“I want to preserve green beans, but I’m afraid of pressure canners,” my caller said. “Isn’t there a workaround?”

“You could freeze or dry them,” I said.

She said she didn’t like the texture of frozen beans. I suggested pickling them.

“That might be good in a Bloody Mary,” she said with a laugh.

“They are tasty on a charcuterie board, too,” I added.

The safe way to can green beans is in a pressure canner. I recommended she invest in an electric pressure canner.

Some electric pressure canners designed specifically for home canning have undergone extensive testing and are now used safely for certain canning processes. They can be an option for people who do not wish to use a traditional stovetop pressure canner.

While many people have “pressure cookers,” a pressure canner is different. Pressure canners must be able to hold four quarts of food upright. A pressure cooker is a convenient way to cook your dinner, but it cannot can your food.

“I was reading online about the dangers of water-bath canning green beans – and then I read about botulism!” she exclaimed. “I think you were the one who wrote about it.”

I think I talked her into freezing the beans. I hope so, anyway.

Botulism is one of the most serious foodborne illnesses. Eating food containing botulinum toxin can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and, in severe cases, death.

Lately, we have been hearing about cyclospora, a parasite that can cause significant illness, but it is far less severe than botulism.

Botulism is caused by the spores (inactive forms) of a type of bacteria named Clostridium botulinum, which can produce a toxin under the right conditions.

Low-acid foods include most vegetables, such as green beans, carrots and corn, in oxygen-free (anaerobic) environments such as improperly processed, home-canned food.

Fortunately, early scientists discovered that the spores could be inactivated by bringing the temperature to between 240 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit for a specific amount of time in a pressure canner. Because water boils at about 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level and even lower temperatures at higher elevations, pressure is needed to reach 240-250 degrees Fahrenheit required to destroy botulism spores.

Unfortunately, you can find all kinds of creative ways to preserve food by searching online. We do not recommend canning food in your oven or dishwasher – ever.

When you are preserving food, be a scientist. If someone offers you some canned goods, gently ask them some questions.

• Did you follow a research-tested recipe from an Extension agency or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Complete Guide to Home Canning?
• Did you use new lids on the jar? The flat lids with the rubber-like compound are single-use. After processing and allowing them to stand for 12 to 24 hours, be sure to remove the screw bands before placing them in your cupboard. Although some multiple-use lids are on the market, people have experienced sealing failures.
• Did you add bottled lemon juice or citric acid in the proportion recommended for home-canned tomatoes? Bottled lemon juice is standardized, so it is always the same acidity, whereas freshly squeezed lemon juice can vary.
• Did you use 5% acidity vinegar in pickled products and relishes? Research-tested recipes use vinegar of this acidity. Read the fine print on the bottle.
• If using a commercial salsa mix, did you add bottled lemon juice or vinegar in the proportion recommended in the tested recipe? For safety, avoid adding extra onions or peppers, even if you like them. It changes the acidity.
• Did you do a water bath for canned jams and jellies? This final heating step inactivates molds or yeast in jellies and jams.

We are in the prime season for food preservation, and we at North Dakota State University, as well as my Extension colleagues throughout the U.S., have bountiful free resources for high-quality, safe produce.  

See www.ag.ndsu.edu/food and go to “Food Preservation and Wild Game” to find numerous safe recipes. We offer a free online course, Food Preservation 101. You can learn about canning fruits, vegetables, salsa and much more – including drying and pickling green beans.

While I was visiting with my caller, I forgot to mention this tasty way to preserve beans and other fresh-from-the-garden produce.  

The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a recipe using green or yellow beans, sliced onions, green peppers, canned kidney beans and canned garbanzo beans. It includes both white vinegar and lemon juice to keep it safe.

Search online for “National Center Home Food Preservation” and “Pickled Three-bean Salad” or use this link: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/relishes-salads/pickled-three-bean-salad/. This is processed in a water-bath canner in pints or half-pints.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 6, 2026

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu