How Long Do Home-Canned Pickled Green Beans Last?

If you're planning on making meat and veggies for dinner, then home-canned pickled green beans come in clutch. Whether you're pairing them with chicken, steak, or roasted salmon, pickled green beans come packed with flavor. However, you may wonder how long they really last. 

According to the USDA, high-acid foods like pickled green beans are good for up to 18 months, at least from a safety point of view. However, you may want to eat those beans more quickly than that. Most home-canned goods should probably be consumed within a year, as they degrade in quality. According to Elizabeth Andress from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, "We do say we recommend using within a year for best quality; that also is not intended to indicate you should throw anything out that is over a year old. It says, use within a year for best quality" (via Healthy Canning).

After a year, the green beans will start to deteriorate and won't taste quite as fresh as they once did, and so you may end up with a rubbish bin full of green beans rather than a bellyful. However, if you're looking for green beans that last a little longer, consider non-pickled home-canned green beans, as low-acid canned foods can safely last two to five years, per the USDA. You still may face the issue of quality degradation, however. Moreover, pickled green beans may be easier to can.

When it comes to canning, there are two primary methods: water bath canning and using a pressure canner. Pickling green beans may be more convenient than simply home-canning green beans. 

That's because, according to the USDA, it's best to pressure can low-acid foods such as green beans. Like other low-acid veggies, green beans have a pH that's higher than 4.6 and require higher canning temperatures to kill potential botulism spores. According to the World Health Organization, botulism can often be found in low-acid foods, since these foods aren't acidic enough to kill off bacteria on their own. 

However, it is possible to can green beans via the water bath method without a pressure canner. This method involves pickling the vegetable with vinegar, which raises the acidity of the beans. Pickling green beans is the more money-efficient option, too, since pressure canners often cost hundreds of dollars. While this option is useful for anyone who doesn't want to buy a pressure canner, keep in mind that this will change the taste of the green beans. Since you're working with vinegar, you can expect them to become noticeably tart.

If you want your home-canned pickled green beans to last, then take care to store them properly. The best place to store your pickled green beans will be in a spot that's both cool and dark. You probably want to avoid sticking them somewhere like the garage, as that area of the house typically isn't well-insulated and can become too hot. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, you shouldn't store canned goods at temperatures higher than 95 degrees. Likewise, the fridge really isn't the right place, either, as you run the risk of freezing your pickled green beans. Your pantry or a cabinet probably fits the required criteria, especially if it stays between 50 and 70 degrees (or at least below 85 degrees).

Likewise, write the date of canning on the jar. This allows you to know exactly when the beans were canned and stops you from accidentally consuming pickled green beans that are too old. If you're concerned about whether your pickled green beans are still good, then watch for a few worrisome signs. According to the CDC, if your can or jar is leaking or swollen, then the contents have likely gone bad and need to be discarded.