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Polish potato dumplings contain just 4 ingredients and are incredibly simple to make. They transform ordinary mashed potatoes into a truly delicious dish, perfect on its own or as a side dish with meat-based or vegetarian stews. < Back Polish Potato Dumplings Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 5 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1½ pounds (670 g) potatoes peeled weight 1½ cups less 1tbsp (180 g) flour plus a little for dusting 1 large egg ⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more for boiling the potatoes and dumplings, as per Instructions. Preparation Preparation Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain thoroughly and mash until smooth and creamy (using a potato masher or ricer). Set aside to cool completely. If after draining your potatoes still seem a little too moist place them back in the pot and cook for about 30 seconds stirring all the time. This should get rid of any excess moisture. Fill a large pot with water, add about 1-1½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt (or ⅔ tsp fine), cover and bring to the boil. In the meantime make the potato dumplings. In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes with the egg and salt and gradually add the flour, mixing in with the back of a spoon. When you've added all the flour your mixture should be very lumpy. Transfer to a flat surface and form a smooth dough by bringing the mixture together. You don't need to knead very long. The dough should be very soft. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts (easier to work with) and roll each part into a long sausage shape the thickness of a large thumb (dust with a little flour as you roll). Flatten a little and cut at a slight angle into small pieces (about 2 cm/⅔'' thick). Keep your uncooked kopytka dumplings on top of a floured surface making sure they don't touch each other. When the water starts to boil carefully, place the dumplings in the pot, one by one, and gently stir with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pot and each other. Once they all come up to the top, boil them gently for 2 more minutes. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Use the same water to cook all your dumplings. Turn off the heat, lift the dumplings out of the pot using a slotted spoon and place on a large plate. Add a little butter or drizzle of oil to prevent them sticking to one another. Serve immediately. Notes Potatoes: Use Russets, Yukon Gold, Maris Piper or another all-rounder variety. Drain the cooked potatoes well and mash until smooth. Cool completely before making the recipe. You can boil and mash the potatoes in advance and once cooled refrigerate overnight. Dough: Stop kneading once you've formed the dough. This recipe does not require prolonged kneading. You shouldn't need to use more flour than the recommended amount. If, however, after adding all the flour your dough is still a little sticky knead in a little more (approx. 1 tsp). It is important to use a sufficient amount of salt or your dumplings may end up without much flavor. So boil the potatoes in salted water, add salt into the dumpling dough and cook the kopytka themselves in salted water. They won't be too salty! Make it vegan: Use 2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed instead of the egg. Boiling the dumplings: Do not overcrowd the pot. Make the dumplings in batches (in the same water). Best served immediately. The dumplings are very soft to start with and become tougher as they cool. Reheating them (in the microwave or frying pan) will soften them again. Serve with melted butter, oil, fried bacon or onion, meat-based or vegetarian stew. Refrigerate, once cooled, for up to 2 days. Freezing: To freeze uncooked dumplings, arrange on a flour dusted tray and freeze for 3 hours then store in a freezer bag and place back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Preparation time includes the time needed to boil and cool the potatoes. EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED Vegetable peeler , knife and large spoon Potato masher or ricer Large pot with lid and slotted spoon Previous Next

Biscuits and gravy are a family staple. Add a little sausage and it is a complete meal of joy! < Back Milk Gravy Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients ½ cup butter, or sausage, or hamburger drippings ¼ cup flour ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste 2 cups milk Preparation Cook up some sausage or hamburger and use the drippings OR, melt butter and add flour to make a rue. Slowly add milk while whisking mixture. Add enough milk to the viscosity of the gravy you desire. Some lumps are acceptable. Add in crumbled pre-cooked sausage or hamburger (optional, sort of…) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can also use granulated bouillon flavoring or favorite seasoned flavoring. This gravy is especially good when you use meat drippings, like hamburger, sausage, or steak renderings. Make the gravy in the same pan that you fried the meat and use the meat fat instead of butter and whisk the small pieces of meat scrapings that are on the bottom of the pan into the gravy. That will make the BEST gravy! Serve over biscuits or mashed potatoes. It is especially good when poured over a bowl of rice. Previous Next

