National Center for Home Food Preservation

Quantity: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and yields 12 to 20 quarts – an average of 2 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select filled but tender, crisp pods. Remove and discard diseased and rusty pods.

Procedure: Wash beans and trim ends. Leave whole or cut or snap into 1-inch pieces.

Hot pack – Cover with boiling water; boil 5 minutes. Fill jars loosely, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw pack – Fill jars tightly with raw beans, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Add boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner following the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2 according to the type of canner being used. (There is no safe option for processing green beans in a boiling water canner.)

Table 1. Recommended process time for Snap and Italian Beans in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 - 2,000 ft	2,001 - 4,000 ft	4,001 - 6,000 ft	6,001 - 8,000 ft
Hot and Raw	Pints	20 min	11 lb	12 lb	13 lb	14 lb
Hot and Raw	Quarts	25	11	12	13	14

Table 2. Recommended process time for Snap and Italian Beans in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 - 1,000 ft	Above 1,000 ft
Hot and Raw	Pints	20 min	10 lb	15 lb
Hot and Raw	Quarts	25	10	15

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 1994.

Reviewed June 2006.

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Vegetables

Beans, Snap and Italian - Pieces, Green and Wax