Deliciously Homemade: Canning 3 Bean Salad
If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably noticed I’m a bit obsessed with growing and preserving green beans! Our garden always blesses us with a bumper crop, and there’s nothing like a tangy, crunchy three-bean salad to make those beans shine. Today, I’m sharing my all-time favorite recipe for canning three-bean salad—a must-try whether you’re a canning pro or just starting out. Bonus: you don’t need a pressure canner for this one!
This salad is a summer favorite, but let me tell you, cracking open a jar in the dead of winter feels like a little gift from warmer days. With my recipe, you can enjoy it year-round. Plus, it’s got that perfect sweet-tangy balance—unlike the overly syrupy store-bought versions that just don’t compare.
Got a jar of pressure-canned beans that didn’t seal? No worries! I save those “oops” jars for this salad instead of reprocessing. It’s a delicious way to rescue them, and trust me, we’ve all had a failed seal or two. Ready to dive in? Let’s talk beans and get canning!
Fresh, Dried, or Canned Beans?
For this recipe, all your beans need to be precooked to ensure safe canning and great texture. Here’s the lowdown on each type, including my go-to method using the Instant Pot for speed and ease.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
- Canned: Drain and rinse, then they’re ready to toss into the brine. Super simple!
- Dried: Skip soaking—these can get mushy if pre-soaked. In the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes with a 20-minute natural release. The skins may loosen; peeling them is tedious but worth it for a smoother texture (grab some helpers for this step!).
Kidney Beans
- Canned: Drain, rinse, and add to the brine. Done!
- Dried: No soaking here either—it can make them break down. Pressure cook in the Instant Pot on high for 30 minutes, then natural release for 20 minutes.
Green Beans
- Canned: In a pinch, drain and rinse well, but fresh is best.
- Fresh: Steam for at least 5 minutes on the stovetop until tender-crisp. I love using my Instant Pot: add 1 cup water, place beans on the rack, cook on high pressure for 0 minutes, and quick release.
Bean Combinations for Canning 3 Bean Salad
One of the best things about this recipe is how flexible it is! Depending on your garden haul, pantry, or taste buds, you can mix and match beans to make it your own. Aim for about 9 cups of fresh beans (like green or wax) and 6 cups of cooked dried beans (like chickpeas or kidney). Here are some fun options to try:
Fresh Beans
- Green Beans
- Yellow Wax Beans
- Dragon Tongue Beans – (my new fave—so pretty and easy to spot in the garden!)
- Long Beans
Dried Beans
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
- Lima Beans
- Cannellini Beans
- Black Eyed Peas
Got a favorite bean I missed? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear what you’re growing or canning!
Let’s Get Canning!
This recipe makes about 11 pint jars of three-bean salad, perfect for stocking your pantry. The yield can vary slightly depending on how tightly you pack your jars, but I’ve found 11 pints is spot-on when you pack firmly. If you end up with extra brine, no stress—just heat up more veggies and can another jar or two. It’s that easy!
Delicious 3 Bean Salad – Canning
Print Recipe
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 9 cups fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, and lightly steamed (5-7 minutes)
- 3 cups garbanzo beans, cooked 2-15 oz cans
- 3 cups kidney beans, cooked 2-15 oz cans
- 2 cups celery, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced and seeded diced and seeded
Brine
- 3 ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
- 2 tsp celery seed
- 2 ½ tbsp pickling salt
- 6 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Sterilize 11 pint jars (or 5-6 quart jars) and keep hot. Prepare lids per manufacturer’s instructions. Set up water bath canner and bring water to a simmer.
- In a large stockpot, combine green beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, celery, onion, and red bell pepper. Add hot water to cover; let sit while preparing brine.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, pickling salt, vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Drain vegetables. Pack tightly into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Press gently to minimize gaps.
- Ladle hot brine over vegetables, maintaining ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a skewer. Add more brine if needed.
- Wipe jar rims. Place lids on jars and screw on bands until fingertip-tight.