Minestrone Soup and cornbread is so good on a cold stormy night. It warms both the body and the soul. < Back Minestrone Soup Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 can kidney beans ½ teaspoon granulated garlic ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh or dehydrated parsley 1 small zucchini - unpeeled, diced 1 teaspoon celery seed (or two celery ribs) 1 can carrots (or two small carrots) 1 teaspoon dehydrated onion (or one small onion, minced) 1 quart stewed tomatoes 1 tablespoon butter (optional, add for richer flavor) 2 ½ cups water 1/3 cup elbow macaroni or favorite pasta shell ½ cup beef bouillon (or tomato juice) ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste) Preparation Mash beans slightly in the bottom of a large stew pot. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, oil, and parsley. Add zucchini, celery, carrots, onion, tomatoes, butter, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add macaroni and beef bouillon (or tomato juice). Simmer 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Serve with freshly baked cornbread or a slice of homemade bread. Perfect meal to feel satiated in the body and the soul. Previous Next

< Back Basically the BEST Chocolate Pudding (or pie filling) You guys. I will be spending the next week chained to the treadmill. It was worth it though because I have a seriously delicious chocolate pudding recipe for you! Plus it only takes about 10 minutes to make! Previous Next

How to make fermented garlic honey; a tasty condiment with cold and flu combatting abilities, immune-boosting properties, and an impressive shelf-life; perfect for enjoying for years to come! Best of all, all you need is two ingredients and a sterilized jar! < Back Fermented Garlic Honey Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 16 tablespoons Level: Beginner About the Recipe How to make fermented garlic honey; a tasty condiment with cold and flu combatting abilities, immune-boosting properties, and an impressive shelf-life; perfect for enjoying for years to come! Best of all, all you need is two ingredients and a sterilized jar! Ingredients 1 cup raw honey (YOU CAN USE MORE OR LESS, JUST MAKE SURE THE RATIO IS 1:1.) Preparation STEP 1: PREPARE THE GARLIC 1. You’ll need to peel the garlic using one of several methods. Then transfer the peeled garlic cloves to a sterilized glass jar with an airtight seal. 2. It’s a good idea to lightly crush or chop the cloves in half to speed up the fermentation process. Alternatively, you could prod the whole cloves a few times – to encourage the release of their juices into the honey. STEP 2: ADD THE HONEY AND FERMENT 1. Fill the jar with honey, mix it, and then seal it. 2. Once sealed, turn the jar upside down (this is why a good seal is essential) and set it aside. Place a plate beneath the jar, just in case, though I’ve never had issues with overspill/leaks. 3. For two weeks, you’ll need to ‘burp’ the jar daily. To do this, open the lid to allow any build-up of gases (co2) to release and then close, shake (or stir it), turn upside down, and set aside again. Be quick while doing this as too much oxygen introduced to the honey and garlic at this stage can impact the fermentation process. Just a quick opening of the lid should be enough to release the gases. During this time, you’ll likely see "activity" in the form of foaming or bubbling within the jar. The amount can vary, and it won’t always be majorly noticeable. The honey will become more watery, too, as the garlic releases liquid into the mixture. 4. After two weeks, the fermented garlic is ready to enjoy, though I’d wait a month for even better results! If you don’t plan on using it very often, then it may still need burping occasionally, though the build-up of gases will slow down over time. HOW TO STORE? 