Food
- FoodSafety.gov
Frequently asked questions
Can you water-bath can green beans?
No. Green beans are low-acid and must be pressure canned to be safe. A water bath cannot reach the temperature needed to prevent botulism in low-acid vegetables.
Do I need to adjust green bean canning for altitude?
Yes. Higher altitude requires higher pressure. Use a tested recipe that gives the pressure and time for your altitude, and have your dial gauge checked yearly.