Irish Bean & Cabbage Stew Canning Recipe

A hearty bowl of Irish Bean & Cabbage Stew is comfort food at its finest, combining beans, cabbage, potatoes, and savory seasonings into a satisfying, shelf-stable meal. Pressure canning allows you to preserve this wholesome stew so it’s ready whenever you need a quick lunch or easy dinner. Whether you’re stocking your pantry, preparing for busy weeks, or simply preserving seasonal ingredients, this recipe delivers homemade comfort in every jar.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva® 
Last updated: July 18, 2026

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A Budget Friendly Hearty Meal in a Jar

Looking for a hearty, budget-friendly meal that’s ready whenever you need it? This Irish Bean & Cabbage Stew Canning Recipe combines tender beans, cabbage, vegetables, and savory seasonings into a comforting pressure-canned meal perfect for stocking your pantry. Whether you’re preparing for busy weeknights, stretching your grocery budget, or simply preserving wholesome homemade meals, this recipe delivers rich flavor with simple ingredients. Once processed, each jar becomes a convenient shelf-stable meal that only needs to be heated and served, making it an excellent addition to any home canner’s collection.

Bean-based soups and stews have long been valued for their affordability, nutrition, and ability to feed a family using pantry staples. Cabbage adds body and subtle sweetness while holding up remarkably well during pressure canning, creating a satisfying meal that’s equally at home on a cold winter evening or as a quick lunch throughout the year.

If you’re searching for a reliable pressure canning recipe that produces delicious, ready-to-eat meals without relying on expensive ingredients, this Irish-inspired stew deserves a permanent place in your pantry rotation.

Jar Packing and Ingredient Substitutions

One of the techniques you’ll see throughout many of my pressure canning recipes is what I call the Raw Stacking Method. While it is based on the traditional raw pack method, it takes organization one step further by intentionally layering each measured ingredient directly into the jar before adding the liquid.

Instead of mixing everything together in a large pot first, each ingredient is carefully stacked in the order listed in the recipe. Once the vegetables, beans, meats, or seasonings have been added, the jars are topped with the specified water, broth, or stock, leaving the proper headspace before processing.

This method makes filling multiple jars faster, keeps ingredient portions consistent from jar to jar, and helps ensure each finished meal contains the intended balance of ingredients.

Ingredient Substitutions

The beauty of pressure canning foods at high temperatures for an extended period of time is the ability to customize a recipe to suit your preferences and the ingredients you have available.

This recipe reflects how I enjoy eating this stew, blending the subtle flavor of pinto beans with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes. However, if you prefer a different bean, such as navy beans or black beans, feel free to make that substitution. Just be sure to use the same measurement listed in the recipe and in each jar.

You may also create a variation using what you already have on hand. If you are out of sweet potatoes but have red-skinned potatoes or Russet potatoes available, use them. Turnips may be substituted for carrots, and the onion may be omitted if desired.

Ingredient substitutions will naturally change the intended flavor profile of the original recipe, but they also allow you to create a stew that better suits your tastebuds. Keep the ingredient measurements and ratios the same, and do not change the stated processing time, pressure, or temperature.

Irish Bean & Cabbage Stew Canning Recipe

Makes approximately 12 pints

This bean and cabbage stew is my go-to lunch! The cabbage and beans are a hearty stick-to-the-ribs focal point in each jar. And the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and carrots blend each of its flavors together perfectly. I will often heat up a pint on the stove for lunch and crush a few soda crackers on top. Only have a microwave in the break-room? No worries. Bring a pint jar, a 9-ounce bowl and some crackers to work with you.

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried pinto beans
• 3 cups diced onion
• 4 celery stalks, center with leaves preferably
• 12 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups cubed sweet potato, approx. 2 large or 3 medium potatoes
• 3 cups diced carrots, approx. 8-10 medium carrots
• 3 cups loosely packed diced tomato, optional
• 3 cups loosely packed chopped green cabbage, approx. 1/2 head of cabbage
• 10 cups of beef broth

Instructions

1. Place 12 clean pints onto your counter top. Using the list below, and starting with the pinto beans, layer each of the following ingredients in order shown into each jar.
2. After each ingredient is added, tamp down using a wooden spoon or chopstick, to make room for the next layered ingredient. Be sure to maintain a 1-inch headspace when raw stacking.
3. Tamp down the final ingredient, chopped cabbage, to maintain the 1-inch headspace.

AMOUNT PER JAR

• 1/4 c dried pinto beans
• 1/4 c loosely packed diced onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 c cubed sweet potato
• 1/4 c diced carrots
• 1/4 c loosely packed diced tomato, optional
• 1/4 c loosely packed chopped green cabbage

  

1. After each jar has been raw stacked with the above ingredients, slowly add the broth – one jar at a time until you fill to 1-inch headspace.
2. After each jar is filled, use the air bubble remover tool to tamp down the ingredient and remove any air bubbles. Because it is tightly packed, you may not be able to move the tool around the sides of the jar; so lightly tap the jar onto a cutting board to loosen any trapped air bubbles. In doing so, you may need to add additional broth to each jar to achieve the 1-inch of headspace.
3. Wipe your jar rims with a wet wash cloth dipped in vinegar. Place lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
4. Process pint jars in a pressure canner at 10 psi for a weighted gauge or 11 psi for a dial gauge, or according to your elevation. Pints process for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes.

RECIPE TIP: Wish to make this in quart jars? If so, double every ingredient. Add to each quart the following: 1/2 c dried pinto beans, 1/2 c loosely packed diced onions, 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 c cubed sweet potato, 1/2 c diced carrots, 1/2 c loosely packed diced tomato, optional, 1/2 c loosely packed chopped green cabbage

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.