1. Store the jar of fermented garlic and honey in a cool dark location away from direct sunshine – like a kitchen cupboard or pantry. As long as you store the honey with an airtight lid and don’t allow any moisture to enter the jar, then the garlic honey can last for years! Note that it’s normal for the honey and garlic to darken over time – it’s even normal for your garlic to turn blue/green (though this isn’t typical for a honey ferment)- it’s a natural reaction. Notes To avoid manually burping the jar: You can use a self-burping bale wire jar (fido jars) or purchase jars with airlock lids or other ferment lids. Just make sure to shake the jar still to keep the honey submerged. Using fermenting weights: One way to make sure the garlic stays submerged under the honey even before it naturally sinks is to use fermenting weights. You can buy fermenting jars that come with weights to fit those jars specifically. The fresher the garlic, the better: Try to use the freshest garlic that you can as it will produce the quickest and best ferment. Leave a little headspace: While it’s not 100% necessary to do so, some batches may foam up more than others and cause overspill (especially with self-burping jars. For that reason, I always leave headspace at the top of the jar. The perfect fermentation period: The best time to begin enjoying your fermented garlic honey is when the main fermentation is over; it won’t be as foamy, the honey will have thinned out and started to darken, and the honey will have sunk to the bottom of the jar. This usually takes between 4-6 weeks. Though waiting 3 months is even better. If you have the patience, I recommend making sure some are left in the jar after a year for a genuinely delicious surprise! How much honey to use: While it’s important to use enough honey to submerge the garlic entirely, there IS such a thing as too much honey when it comes to fermenting. I recommend using around a 1:1 ratio of garlic to honey. If you use too much, then the anti-microbial properties in the honey will essentially ‘smother’ the garlic rather than allow it to release its juices and begin the fermentation process. If you want to add more honey, you may also need to add a little water to the honey to kickstart the fermentation process. Previous Next

Can you imagine a world without pineapple upside-down cake? Neither can we! And this recipe is by far the greatest of all time. Brown sugar and butter create a rich, caramel glaze that coats juicy pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and a golden-brown cake—what’s not to love? But the true secret to this cake’s beauty is in the “flip” that happens when you remove it from the oven. It might sound intimidating, but it’s so much easier than you think! The result is a picture-perfect upside-down pineapple cake made from scratch. < Back Pineapple Upside Down Cake Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50-55 Minutes Serves: 9 Level: Beginner Ingredients ¼ cup butter ⅔ cup packed brown sugar 9 slices pineapple in juice (from 20-oz can), drained 9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired 1 ⅓ cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup shortening 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup milk 1 egg Preparation Step 1: Heat oven to 350°F. In a 9-inch square pan, melt butter in the oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place the cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Step 2 In a medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries. Step 3 Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately place the heatproof serving plate upside down over the pan; turn the plate and pan over. Leave the pan over the cake for a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over the cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered. Previous Next

Empanadas made with Thanksgiving leftovers: Use Thanksgiving leftover turkey, ham, mashed potatoes or stuffing, gravy etc baked into homemade or store-bought pie crust. Freeze empanadas for easy weeknight meals! < Back Empanadas (Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe) Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Empanadas made with Thanksgiving leftovers: Use Thanksgiving leftover turkey, ham, mashed potatoes or stuffing, gravy etc baked into homemade or store-bought pie crust. Freeze empanadas for easy weeknight meals! Ingredients 2 pie crusts 3 tablespoons melted butter Thanksgiving Leftover Filling Ideas: 1 tablespoon turkey or ham - cut into 1 " pieces 1 tablespoon dressing 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes 1 tablespoon sweet potatoes 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce 1 tablespoon roast veggies 1 tablespoon gravy Preparation On a floured board, roll out pie dough thinner than the average crust. Cut dough into 6" circles: use the other side of an empanada cutter or a small upside down bowl to cut the dough into circles. One pie crust will make 6 empanadas. Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on one side of the pie dough. If they are overfilled, the press won't close and seal. Close the empanada maker, and seal the edges. Or, fold dough in half with filling, and press the edges closed with the tips of a fork. Place empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes pie crust until edges are golden brown and baked. Notes empanada press: You don't NEED an empanada press, but it does the job really fast and they are inexpensive. If making your empanadas by hand, simply fold over the pie crust over your filling, and use a fork to seal the edges. TIP: Do not overfill your savory hand pies, if they are overfilled, the press won't close and seal. pie crusts: One pie crust will make 6 empanadas. leaf decorations: Use your extra pie crust to make pretty leaf decorations. freezable: Empanadas are f reezable, making them perfect for meal prep. You can also freeze these in airtight containers, and then bake for fast weeknight dinner meals or lunches. Previous Next

Have restaurant style at all times!!! < Back Restaurant Style Ranch Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 2-3 cups Level: Beginner About the Recipe Have restaurant style at all times!!! Ingredients 1 pack of ranch seasoning 1 cup buttermilk 1 table spoon sour cream 1 cup McCORMICK Mayonesa Mayonnaise with lime juice Preparation Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir together, and ENJOY!!! Yes, It’s that easy!!! Previous Next

A delicious pie from the Great Depression. A dessert that you can bake from practically nothing! < Back Water Pie Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner Ingredients 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, unbaked 1 1/2 cups water 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 tablespoons butter, cut into 5 pieces Preparation Preheat oven to 400° and set empty uncooked pie crust on a baking sheet. 1 - 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, unbaked Pour the 1 1/2 cups of water into the pie crust In a small bowl, stir together the flour and sugar together and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the water in the crust. Don't stir! Drizzle the vanilla over the water in the pie crust. Place the 5 pats of butter on top of the mixture Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and cover sides of crust if needed to prevent burning. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. Pie will be watery when you pull it out of the oven but will gel as it cools. Allow to cool completely and then cover and place in the fridge until chilled before cutting. Previous Next

Best tasting, easiest making, rice pudding recipe ever! Who would have guessed that 1 ½ cups of rice could go so far and taste so good! < Back Old Fashioned Rice Pudding Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 6 Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 medium eggs 2 cups milk (whole is best) 1 ½ cup rice, cooked and cold 1 cup raisins (optional) ½ cup white sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Preparation Beat eggs until light; add to milk and rice. Add remaining ingredients and pour into 2-quart buttered casserole or baking dish. Bake uncovered in a shallow pan of water for one hour. Serve hot or cold with a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon on top. Previous Next

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is a perfect orchestration of tender beef, a rich and slightly spicy broth, fresh noodles, a little bok choy, and that absolutely necessary fistful of Chinese pickled mustard greens and fresh scallions and cilantro. I am an amazon affiliate for amazon. This recipe has affiliate links! < Back Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours Serves: 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 pounds beef shank (1.4 kg, cut into 2-inch chunks) 2 tablespoons oil A 2-inch piece of ginger (smashed) 6 cloves garlic (smashed) 3 scallions (cut into 2-inch segments) 1 onion (cut into wedges) 1 tomato (cut into wedges) 4 dried chilies (ripped in half) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons spicy bean paste douban jiang 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine 8 cups water (to make the soup broth) 1 Chinese aromatic herb packet (lu bao––do yourself a favor and hunt down the pre-packaged version; if you can’t access it though, see below for ingredients to create your own spice sachet) 32 ounces fresh wheat (white) noodles (900g) A small handful of bok choy for each serving Cilantro (finely chopped) Scallions (finely chopped) Pickled mustard greens (to taste, also known as snow vegetable or 雪菜; note this is different from Cantonese haam choy) TO CREATE YOUR OWN SPICE SACHET, TIE UP THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS IN CHEESECLOTH: 4 star anise 1 Chinese cinnamon stick 3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns ¼ teaspoon five spice powder ¼ teaspoon black pepper Preparation WHAT IS TAIWANESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP? First, let’s