Canuary: A Month of Jars, Joy, and Pinto Beans
January may belong to resolutions and fresh starts, but around here, it also belongs to Canuary — a month-long celebration of home canning, pantry building, and the quiet satisfaction of lining up jars like little glass soldiers ready to feed you all year long.
Canuary is the perfect antidote to winter’s gray edges. When the garden sleeps and the chickens are giving you side-eye because the sun sets at 5 p.m., the kitchen becomes the warm, humming heart of the home. It’s a time to simmer, to preserve, to tuck away nourishment for later. And few things say “Appalachian comfort” quite like a jar of home-canned pinto beans.
These humble beans are the backbone of so many cozy meals — skillet cornbread on the side, maybe a handful of chopped onions, maybe a little chow chow if you’re feeling fancy. Canning them yourself means you get that slow-cooked flavor in minutes on a busy night.
So let’s roll up our sleeves, warm up the pressure canner, and celebrate Canuary the Cozy Crumb Cottage way.
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🌾 Why Pinto Beans Deserve a Spot in Your Canuary Lineup
Pinto beans are:
Affordable
Shelf-stable
Protein-packed
Comforting in that “my granny made this” kind of way
Incredibly versatile
Canning them turns a simple dried bean into a ready-to-eat pantry staple. No soaking. No simmering for hours. Just open, heat, and enjoy.
Plus, there’s something deeply grounding about preserving a food that has fed Appalachian families for generations. Pinto beans are heritage food — humble, hearty, and honest.
🫙 What You Need to Can Pinto Beans
Here’s your simple setup:
Dried pinto beans
Water
Salt (optional, but traditional)
Lids and rings
That’s it. No complicated ingredients. No fuss. Just beans, water, and time.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I only share products I use, love, or would happily tuck into my own cozy Appalachian kitchen.
🔥 Step-by-Step: How to Can Pinto Beans
1. Sort and Rinse
Spread your beans out and pick through them like you’re looking for treasure. Remove any stones or shriveled beans. Rinse well.
2. Soak or No-Soak?
You can do it either way.
Soak Method:
Cover beans with water and soak 8–12 hours.
Drain and rinse.
Simmer for 30 minutes before canning.
No-Soak Method:
Rinse beans.
Add dry beans directly to jars.
Add boiling water.
This method works beautifully and gives a firmer bean.
3. Fill Your Jars
For pint jars:
Add ½ cup dry beans (or 1 cup soaked beans). For quart jars:
Add 1 cup dry beans (or 2 cups soaked beans).
Add ½ teaspoon salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart if you like that classic flavor.
I also add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder.
Fill jars with boiling water, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
4. Pressure Can
Beans are a low-acid food, so they must be pressure canned.
Process times:
Pints: 75 minutes
Quarts: 90 minutes
Use the pressure appropriate for your altitude.
5. Cool and Store
Let the canner depressurize naturally. Remove jars and let them rest for 12–24 hours. Check seals, wipe jars, label, and store.
Now stand back and admire your handiwork. You just made shelf-stable magic.
🍲 How to Use Your Home-Canned Pinto Beans
Once you have jars on the shelf, the possibilities multiply:
Pinto beans and cornbread
Quick chili
Bean burritos
Taco bowls
Refried beans
Pinto bean soup
A fast, hearty side dish
They’re the ultimate “I don’t feel like cooking but still want something nourishing” food.
🌙 The Cozy Magic of Canuary
Canuary isn’t just about filling jars — it’s about filling your home with intention. It’s about choosing slow, steady rituals in a world that rushes. It’s about honoring the old ways while making them fit your modern life.
Every jar of pinto beans is a tiny act of care for your future self. A promise of warmth on a cold night. A reminder that simple food is often the best food.
And honestly? There’s nothing quite like hearing that soft ping of a sealing jar on a quiet winter evening. It’s the sound of abundance.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I only share products I use, love, or would happily tuck into my own cozy Appalachian kitchen.
