A warm bowl of chili on a cold evening just makes the day better. You will enjoy it, even more, when all you have to do is open a can of your homemade chili and heat it up. Making your own canned chili recipe is also economical and you know exactly what is in your chili, with no preservatives or additives.
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Can you can your own chili?
Chili is delicious canned however you must use a pressure canner to safely seal your chili.
Why can your own?
Canning your own meals is very satisfying and helps you become self-reliant. You also will know every ingredient that goes into your jars is the freshest you can buy. No guessing when looking at a food ingredient list anymore what some of the ingredients might be.
Canning your own chili is easy and safe when you use a good canning chile recipe and a few basic canning safety tips. You can have a quick heat and eat dinner ready on a cold winter night in minutes.
Ingredients
- ground beef
- onions
- green pepper
- garlic
- tomatoes canned with juice
- chili powder
- salt
- jalapeno
- cumin seeds
- cumin powder
- oregano dried
- coriander ground
- chili pepper seeds (optional)
Tips for making spicy chili
These can be added to your chili before canning or you can add them when you reheat your chili.
- Chipotle in adobo sauce: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce bring a smoky, slightly hot flavor profile to your chili.
- Cayenne pepper powder: Dried cayenne peppers ground into a fine powder can add some heat to your chili. Its strong medium heat (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units) can significantly increase your chili’s heat level. Add a 1/2 teaspoon at a time and taste to see if you need more.
- Crushed red pepper: These pepper seeds are simply another form of cayenne pepper. The only difference is that it comes in flake form rather than ground to a fine powder. It adds a similar level of heat as cayenne pepper but without the bright red color. You will get little bites of heat instead of an overall heat.
- Sambal oelek: This is a chili paste made by Huy Fong Foods. The base is made with ripe red jalapeños.
- Jalapenos: Add a few chopped jalapenos as you cook you chile or topping when you reheat it.
What does adding vinegar do to chili?
Stirred into the pot right before serving, a tablespoon of white vinegar brightens up the chili pot. Chili recipes normally don't call for it, but it's a great way to add a little zip to your chili.
Mix-in Ideas for chili
Add any of these mix-ins when reheating your chile to create unique flavors.
Beer: Pouring in a few ounces of beer when reheating this canned chili can be a nice way to add a warm hoppy flavor without much liquid. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so, and the alcohol will be cooked to, but the flavor still there.
Balsamic vinegar: Add a little sweetness to a spicy chili with a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar.
Fresh herbs: Chopped cilantro and parsley common topping for chili. The flavor is fresh, and it adds instant color when reheating your chili.
Cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa, often found in rich mole sauces, is an easy add-in. It’s a quick addition that will deepen the flavor. Start by adding one to two tablespoons, and then taste and adjust from there.
Canning vegetarian chili
This chili recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting a meat substitute found in your grocery freezer section. Cook as you would hamburger. Also, you could switch the amount of meat needed for already cooked pinto or navy beans.
Can chili no beans
This recipe does not have beans in it. We have bean people and no bean people in our family. I stir in some cooked beans when reheating this canned chili recipe.
How to pressure can
This recipe must be pressure canned because it has several low-acid ingredients like beef, onions, and peppers. If you are not familiar with pressure canning, then be sure and read my post Learn How To Pressure Can
Tips for reheating
Pour soup in a large enough pot to stir your chili easily without spilling it out on the sides. Reheat the chili on the stovetop on medium heat. Stir to prevent sticking every few minutes until the soup reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. After heating, the chili may be placed in the slow cooker on low to keep warm during serving. Use up your leftovers within three or four days or freeze them in meal-size portions.
How to serve the chili?
- Use as a topping over nachos.
- Top a big plate of fries with hot chili, then sprinkle with cheese and hot sauce
- Melt together one cup of chili, one cup of shredded Velveeta cheese, and 1 cup of milk to make a chili cheese dip
- Pour hot chili in a bowl and top with cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, and oyster crackers.
MIX-IN IDEAS FOR CHILI
Beer: Pouring in a few ounces of beer when reheating this canned chili can be a nice way to add a warm hoppy flavor without much liquid. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so, the alcohol will be cooked out, but the flavor is still there.
Topping ideas for chili
Create a chili bar for your family when you serve your canned chili. Gather some small bowls and fill them with some of these chili topping ideas. It's a fun way for everyone to get a delicious custom bowl of chili.
- sour cream
- chopped onions
- jalapenos
- a variety of hot sauces
- bacon
- tortilla chips or corn chips
- shredded cheeses
- oyster crackers or saltines
- cilantro
- cornbread
- sweet potatoes cubes roasted
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Recipe
Canned Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lbs ground beef
- 2 cups onions chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups tomatoes canned with juice
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 jalapeno medium size, finely chopped and seeded
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper seeds optional
Instructions
- Prepare weighted-gauge pressure canner, jar and lids. For more information be sure and visit my post How To Pressure Can
- In a large stainless steel saucepan, over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Add onions, garlic, green pepper, and jalapeno. Sautee until onions are tender. Add tomatoes, chili powder, salt, cumin seeds, coriander, oregano, chili pepper seeds (if desired), and cumin powder. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any excess fat that forms on the top of the chili.
- Ladle hot chili into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary by adding or removing hot chili. Wipe rims with a paper towel that is moistened with vinegar to clean rims. Center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
- Place jars in a pressure canner. Adjust water level, lock lid, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close vent. Continue heating to achieve 10 lbs pressure. Process pints for 75 minutes or quarts for 90 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes longer, then open vent. Remove canner lid. Wait 10 minutes, then remove jars. Place jars on a towel on the counter to cool for 24 hours.
Notes
Learn How To Pressure Can
Nutrition
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Helen cobb
When you add your water level in your pressure canner do you cover your jars or go right below
Gina
Helen, this is a good question and one that I have seen varied answers to. I follow the National Center for Home Preservation guidelines and add 3 inches up from the bottom of my canner. Here is what they suggest: Put 2 to 3 inches of hot water in the canner. Some specific products in this Guide require that you start with even more water in the canner. Always follow the directions with USDA processes for specific foods if they require more water added to the canner. Hope this helps
Tim
Your notes above…
MIX-IN IDEAS FOR CHILI
Beer: Pouring in a few ounces of beer when reheating this canned chili can be a nice way to add a warm hoppy flavor without much liquid. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so, and the alcohol will be cooked to, but the flavor still there.
The recipe I make includes a 12oz stout beer in it. Can I safely pressure can my recipe with the beer in it or does it have to be added only when reheating? Thank you
Gina
Tim, I added your mix-in idea to the post. It's a great idea. Pressure canning it with beer would be ok. However, since a canner gets up to 250 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes I wonder if the flavor of the beer would be reduced. I like the idea of treating it as a mix-in for the best flavor.