talk about what Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is. It’s delicious. Tender beef, a rich and slightly spicy broth, fresh noodles, a little bok choy, and that absolutely necessary fistful of Chinese pickled mustard greens along with fresh scallions and cilantro. The result is a perfectly orchestrated bowl of spicy, savory, fresh, salty deliciousness. Go on, drool on your keyboard. It happens. A SEEMINGLY COMPLICATED RECIPE… BUT. Despite my love for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and how simple and iconic it is, recipes always seemed incredibly complicated and intimidating to me. Making the broth, figuring out the balance of infinite spices, getting that tender beef…where do you start? It was just one of those foods where, when I wanted it, I went out and paid someone else to make it, or convinced myself that I was actually craving something else. …SIMPLIFIED WITH AN INSTANT POT PRESSURE COOKER Enter the INSTANT POT. We have many friends and Woks of Life readers who have remarked upon the magic capable of the Instant Pot . We also know many who are somewhat quizzical about this trendy kitchen gadget. A friend of mine finally convinced me to buy one, and I thought no better way to test it out than with a traditional pressure cooker performance test: braised beef, specifically…Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Well, long story short, it works! Getting beef to tender perfection for beef noodle soup has been a culinary challenge that has long plagued me. Add the need to make a rich and delicious broth to the equation, and I’m pretty ready to crawl away and boil up a pack of instant ramen instead. We’ve heard stories about what the Instant Pot is capable of doing, but never quite believed in them until making this Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. The active time of getting all the ingredients into the Instant Pot breezed by. Add water, close the lid, and walk away. No sweating over whether or not your beef is tenderizing or your soup is boiling down to nothing. When we opened up the lid, the result was a rich, dark broth, and beef shank that practically fell apart when you picked it up with your chopsticks . WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS SOUP So, I know you’re asking—what’s the right cut of beef for this soup, AND do you need bones to make the broth? If you ask my mom, my dad, and my sister about the best cut of beef for noodle soup, they will undoubtedly tell you to look for a fatty cut of beef chuck. The trouble with beef chuck is that it can be tough to find a piece that’s marbled enough to yield consistently good results. (There was a very heated phone call in the middle of our Chinese grocery store, during which we all debated the merits of various cuts of beef. If only y’all knew the number of family squabbles we’ve endured for this blog…) For me, it’s all about the beef shank. It’s fatty and has the added bonus of delicious tendon shot through it. Problem? It takes a long time to tenderize on the stovetop. At least 3 hours of low simmering! But with an Instant Pot pressure cooker? GET AFTER IT. The best part? NO BONES NEEDED. The nature of this recipe is that the beef infuses the broth with plenty of flavor, and the spices and sauces round it all out. No need for hard-to-find bones. Just saved you an annoying conversation with your local meat department! Our minds are already racing with more ways to make Asian favorites and Chinese classics with the Instant Pot . TAIWANESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS Boil enough water in a pot to boil all of your beef. Once the water is boiling, add the beef. Let it come back up to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Strain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with fresh water to remove any impurities. Next, in your instant pot, turn on the saute setting. Add the oil, crushed ginger, garlic, scallions, and onions in that order. Stir to lightly caramelize. Let the onion turn translucent. Add the tomato and dried chilies. Next, add the meat to the pot. Then add the tomato paste, spicy bean paste (AKA doubanjiang), sugar, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix thoroughly. Pour 8 cups of water into the instant pot. Add the Chinese aromatic herbs packet (lu bao). The instant pot should be filled to the 10-cup line; it shouldn’t be more than ⅔ of the way full per safety instructions. Our instant pot is the largest size (8 quarts); if yours is smaller, you can halve the recipe accordingly. Close the lid of the instant pot, and make sure you have your vent set so it is not venting. Cook for 100 minutes on the Meat/Stew setting. If you don’t have an instant pot, you can use a regular pot on the stove, but instead, cook the