Well Chili Gremlins struck in the middle of the night. Out of the nine pints we canned for my daughter's camping trip only 7 survived. No one's fessing up but its alright as I have several jars in the pantry in reserve for chili emergencies such as this.
For those who requested it here is the recipe I use when I can chili. It is from the USDA Complete Guide To Home Canning and Preserving. Since our family are spicy chili wimps this recipe is mild. Those of you who feel it ain't chili unless you get third degree burns to your tongue will have to fiddle with the spices a bit. By adding more chili powder, some real chili peppers and a few other spices I'm sure you can raise the recipe by a few alarm levels.
This recipe makes 9 pints of canned chili. One of my sons is a vegan and so we have made several batches omitting the ground beef and substituting an equal amount of various beans.
Ingredients:
3 cups dried pinto beans or red kidney beans
5 1/2 cups water
5 teaspoons salt, divided
3 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
3-6 teaspoons chili powder
2 quarts canned crushed tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes
1 . Wash beans well and put in a 2 quart pan.
2. Add cold water 2-3 inches above beans and let soak 12 to 18 hours.
3. Drain and discard water.
4. Add 5 1/2 cups of fresh water and 2 tsp. of salt to beans and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
6. Drain and discard water.
7. Brown the ground beef, chopped onion and peppers in a skillet.
8. Drain off the fat then add 3 tsp. salt , pepper, chili powder and any optional spices, tomatoes and the cooked beans
9. Simmer 5 minutes. Do not add any thickening agents.
10. Fill jars and leave 1 " headspace.
11. Adjust lids and process in pressure canner at 10 lbs. (0-1000 ft.) for 75 minutes.
