Check this out!
My Grandma’s Homestyle Baked Beans in a Jar
There’s something truly comforting about baked beans bubbling in a cast iron skillet or slow cooker—the smell of molasses, bacon, garlic, and spices swirling through the kitchen. This classic Homestyle Baked Beans recipe has been in my family for generations, passed down from my Grandma Steele. It’s rich, savory, slightly sweet, and packed with soul-warming flavor that brings back memories of church potlucks, summer BBQs, and cozy fall dinners.
Once I started canning this recipe, I never bought another store-bought can of baked beans again—and I doubt you will either.
🫘 Why You’ll Love These Baked Beans
Whether you’re stocking your pantry or prepping for a backyard cookout, this pressure-canned baked beans recipe is a delicious and practical staple to keep on hand.
- Made with Real Ingredients – No preservatives, additives, or mystery flavors.
- Infused with Smoky Bacon & Molasses – Deep flavor from slow-cooked onions, garlic, and uncured bacon.
- Perfect for Pressure Canning – Safe, shelf-stable, and ready whenever you need a quick, hearty side.
- Budget-Friendly & Batchable – Prep a large batch for under $2 per pint.
- Versatile & Crowd-Pleasing – Great for potlucks, camping, tailgating, or weeknight meals.
🍽️ How to Use Home Canned Baked Beans
You’ll love the convenience of pulling a jar off the shelf and having an instant side dish or main meal in minutes. Here are some easy ways to enjoy them:
- Classic Side Dish: Serve warm alongside grilled burgers, ribs, or brats.
- Baked Bean Casserole: Add sautéed green peppers and ground beef, then bake with cheddar cheese on top.
- Hearty Breakfast: Heat with fried eggs and toast for a protein-rich breakfast.
- Camping or Tailgating: Dump into a pot over a fire or slow cooker and heat through.
- Baked Bean Chili: Add to your next chili pot for a smoky, sweet twist.
🥣 Nutritional Benefits of Homemade Baked Beans
These beans aren’t just comfort food—they’re loaded with goodness:
- Protein & Fiber: Navy and Great Northern beans are rich in plant-based protein and gut-friendly fiber.
- Iron & Folate: Essential nutrients for energy and heart health.
- No Corn Syrup or MSG: Unlike store-bought baked beans, this version is naturally sweetened and flavor-packed using real molasses, tomato paste, and spices.
- Customizable Heat: Add more cayenne or even a chipotle pepper if you prefer a smokier, spicier profile.
🛠️ Must-Have Tools for Pressure Canning Baked Beans
To ensure safety and flavor, these tools are essential for success:
- Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner – Ideal for processing low-acid foods like legumes.
- Wide-Mouth Mason Jars (16 oz) – Perfect for chunky baked beans and easy serving.
- Canning Funnel & Bubble Remover Tool – Keeps your jars mess-free and air-pocket free.
- Tattler Reusable Lids – Eco-friendly and reliable for repeated use.
Click my affiliate links to shop. As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission which helps support this website. Thank you for your support!
👩🍳 Pro Canning Tip
While it may be tempting to double or triple this recipe, I’ve found the best flavor comes from single-batch prep. You can, however, hydrate multiple batches of beans at once to streamline the process, then make individual skillets of bacon and sauce to retain consistency and flavor.
📚 Want More Canning Recipes with Beans?
Check out The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning—you’ll find safe, tested recipes for beans, soups, stews, and hearty pantry meals.
Homestyle Baked Beans Canning Recipe
Need a quick side for a pot-luck or sporting events? Pop a few jars of these in your crockpot and heat through on warm. Homestyle baked beans are a total crowd pleaser and the perfect side dish. After canning these once, I never purchased store-bought baked beans again.
Makes approx. 5 pints
Prep Time: 45 min / Cook Time: 25 min / Canner Time: 60 min / Processing Time: 75 min / Total Time: 205 min
Ingredients
- 2½ cups dried navy or great northern beans (16 ounces)
- 12 to 14 ounces smoked, uncured bacon, thick cut
- 1 large sweet onion, diced (1½ cups )
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ cups Chicken Stock
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup tomato paste (6 ounces)
- ½ cup blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and clean the dried beans, discarding disfigured beans and debris.
