Canned Baked Beans Recipe (Bush's Copycat)
Canning baked beans is so easy at home! This tastes like the Bush's canned baked beans, you'd get at the store! It's the recipe I've been making for years, acquired from my Mennonite friend!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs dried navy beans , (about 4 1/2 cups)
Sauce:
- 2/3 cup blackstrap molasses
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, (scant 2/3 cup or 10 Tbsp)
- 6 Tbsp tomato paste , (1/3 cup)
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke, (Hickory flavor)
- 1 3/4 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 3/4 Tbsp garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 5 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
- 1 cup bacon bits , (slightly heaping cup or 15 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in 16 cups of cool water.
- Drain the soaked beans in a colander, and remove any blemished ones. Transfer to a pot. Fill with 12 cups of water and bring the beans to a boil. Then simmer for 50 minutes over medium-low heat. Skim off any foam.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients (2/3 cup molasses, 6 T tomato paste, 1/4 tsp liquid smoke, 1 3/4 T each of onion and garlic powder, 3 T salt, 1/4 tsp paprika, 2/3 cup ketchup, 5 T Worcestershire sauce, 5 T yellow mustard, 10 Tbsp brown sugar, and 15 Tbsp bacon bits).
- Once the beans have cooked for 50 minutes, remove about 4 cups of liquid from the beans. Make sure the water is at the level of the beans. If you prefer more saucy beans, then only drain off 2 cups. Stir in the sauce until it's mixed in well.
- Ladle beans into sterilized and clean jars, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rim and cap. Screw the band only until finger-tight.
- Pressure can jars at 10 pounds (on high in an electric canner) for 75 minutes or pints for 45 minutes. Let beans depressurize naturally for 20-30 minutes before removing. Cool completely before checking for seals.
Notes
- To reheat baked beans. Open the jar and pour into a small baking dish. Add a splash of water if needed and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes. The more beans you reheat, the longer it may take until it's bubbly and hot.
- Do not shut the jars any tighter than finger-tight; they can burst open in the canner when processing.
- To sterilize jars easily, wash them on "sanitize cycle" in the dish washer. I like to wash them under very hot soapy tap water.
- Every time you need to let another round of jars process in the canner, drain off a couple cups of the water from the canner and replace it with the same amount of cold water, not to shock the next set of jars.
- When removing jars from the canner, don't be tempted to screw them shut. They can burst open, with so much pressure built inside. Place them carefully on the counter and let them cool overnight before checking for seals.
- This recipe makes about 5 quarts (depending on how much liquid you strain). The last time I made them, I strained 4 cups of water out, resulting in 4 quarts of baked beans and 1 pint. For that 1 pint, I pressure cooked it in a couple inches of water (6 cups of water, no trivet) inside the Instant Pot, on High for 55 minutes. Then depressurized for 20 minutes.
- To make canned baked beans better, for every two quarts, stir in 2 Tbsp ketchup, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard, and 3 Tbsp bacon bits. You can omit adding the brown sugar if you don't like them too sweet.
- You can use half honey and brown sugar safely. So, that would be 5 Tbsp honey and 5 Tbsp of brown sugar. This is a great option if you want to use less sugar.
- Vegetarian option: you can leave out the bacon bits if you prefer not to use pork.
- It is normal for the beans to thicken in the jars after 24 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Canned Baked Beans Recipe (Bush's Copycat)
Serving Size
1 quart jar
Amount per Serving
Calories
809
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.002
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Sodium
5880
mg
256
%
Potassium
1973
mg
56
%
Carbohydrates
144
g
48
%
Fiber
26
g
108
%
Sugar
74
g
82
%
Protein
33
g
66
%
Vitamin A
530
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
343
mg
34
%
Iron
9
mg
50
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
