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A spoonful of refried beans in front of a copper pot

Homestead Refried Beans (Plus, Canning Tips!)

In this recipe, I’ll share how to properly soak beans and make the BEST refried beans you’ll ever have. As a bonus, I’ll also give you instructions on canning refried beans so you can enjoy a tasty treat at any time without the prep work!
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 139 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried pinto beans organic
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar for soaking
  • 4 strips bacon organic, pasture-raised
  • 2 onions
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp italian seasoning blend
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 cups beef stock organic, grass-fed
  • ½ cup salsa
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (for topping) from organic, grass-fed cows

Instructions
 

Pre-Soaking Dried Beans

  • Rinse beans and pick out any sticks or stones
  • Soak beans overnight with a splash of apple cider vinegar (8-12 hours)
  • Drain and rinse beans well. Set aside.

Cooking Homestead Refried Beans

  • Cook bacon in a cast-iron skillet until crisp. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel or tea cloth. Once cooled, chop bacon and set aside.
  • Transfer bacon grease to a large pot and heat over medium. Add onions and cook until golden (~5 minutes).
  • Add the garlic and spices. Cook for 1 more minute.
  • Throw the soaked and rinsed beans into the pot along with 2 cups of beef stock 
  • Add enough water to cover the beans by 1-2”  (~2 cups of water is ideal for the pot I use)
  • Cover and let simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the beans are soft, checking the water level occasionally. If you are planning to can them, you can get away with undercooking the beans a bit since they will continue to soften while pressure canning.
  • Mash the beans up slightly with a potato masher, add the chopped bacon and stir in ½ cup of salsa.
  • Top with cheddar cheese and enjoy!

Canning Homestead Refried Beans

  • Let’s pick up from step 7! (Don’t add cheese just yet)
  • If your refried beans ended up a little thick, add some extra water so that the heat penetrates during, but too much so that the beans are watery.
  • Fill your clean pint jars with your delicious homestead refried beans leaving 1 ½” headspace
  • Process at 10 lbs of pressure for 75 min (pint jars) (Washington Post) - Adjust pressure for altitude
  • Store in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year
  • When you want to enjoy some homestead refried beans, simply reheat and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Yum!

Notes

Yes, when canning refried beans they absolutely need to be pressure canned. They are low acid food, so please please please do not attempt water bath canning with this recipe!
*Use my code "Katie15" for 15% off Harvest Guard Reusable Canning lids!
Please note, this is not an officially tested recipe so use at your own risk. However, I have done my own research and feel confident in using it! 
Is this your first time pressure canning? Definitely check out The Prairie Homestead’s How to Use a Pressure Canner series. It’s the same one that I used when I was first starting out with pressure canning!

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal
Keyword bacon, beans, canning, homestead, lard, soaking
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!