- Process in water bath canner at a rolling boil for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude: add 5 minutes for 1,001-3,000 ft, 10 minutes for 3,001-6,000 ft, 15 minutes above 6,000 ft).
- Turn off heat, let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes, then remove and cool for 12-24 hours.
- Check seals (lids should be concave). Remove bands, wipe jars, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate unsealed jars and use within 1 month.
Notes
- For 5-6 quart jars, increase brine by 1.5x if needed (9 cups vinegar, 3.75 cups water, 5.25 cups sugar, 3 tbsp mustard seed, 3 tsp celery seed, 3.75 tbsp pickling salt).
- Pack vegetables tightly to reduce brine needs.
- Use 5% acidity vinegar for safe canning. Follow USDA canning guidelines.
- Let jars sit 2-4 weeks for best flavor.
We’ve been loving this salad all winter, and it’s definitely on our canning list for this summer. It’s a crowd-pleaser, whether served as a side dish, tossed into a picnic spread, or scooped straight from the jar (no judgment!). The best part? After a couple of weeks, the flavors meld into pure perfection.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to can your own three-bean salad? Have a favorite bean combo or canning tip to share? Let me know in the comments—I’m all ears!
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Hi. I have 3/4 pint jars. how long would I process these instead of a full pint. I am a beginner, but we love 3 bean salad. Thank you for your help
Hi Cynthia! I checked the country extension office and they recommend you can 3/4 pint jars for the same processing time as 1/2 pint jars. Happy canning!
Thank you for getting back to me. I have cooked my dry beans by boiling them in a saucepan. Is this okay? I did not do it in the canner.
How long do you steam fresh green beans for?
Hi Lorrie! I suggest you steam fresh green beans for 5 minutes on the stovetop.
How long would you process quarts?
A general rule is 5 minutes longer for water bathing quarts versus pints but I’ve also seen the recommendation to process 3 Bean Salad for the same time for all jar sizes.
To be safe, I suggest you process quarts for 20 minutes, shut off the heat, and leave the jars for 5 minutes before removing them from the water bath canner.
Hi Cynthia, I am going to try this recipe. I am diabetic, so sugar is a no no. I have 2 choices for substitutes; Swerve or Splenda. Swerve is a powdered sugar alcohol
( sorbitol and erythritol) with Splenda mixed in. Since the label states you can substitute ounce per ounce in recipes, I assume you can use it in your recipe. However, I think it would still taste too sweet. I’m also concerned that the vegetables may turn brown. Gmif you or someone else has tried it, please let me know.
I was on vacation and had Amish Chow Chow. I was wondering if you could add corn and carrots to the bean salad recipe, and proceed to canning. Some books say you should pressure can corn but I don’t know how that will affect the vegetables overall. Also in your recipe you mention onion and celery. Do they need to be boiled first or added raw?
Thanks for your anticipated reply.
Gerry
Does the vinegar provide the acid needed for water bathing green beans? New to canning and waterbathing and have read that I cannot do green beans because they are low in acid
Hi there!
Yes, that is exactly right! The vinegar provides the acidity needed for water bathing. Normal canning of green beans without a significant amount of acid requires a pressure canner.
Blessings!
Love love love this!! I leave out the celery however but otherwise follow it and have not bought any since!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying it, Tracy! Blessings!
This recipe actually made 9 pints. Needed to make more brine.
So I had to 2 and half time the brine and it made exactly 6 quarts? I’m a canner and make a lot of different recipes, but how do you fit 9 cups of beans alone in 6 pints? I hope it tastes delicious because I love all of the ingredients 🙂
Hi Nicole! Thanks for your feedback! So sorry for my long overdue response! The recipe yields 11 pints, which accommodates the 19.5 cups of vegetables and ~9–10 cups of brine. It sounds like you assumed 6 pints or used 6 quart jars, which would explain needing 2.5x the brine. For 6 quarts, try 1.5x the brine and pack vegetables tightly to reduce excess liquid. I hope it tastes delicious—let me know how it turns out!
Hi! I can’t eat onions at all and wondered if you /or any one has substituted leeks?? Thanks!!