Home Canned Better Than Bush’s Baked Beans

Place the dry Navy beans in a large pot and cover with at least 3 inches of cold water. Allow them to soak at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Alternative (Quick Soak): Cover beans with boiling water, cook on high for 2 minutes, turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly after either method.

Transfer drained beans back into the stockpot and cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over High heat, then lower intensity to Medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Note: Do not fully cook the beans here; they will finish cooking during the pressure canning cycle. Drain off excess boiling water when done.

In a separate saucepan, combine 4 cups hot water (or broth), dark brown sugar, molasses, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over Medium-High heat, whisking until smooth and fully dissolved. Lower intensity to keep warm.

Sauté the diced bacon in a skillet over Medium heat for 3–5 minutes until partially cooked but not crispy.

Ladle hot parboiled beans into hot, sanitized pint jars, filling each jar about halfway. Add a generous tablespoon of cooked bacon to each jar, then top with remaining beans, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top.

Ladle the hot sauce over the beans in each jar, maintaining the 1-inch headspace.

Run a bubble remover tool down the inside edges of each jar to release trapped air pockets. Adjust sauce level if necessary. Wipe jar rims clean with a moist paper towel dipped in white vinegar to remove grease. Center the lids and tighten rings to fingertip tight.

Place loaded jars onto the rack in your pressure canner containing 2–3 inches of hot water. Lock the lid. Turn stove heat to High until steam vents continuously for 10 minutes.

Place the weighted gauge (or monitor dial gauge) and bring to proper pressure intensity:

• Weighted Gauge: 10 lbs (15 lbs for altitudes above 1,000 ft)

• Dial Gauge: 11 lbs (adjust for altitude)

Process pint jars for 65 minutes (quarts require 75 minutes). Maintain steady heat to hold constant pressure.

When processing time finishes, turn off heat completely. Allow the pressure canner to depressurize naturally (20–30 minutes). Do not force cooling.

Remove lid, lift jars using a jar lifter, and set them on a towel-lined counter for 12–24 hours. Listen for the satisfying pop of sealing lids!