You have 2 strikes against you Wilma - your altitude and having to use packaged beans. The altitude I can't help with except to suggest a dial gauge canner so that you'd only have to use 12 lbs. 15 lbs. will mush many things that do well down at my altitude and 10 lbs. so a dial gauge lets you be more flexible with the pressure used. Of course you have to have the gauge checked for accuracy. But that is a good example of how it isn't the guidelines that are the cause of the problem. :) The bean quality makes worlds of difference - if you can't grow your own as I do and as commercial canners use (fresh harvested) - can be improved by changing sources for your dried beans. Do you have anything like a Whole Foods store or similar available? Stores where the stock is dated and turns over quickly and sold in bulk? The bags sold in the grocery stores for $1.50, $1.95 and such are already months old (years in some cases) and were often dried artificially and overly dried. <Last time I used dry beans, not soaked at all, and covered them with cold water with a bit of salt. (Unsafe cheating?) I filled less than half full of beans. It turned out there were too many beans, not enough liquid to cover, > Yeah that would be considered unsafe due to insufficient heat penetration. And the low liquid in the jars will definitely happen if they aren't at least somewhat rehydrated first as they will soak it all right up. You could try the overnight soak in very hot water (no stove heat just pour boiling water over them and then let them sit) and then next day just heat them up to boiling, fill the jars 1/2 to 2/3 full with the rehydrated hot beans and top with HOT water and salt. The jars and contents need to be hot going into the PC. And yes you can use Pickle Crisp too. I use it with my canned potatoes and it really helps. One other suggestion is doing them in tomato juice rather than water. Requires only 65 mins for pints and they stay firmer as the juice isn't as readily absorbed. The instructions say tomato sauce but I prefer using juice. Hope this helps. Dave

We used to pack dried beans that way, but I was a young married then and I'm on Social Security now, so to say it's out of date is really understatement. I have a 1982 canning book, and the pack then was par-cooked beans hot packed, so raw pack went by the wayside long, long ago. Not to mention the raw beans absorb most of the liquid. So aside from the safety issues, what you're likely to be left with is half a jar of crunchy dry beans and no liquid. So in short, forget those instructions. Don't even think about it. (And why anyone would recommend cornstarch with a naturally starchy product like beans is beyond me.) Carol

There are no safety issues with adding Pickle Crisp to anything you wish. I can't tell you the effect it will have on beans as I have never tried it on them. We prefer our canned beans to be a bit softer anyway but give it a try and let us know the results. Black-eyed peas can very well IMO. You get some 'mash' at the bottom of the jar, which is fine with us, but the majority retain their shape well and when heated for serving the mash just thickens the mixture just right. Lima beans are another matter IME - mush and washed out color. Don't even look good in the jars to me. Had several jars of them explode on me many years back so I have a mental block against canning them. ;) Dave

I realize the beans will cook completely when it's in the pressure cooker. Gennel - per the safe canning instructions linked above (and re-linked below) all dried beans must be fully re-hydrated before canning. The instructions give you 2 approved methods of doing that but cooking dried pinto beans for just 30 mins. won't do it, sorry. Unless fully cooked first the beans absorb all the liquid in the jar while in the pressure canner and you end up with unsafe jar seals and insufficient liquid remaining in the jars. The Sofrito is a problem and has come up for discussion before. Using dried cilantro, peppers, garlic, onion, etc. and no oil at all might be safe but isn't recommended. But with fresh herbs, oil, and ingredients it can't be included in with the canned beans. Oil is prohibited in canning and the other ingredients would affect both the density and the pH of the product and so invalidate the processing time. Instead it is suggested that you make it ahead of time, freeze it, and add it to the beans after you open the jars of beans to heat them just prior to serving. Hope this helps. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Canning dried beans and peas