soup on a low simmer for 3 hours. When the instant pot timer is up, carefully release the pressure valve (wear an oven mitt, so you don’t scald yourself!). Boil some noodles per package instructions. (Note: if you’re feeling up to the challenge, you can also make your own fresh noodles using our Chinese handmade noodle recipe.) And in the last minute or two of the noodles cooking, throw your bok choy in and blanch until just tender. Serve each bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup with a serving of noodles, a few stalks of bok choy, and generous sprinklings of finely minced cilantro, scallions, and Chinese pickled mustard greens (also known as snow vegetable or 雪菜; note this is different from the Cantonese variety). Pro tip, buy the pre-seasoned spicy mustard greens and you can use them straight out of the package. If you are using the non-spicy version (from a can, for example), chop and saute with a little oil, a few chopped dried red chilies, and a pinch of sugar. INSTRUCTIONS Boil enough water in a pot to boil all of your beef. Once the water is boiling, add the beef. Let it come back up to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Strain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with fresh water to remove any impurities. Next, in your instant pot, turn on the saute setting. Add the oil, crushed ginger, garlic, scallions, and onions in that order. Stir to lightly caramelize. Let the onion turn translucent. Add the tomato and dried chilies. Next, add the meat to the pot. Then add the tomato paste, spicy bean paste, sugar, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine, and mix thoroughly. Pour 8 cups of water into the instant pot. Add the spice packet. The instant pot should be filled to the 10-cup line; it shouldn’t be more than ⅔ of the way full per safety instructions. Our instant pot is the largest size (8 quarts); if yours is smaller, you can halve the recipe accordingly. Close the lid of the instant pot, and make sure you have your vent set so it is not venting. Cook for 100 minutes on the Meat/Stew setting. If you don’t have an instant pot, you can use a regular pot on the stove, but instead, cook the soup on a low simmer for 3-4 hours. When the instant pot timer is up, carefully release the pressure valve (wear an oven mitt, so you don’t scald yourself!). Boil some noodles per package instructions, and in the last minute or two of the noodles cooking, throw your bok choy in and blanch until just tender. Serve each bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup with a serving of noodles, a few stalks of bok choy, and generous sprinklings of finely minced cilantro, scallions, and Chinese pickled mustard greens. Pro tip, buy the pre-seasoned spicy mustard greens and you can use them straight out of the package. If you are using the non-spicy version (from a can, for example), chop and saute with a little oil, a few chopped dried red chilies, and a pinch of sugar. Previous Next

Learning how to pressure can black beans is so easy, and you’ll be glad to have your pantry stocked with easy convenience meals for those busy nights when getting dinner on the table is tough. Once you taste homemade black beans, you’ll never buy store-bought canned beans again. Please note: Posts may contain affiliate links As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon.com Services LLC purchases. < Back How to pressure can black beans Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour - 1 Hour and 30 Minutes Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Learning how to pressure can black beans is so easy, and you’ll be glad to have your pantry stocked with easy convenience meals for those busy nights when getting dinner on the table is tough. Once you taste homemade black beans, you’ll never buy store-bought canned beans again. Please note: Posts may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon.com Services LLC purchases. Ingredients Organic Black Beans – For every quart of beans, you will need about 1 ¼ cups of dry beans. Salt – This is purely optional for taste. It may be omitted if you prefer not to use salt. Preparation How to Prepare Beans for Canning In a large stock pot, soak one part beans to three parts water for 12-48 hours. 