- In a large pot, combine the dried beans with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and keep lid on.
- Using kitchen scissors cut bacon into 1-inch-long pieces and place in a deep skillet. Using medium-high heat, cook bacon until lightly browned but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon pieces using a slotted spoon and set aside in bowl. Be sure to reserve as much bacon grease in skillet as possible.
- Add the onion and garlic to skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, dark brown sugar, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to make a smooth sauce with no lumps.
- Drain the beans in a colander in the sink, shaking off any excess liquid. Add the beans to the onions and garlic in the skillet. Add the crumbled bacon and mix well. Heat through on medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
Add the sauce to skillet, mixing well to coat every bean, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat. - Using a slotted spoon, fill the pint jars with hot beans leaving a generous 1 inch of headspace. Using your air bubble remover tool, tamp down to remove air pockets, and evenly distribute any remaining sauce among the five pint jars, maintaining the 1 inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
- Place the sealed jars in the pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring to a boil on high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and heat to achieve 10 pounds pressure. Process pint jars for 75 minutes.
Recipe Tip: While it is tempting to double, even triple, this recipe, the best flavor is achieved when it is created in a single batch. I suggest prepping the beans for multiple batches simultaneously to maximize your time, therefore increasing your yield. A single batch requires 2 ½ cups dried beans that yields 5½ cups hydrated beans. Use this math to hydrate multiple batches of beans together to save stove-top space. Then, you can create individual batches of sauce and individual skillets of the bacon, onion, and garlic mixture.
For more canning recipes using legumes and beans, be sure to pick up your copy of The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning today.
Have a canning question? Do not hesitate to message me on Facebook.
Happy Canning Everyone~
Diane, The Canning Diva®
www.canningdiva.com
Homestyle Baked Beans Canning Recipe
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesNeed a quick side for a pot-luck or sporting events? Pop a few jars of these in your crockpot and heat through on warm. Homestyle baked beans are a total crowd pleaser and the perfect side dish. After canning these once, I never purchased store-bought baked beans again.
Ingredients
2½ cups 2½ dried navy or great northern beans (16 ounces)
12 – 14 ounces 12 – 14 smoked, uncured bacon, thick cut
1 large 1 sweet onion, diced (1½ cups )
6 6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups 1½ Chicken Stock
¾ cup ¾ packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup ¾ tomato paste (6 ounces)
½ cup ½ blackstrap molasses
¼ cup ¼ apple cider vinegar
¼ cup ¼ ketchup
2 tablespoons 2 Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons 2 Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ½ cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ½ ground black pepper
1 teaspoon 1 coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and clean the dried beans, discarding disfigured beans and debris.
- In a large pot, combine the dried beans with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and keep lid on.
- Using kitchen scissors cut bacon into 1-inch-long pieces and place in a deep skillet. Using medium-high heat, cook bacon until lightly browned but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon pieces using a slotted spoon and set aside in bowl. Be sure to reserve as much bacon grease in skillet as possible.
- Add the onion and garlic to skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, dark brown sugar, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to make a smooth sauce with no lumps.
- Drain the beans in a colander in the sink, shaking off any excess liquid. Add the beans to the onions and garlic in the skillet. Add the crumbled bacon and mix well. Heat through on medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the sauce to skillet, mixing well to coat every bean, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat.
- Using a slotted spoon, fill the pint jars with hot beans leaving a generous 1 inch of headspace. Using your air bubble remover tool, tamp down to remove air pockets, and evenly distribute any remaining sauce among the five pint jars, maintaining the 1 inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
- Place the sealed jars in the pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring to a boil on high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and heat to achieve 10 pounds pressure. Process pint jars for 75 minutes.
Notes
- Recipe Tip: While it is tempting to double, even triple, this recipe, the best flavor is achieved when it is created in a single batch. I suggest prepping the beans for multiple batches simultaneously to maximize your time, therefore increasing your yield. A single batch requires 2 ½ cups dried beans that yields 5½ cups hydrated beans. Use this math to hydrate multiple batches of beans together to save stove-top space. Then, you can create individual batches of sauce and individual skillets of the bacon, onion, and garlic mixture.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @canningdiva on Instagram and hashtag it with #thecanningdiva
Like this recipe?
Follow @canningdiva on Pinterest
