Canning Chickpeas | Garbanzos
Canning chickpeas is a fantastic way to make this versatile ingredient more accessible and convenient to use in various recipes.
Canned chickpeas are an excellent pantry staple that saves time and money. Dried chickpeas are a great buy at your local grocer and you can whip up a batch of ready-to-use chickpeas in just over an hour!
What are Chickpeas/chick peas?
Chickpeas, or chick peas or garbanzos (garbanzo beans), are a type of legume cultivated in warm regions. And they have been in the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East for thousands of years.
They are round, beige-colored beans with a nutty, creamy flavor and a firm texture.
Chickpeas are a key ingredient in many cuisines, including India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. They can be purchased dried or canned and used in many recipes.
Why can Chickpeas at Home?
- Convenience: Keeping canned chickpeas in your pantry makes cooking easier since they’re ready to use. Toss them into soups, salads, or other dishes without the extra step of cooking from scratch.
- Cost savings: Canning chickpeas at home saves money compared to store-bought versions. Buying dried chickpeas in bulk and canning them yourself is a budget-friendly option. A pound of dried chickpeas costs around $2.50 and yields about four pints of canned beans, bringing the cost to roughly 65 cents per pint.
- Nutrition: Homemade canned chickpeas give you more control over ingredients, avoiding added preservatives and excess sodium found in store-bought cans. They’re packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and key nutrients like iron, folate, and magnesium, making them a nutritious choice for any meal.
- Sustainability: Canning at home is also a more sustainable option, cutting down on packaging waste and the energy used in transportation.
- Preserving the harvest: If you grow chickpeas or buy them dried, canning helps you store them long-term, so you can enjoy them year-round without worrying about waste.
- Single-serve portions: Another perk is portion control. Pint jars work well for making hummus, but they’re too large for salad toppings. Canning in smaller half-pint jars lets you open just the right amount when needed.
- Easier peeling: Home-canned chickpeas are easier to peel when making hummus.
What you Need
- Dried chickpeas: You can purchase dried chickpeas for much less than canned ones. We suggest organic chickpeas.
- Salt: We use kosher salt, sea salt, or canning salt.
How to Make Them
Step one
Add dry chickpeas to a colander or strainer. Carefully pick through them and remove any debris or small stones.
It is common for the beans to have small stones, so don’t skip this step.
Step Two
Add them to a large pot. Cover them with fresh, cold water.
Step Three
Be sure to add a lot of water because they will soak up a lot.
Step Four
See how they plump up overnight?
Drain the water off and add fresh water.
This will eliminate some of the starch and make them easier to digest.
Step Five
Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Partly remove the lid after they boil so they don’t spill over and make a mess of your stove.
Step Six
Add salt to jars. This isn’t strictly necessary but recommended.
Step Seven
Fill warm jars with garbanzos, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Add more of the cooking liquid to cover the peas totally with the liquid, if necessary.
Step Eight
Remove air bubbles with a bubble tool or a wooden or plastic knife or chopstick.
Sten Ten
Wipe the rims clean with a damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
Load jars into the canning pot.
Use a rack to separate the layers to fit more jars in your canning pot.
Place jars the same height in your bottom layer and top them with mismatched-sized jars.
Securely cover the pressure canner with the lid. Bring the water in the pot to a boil. Let steam vent from the venting hole for ten minutes.
Add the pressure regulator. Bring the pot to the specified pressure (psi) for your altitude. Start the timer—process pints or half-pints for 75 minutes, or quarts for 90 minutes.
Once time has elapsed, remove the canner from the burner. Allow pressure to release naturally.
Once all the pressure has been released, carefully open the lid and move it partially off the top of the canning pot. Let it rest like that for 5 minutes.
Then, remove the lid and allow the jars to rest another 5 to 10 minutes in the canning pot.
After resting, remove the hot jars to a kitchen towel placed on your counter and let them thoroughly cool for 12-24 hours, undisturbed.
Check the seals. Press down in the middle of the lid. If it flexes up or down, the jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated and used first.
Then, remove the bands. Gently pick the jar up by the lid to check the seal further. Again, if it is not sealed, use it first.
Label jars with contents and the date. Store in a cool, dark space.
