First up, I should admit that the title is a little bit artistic license, a little bit clickbait.
Canning is a whole process of complex and not-readily-available equipment, and in an era when popping to the shop for a tin of beans is pretty much out of bounds, popping out for a canning contraption could be greeted with the same levels of askance and disdain as the Gloucester resident who was stopped by Police for nipping out for an ever-so-essential hot tub yesterday…
So these are actually beans in jars, but can be used in the same way as canned ones, and if made correctly and stored in a sterile jar, they can last up to 12 months, so all of the convenience of a can, and slightly prettier to look at.
You can do this with any beans, but I love creamy cannelinis, haricots or white kidney beans. Mild in flavour, the acid component helps lightly break down the structure to give them a creamy texture.
These can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, tossed through a light tomato sauce for home made baked beans, served on toast, mashed into a toastie, spooned into a salad, eaten from the jar as a midnight snack, or however else you desire.
It’s worth making as large a batch as you have jars for – although in my case, 84 empties would be possibly more beans that my small household could consume, so I stuck to six.
Dig out the packet of dried beans you bought on a whim, perhaps a new year’s resolution to be more frugal or organised, and give them their chance to really shine.
Makes three large jars – pasta sauce sized.
To soak:
- 375g dried cannelini beans
- 2 litres cold water
To cook:
- The soaked beans, above
- 2 onions, optional but delicious
- 300g peppers, optional but delicious
- 350ml white wine or cider vinegar
- 320ml light cooking oil
First pop your beans in a container or bowl that will easily hold thrice their volume, to allow for expansion as they absorb the water and plump up. Leave them overnight, or for at least 12 hours, to soak.
Drain the soaked beans and rinse thoroughly.
Pop them into a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, unsalted, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes to really soften the beans, then drain them thoroughly.
Meanwhile, thoroughly clean and sterilize your jars and their lids. You can sterilize with Milton fluid, used for cleaning baby bottles and useful to keep in the kitchen, or by washing with hot soapy water and baking in the oven for 10 minutes at 120C, jar and lid together.
Peel and finely chop your onion and to the pan, along with the vinegar, sugar and oil. Bring the pan to the boil very, very carefully, do not take your eyes off it for a moment as you are dealing with hot oil and it poses a fire risk if unattended. As soon as bubbles start to form, remove the pan from the heat immediately.
Allow the mixture to cool for a minute, stirring well, then pour into the sterilised jar, as full as you can get it. Pop the lid on and turn the jar upside down to cool (Sarah suggests this), then allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge.
Try to resist sampling them for at least 7 days, as the flavour will develop in this time. If the jar is clean and sterile, and stored in cool, dry, dark conditions, these can keep for up to 9 months unopened. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a week.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/07/jack-monroes-lockdown-larder-make-tinned-beans-12521281/?ITO=squid
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