24 hours is really ideal as 12 hours isn’t quite enough, and closer to 48 hours tends to give the beans an off flavor. After the beans have soaked, give them a thorough rinse, and fill the stock pot with fresh water just enough to fully cover the beans. Place on a stovetop, and bring to a simmer. Allow the beans to simmer for about 30 minutes so they can finish absorbing all the water they will absorb. This will help you better judge the quantity of beans. The beans will start to soften, but won’t be cooked all the way. This is what you want to see, because they will finish cooking during the canning process. Canning Black Beans (Hot Pack Method) Before continuing, be sure you’ve prepared your beans and supplies as noted above… Place the canning rack in the bottom of the pressure canner, and fill with a few inches of water. Turn the heat on low for your pressure canner. We’re not trying to bring it up to a boil, we just want it to be at a low steam. After beans have been properly prepared, fill quart jars up with HOT beans to about the shoulder leaving room for headspace. Add a teaspoon of salt (if desired) to each jar. (Note: If using pint jars, just adjust your beans and salt by half.) Finish filling the jars with water to completely cover the beans. Use a wooden or plastic utensil to remove any air pockets, and if needed, fill with more water remembering to leave about 1 ½ inches of headspace. Wipe each rim with a clean damp towel to remove any food particles. Double-check the rim with a clean dry finger to check for any nicks in the glass or residual food on the rim. Place the brand new lids on top of each jar and add bands. Tighten each band to fingertip tight (don’t crank them on, just tighten as tight as your fingertips can get them). At this point, your pressure canner should be up to temperature and starting to steam. Carefully lift your jars, one at a time, and place them into the canner. Put your canning lid on and secure it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. With the heat on at medium-high, bring the canner to full steady steam, and let the canner vent steam for 10 minutes. Be sure you know the proper pressure for your elevation. If you live at sea level to 1,000′ elevation you’ll can at 10 psi (pounds of pressure per square inch). Check out this page for making altitude adjustments when canning above an elevation of 1,000′. Place the pressure regulator (or “jiggler”) onto the vent and allow pressure to slowly climb to full pressure. Stabilize the pressure by making small adjustments to the heat until the pressure remains steady at the correct psi. Set your timer for full processing time as soon as the canner has stabilized at full pressure. Process quarts for 90 minutes, and pints for 75 minutes. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to return down to zero pressure naturally. (This should take about 20 minutes.) Remove the regulator (or jiggler), and set a timer for ten minutes to allow all the steam to escape. Remove the lid carefully (it’s still HOT!) and, using a jar lifter, move the jars to a kitchen towel on a counter where they can cool undisturbed for 12-18 hours. Check seals, remove bands, clean and label jars before putting them into storage. Storing Beans Properly storing your beans will ensure they keep long enough for you to eat through them. If stored correctly, canned beans should last for up to five years, but I like to eat our canned food up within a year because the nutritional value starts to degrade after that time. If you’re fortunate enough to have a large pantry, you can store the canned beans in there. But if you’re short on space, a basement, garage (as long as temperatures don’t get too hot), a root cellar, or even extra space under a bed will all work fine. Be sure to remove the bands after 24 hours. If any of your beans didn’t get a proper seal, move them to the refrigerator and consume them within 48 hours. But if any of your jars had a “false seal” you’ll want the bands off so the lid can come loose and let you know the jar is bad. Likewise, you don’t want to stack jars directly on top of each other. If you need to stack your jars, place a piece of cardboard between each layer, and try to stagger the jars so they’re not directly on top of the jar below. Cooking with Canned Beans The beauty of home-canned beans is that you can use them exactly the same way as a can of beans from the grocery store. Add them to soup, stew, chili… you can even eat them straight from the can without heating them up! Supplies and Ingredients Needed Organic Black Beans – For every quart of beans, you will need about 1 ¼ cups of dry beans. Salt – This is purely optional for taste. It may be omitted if you prefer not to use salt. Jars, Lids, & Bands – Thoroughly wash jars, lids, and bands with hot soapy water, and rinse well. Canning Funnel – This makes ladling your beans into the jars so much cleaner! Pressure Canner – Check all the seals, gaskets, lid, and dial gauges to make sure everything is clean and in good working order. Damp Towel – Make sure this is a freshly cleaned towel so that bacteria is not introduced into the seals of your jars. Wooden or Plastic Jar Scraper – Do not use metal. Metal can damage your jars over time. Jar Lifter – Essential for removing hot jars out of the pressure canner once they’re done! Previous Next