How to use Canned Chickpeas
- Drain and rinse: Open the can of chickpeas and pour them into a colander or strainer. Rinse them under cold running water to remove excess liquid or canning residue.
- Optional: Remove skins: You can remove the skins from the chickpeas for a smoother texture in some recipes, like hummus. Pinch each chickpea gently between your fingers; the skin should come right off. This step is optional for most recipes. Home canning makes them much easier to peel.
Recipes Ideas
- Hummus: Blend chickpeas with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and spices to make a delicious and healthy dip or spread.
- Salads: Toss chickpeas with vegetables, greens, and your favorite dressing for a hearty chickpea salad. You can also roast them in the oven with spices for a crunchy salad topping.
- Soups and stews: Add chickpeas to soups and stews for extra protein and texture. They work well in Mediterranean, Indian, or Moroccan-inspired dishes like this.
- Curries: Cook chickpeas in a flavorful curry sauce with vegetables, tomatoes, and your choice of protein for a satisfying meal. This Rabbit Curry is an excellent example.
- Roasted chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and your favorite spices, then roast them at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy and golden. Enjoy them as a snack or salad topping.
- Falafel: Mash chickpeas with herbs, spices, and flour, then form into balls or patties and fry or bake them for a tasty vegetarian dish.
- Veggie burgers: Combine mashed chickpeas with vegetables, grains, and seasonings, and form patties to make vegetarian burgers.
- Pasta dishes: Add chickpeas to pasta dishes for extra protein and texture.
- Aquafaba: When straining them, save the canning liquid. It is a versatile ingredient, as well. See below for details.
Adjust your recipe’s seasonings and cooking time, as canned chickpeas are already cooked and may require less heating than dried chickpeas.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. All of the recipes on this site are based on one or both of these trusted sources. We just do a more thorough job showing you how to do it, step-by-step.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the thick liquid left after cooking legumes like chickpeas in water. Most people know it as the liquid in canned chickpeas, but you can also make it at home by boiling and cooling chickpeas or other legumes.
The name comes from Latin, combining “aqua” (water) and “faba” (bean).
Aquafaba works as a great egg substitute, especially in vegan baking and cooking. When whipped, it forms a foam similar to egg whites, making it useful for meringues, mousses, and even mayonnaise. It also works as a binder in recipes like veggie burgers, fritters, and baked goods.
Here’s a simple guide for swapping it in recipes:
- Use two tablespoons (30 ml) of aquafaba instead of one egg white.
- Use three tablespoons (45 ml) instead of a whole egg.
While it’s a handy substitute in many recipes, some may need adjustments. Still, it’s become a popular and versatile ingredient in egg-free cooking.
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Canning Chickpeas | Garbanzos
Ingredients
- 3 lbs dried chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon salt per jar
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans well. Small rocks and foreign debris from the fields are common finds in a bag of beans.3 lbs dried chickpeas
- Cover beans in a large pot with cool water. Soak beans 8 hours to overnight.
- Drain beans.
- Add fresh water, to cover beans. Add salt.
- Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Peas should be very plump and tender.
- Add salt to jars. Fill warm jars with beans. Add cooking liquid to cover, leaving 1″ head space.½ teaspoon salt
- Remove any air bubbles with non metallic tool. I use a chopstick.
- Wipe rims clean with damp towel. Apply lids. Affix bands. Tighten fingertip tight.
- Prepare pressure canner according to manufacturer’s recommendations and heat water. Load jars into canner.
- Place lid on canner securely according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Allow steam to release for 10 full minutes before adding weights. Process jars allotted amount time at allotted pressure for your altitude. See graph below.
- Once your processing time has passed, remove pot from heat. Allow it to cool naturally and release pressure.
- After pressure has released, open canner carefully. Cock the lid on the pot and let the jars rest 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and let the jars rest in the pot for another 5-10 minutes. Remove jars and place them on a kitchen towel on the counter for 24 hours.
- Check seals. Press down in the center of the lid. If it flexes that jar did not seal and must be refrigerated or reprocessed with a new lid, if desired. Use up any refrigerated beans within 3 days.
- For quart jars, see notes.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
Nutrition
Originally published March 19, 2023.
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Thanks Shadi. I hope you like them.
I’m so glad you found the article useful. Thanks Noune.