Pressure-Canned Chickpeas | Dried Chickpeas in a Pressure Canner

This quantity fills 3 500 ml jars. A 1 L jar may also be used; do not use a larger jar because no tested processing time is available for it. Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse them. Keep them in hot water until filling; the pressure process also heats the jars, so they do not need to be sterilized separately by boiling. Prepare the lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions; do not reuse lids. Place the rack in the pressure canner, add 5–8 cm of hot water, and keep it warm over low heat.

Select mature, dry chickpeas. Discard any discolored, broken, or shriveled ones. The USDA average is 164 g of dried chickpeas per 500 ml jar; 500 g of dried chickpeas fills three jars.

Discard the soaking water, rinse the chickpeas, and put them in a pot with two liters of fresh water. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes; the chickpeas will not be fully tender yet, as cooking is completed in the pressure canner. Baking soda from the old recipe has been omitted: it is not part of the process tested by the USDA and changes the texture of the chickpeas. Do not change the ingredients in a tested process.

Pack the hot chickpeas into the jars with their boiling liquid, leaving 2.5 cm of headspace. If desired, add half of a 4 ml measure of salt to each 500 ml jar; salt is for flavor only and does not help preserve the food. Remove air bubbles with a plastic spatula and restore the headspace to 2.5 cm. Wipe the rim with a clean, damp cloth and close the jar.

Place the jars upright on the rack, leaving space between them, and lock the canner lid with the vent pipe open. Increase the heat. Once steam flows continuously from the vent, let it vent for 10 minutes; trapped air can keep the temperature too low even when the gauge shows the expected pressure. Then attach the weight or close the valve and wait for the pressure to rise.

Select the pressure for your altitude. With a weighted-gauge canner: 10 psi at 0–305 m; 15 psi above 305 m. With a dial-gauge canner: 11 psi at 0–610 m; 12 psi at 610–1,219 m; 13 psi at 1,219–1,829 m; 14 psi at 1,829–2,438 m. Istanbul and Izmir are in the first band (10 psi weighted gauge; 11 psi dial gauge). Ankara is at 938 m (15 psi weighted gauge; 12 psi dial gauge). Erzurum city center is above 1,829 m (15 psi weighted gauge; 14 psi dial gauge). Have the accuracy of a dial gauge tested every year before use. Start timing as soon as the gauge reaches the pressure for your altitude: process dried chickpeas for 75 minutes in a 500 ml jar or 90 minutes in a 1 L jar. Adjust the heat to maintain steady pressure. If the pressure falls below the target at any point, bring the canner back to pressure and restart the full processing time.

When the processing time is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure fall naturally to zero without moving the canner. Do not cool it with cold water or open the valve early; cooling is part of the tested process, and a sudden pressure drop can siphon liquid from the jars. When the gauge reads zero, remove the weight or open the valve, wait 10 minutes, then open the lid away from you so the steam does not hit your face.

Use jar tongs to remove the jars upright and place them 2.5 cm apart on a towel or wire rack. Leave them untouched to cool for 12–24 hours, and do not tighten the lids. Once cool, press the center of each lid: it is sealed if it stays indented and does not move when pressed. If it springs back or clicks up and down, it is not sealed. Refrigerate any unsealed jar and use it soon, as you would cooked food. Label sealed jars with the product name and date.

Store sealed jars in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Before opening, inspect the lid. The food is spoiled if the lid is bulging, the jar is leaking, liquid spurts or foams when opened, or the contents are moldy or smell bad. Never taste a suspect canned food. If the jar is unopened, place it in a sturdy bag, tie it tightly, and discard it. Botulinum toxin does not always produce visible signs, so following the time and pressure exactly is the only safeguard.