Canning Quality Evaluation of Pinto and Navy Beans

Thermal processing of pinto and navy beans at 121.1°C for 16 or 14 min in a still retort gave similar sterilization value (F o = 10) as the processing at 115.6°C for 45 min. The 121.1°C/16 or 14 min process produced beans with greater firmness than the 115.6°C/45 min process. The addition of CaCl 2 and EDTA improved firmness and color of canned beans. Calcium chloride also reduced clumping and splitting of the canned beans. Sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability of canned beans was reduced when CaCl 2 was increased up to 10 mM. High correlation between firmness and soluble pectin in various bean cultivars implied that soluble pectin content could be used as a parameter for screening bean cultivars with desirable firmness.