Home Canned Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce

Top L, counter-clockwise:  Heating beans in stockpot with strainer,
Bringing sauce to a boil in microwave, enjoying our beans with a sandwich,
filling jars with beans and pork, finished product

Although Myrna and I are fans of Boston style baked beans, my husband likes what he calls “pork and beans”, meaning the tomato sauced version of baked beans.  So he helped me can these beans just for him.   We usually can ours in half-pints, so we don’t have leftovers for just the two of us.  You can also use regular sugar instead of brown sugar.  My husband actually prefers Great Northern beans in this and no cloves...your choice.           

Home Canned Beans with Pork and Tomato Sauce

  4               cups  Navy Beans -- about 2 pounds  

  4               cups  tomato juice

  1               cup  chopped onion -- 6 ounces

  3               tbsp  Brown Sugar -- packed

  2               tsp  salt

     ¼            tsp  cloves (optional)

     ¼            lb  salt pork -- cut into enough pieces for your jars

Cover beans with cold water; let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place.

Place 6 clean pint or 13 clean 1/2 pint or 3 quart mason jars on rack in pressure canner; add water and heat jars to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside; prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.

Drain beans; cover with boiling water by 2 inches; boil 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10-15 minutes; drain. Combine tomato juice, onion, sugar, salt and spices; heat to boiling (I use a 2 quart measuring cup in the microwave).

Pack 1/2 cup (250 ml) beans into a hot half pint jar or 1 cup into a hot pint jar. Top with a piece of pork; fill jar 3/4 full with beans. Ladle hot tomato sauce to cover beans to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Adjust lids. Repeat for remaining beans, pork and sauce, adding to canner filled with simmering water on the rack.

When canner is full, adjust water to level as directed by canner manufacturer. Lock canner lid in place and follow manufacturer's heating instructions. Vent canner-allow steam to escape steadily-for 10 minutes; close vent.

When canner reaches the pressure appropriate for your altitude (10# for up to 1000' or 15# for over 1000'), begin counting processing time. Process for time indicated:

Jar Size                        Time

pint or half pint        65 minutes

quart                          75 minutes

When processing time is complete turn off heat.   Allow canner to stand undisturbed until pressure drops to zero. Wait 2 minutes, and then remove cover, tilting it away from yourself. Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store in a cool, dark place.

  "Adapted from Bernardin"

Yield:   "6 Pints or 13 Half Pints"

Home Canned Boston-style Baked Beans recipe HERE.