Pressure Canning - Pork and Beans

These are really really good - much better than the canned variety you find at the grocery store.

2 lbs dried navy beans

1/4 lb salt pork, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup chopped onion

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 quart tomato juice

ADD beans to a large pot, and cover with water by about 2 inches, then bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove the beans from the heat and let the beans soak for about 1 hour.  Drain.

COVER the beans again with boiling water into a large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then drain.

COMBINE the spices and the tomato juice, and bring to a boil.  Pack beans into clean jars to 3/4 full, add your piece of salted pork and fill the jar with the tomato juice mixture.  Leave a 1" headspace, use a chop stick or other utensil to de-bubble the jars.

SCREW down your cap and lid, and place in a heated pressure canner that has water just at 180 degrees, almost a simmer.

WHEN you have your canner full, place the lid on, lock in place and turn your heat to high.  Vent the pressure canner for 10 minutes so the air is pushed out through the vent.  At the 10 minute mark, place your weight on the vent and allow the pressure to start building.  I use both a gauge and a weighted rocker.  As your pressure climbs towards 10lbs, start reducing the heat slightly and wait for the weight to begin gently rocking.  When it has reached 10lbs and is rocking gently, start your timer.

PROCESS pint jars for 1 hour and 5 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure.

WHEN the time is up, turn the heat off of your canner.  I do not move mine as it's heavy and frankly I am kinda scared of it - so I just leave it where it is and wait for the pressure to return to 0, which is usually about 30-40 minutes.  When the pressure is 0, remove your weight and wait an additional 10 minutes.

REMOVE the lid from the canner, setting it aside gently.  Using a jar lifter, remove your jars of beans, one at a time, very carefully as often the contents will be boiling for another 15-20 minutes and could result in a nasty burn if a jar were to break, so be careful.

PLACE jars on a firm surface covered by a dish towel and leave undisturbed for 12 hours.  After 12 hours, check your seals, wash, rinse, and dry your jars - then label the contents.  I have been putting two dates on, the canning date, and the use by date.