Can I can chili?

Very basic question for those who actually can more than one ingredient at a time...  Can I just take my normal chili recipe, put it in jars and can it for 90 minutes like I would meat?  

I believe so but I'm not positive and am hoping to hear from someone who really knows.

I have canned Chili many times as you describe.  I use the longest canning time of any ingredient.  I am talking pressure canning.   I have found it difficult to predict how the spices  will work out…often the taste of the spices seem to get stronger for me, so now I add a minimum of Chili powder before canning with the idea of being prepared to add more when the jar is opened and reheated.

Trace Oswald wrote:Very basic question for those who actually can more than one ingredient at a time...  Can I just take my normal chili recipe, put it in jars and can it for 90 minutes like I would meat?  

Trace, absolutely you can can chili. It requires pressure canning for 90 minutes for quarts, just as you say. It's a great convenience food!

The only problem I've had, is that the courser spices like chili powder sometimes get caught under the canning lid rim during venting, so that the jars don't seal. I resolved that by simply not adding the spices when I made the chili, but add them when I heat it up.

Alternatively, you can process the ingredients separately: tomatoes with onions and peppers, beans, and ground meat, and then open and mix them to actually make the chili. This is a good approach if a large batch is wanted.

Leigh Tate wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:Very basic question for those who actually can more than one ingredient at a time...  Can I just take my normal chili recipe, put it in jars and can it for 90 minutes like I would meat?  

Trace, absolutely you can can chili. It requires pressure canning for 90 minutes for quarts, just as you say. It's a great convenience food!

The only problem I've had, is that the courser spices like chili powder sometimes get caught under the canning lid rim during venting, so that the jars don't seal. I resolved that by simply not adding the spices when I made the chili, but add them when I heat it up.

Alternatively, you can process the ingredients separately: tomatoes with onions and peppers, beans, and ground meat, and then open and mix them to actually make the chili. This is a good approach if a large batch is wanted.

Thank you Leigh, that was just what I was looking for.

John F Dean wrote:I have canned Chili many times as you describe.  I use the longest canning time of any ingredient.  I am talking pressure canning.   I have found it difficult to predict how the spices  will work out…often the taste of the spices seem to get stronger for me, so now I add a minimum of Chili powder before canning with the idea of being prepared to add more when the jar is opened and reheated.

Very helpful info also.  Thank you!

Can you basically pressure can anything you want as long as all the ingredients can be found in other canning recipes?  Just use the longest time of any of the ingredients?  It seems like most things in the Ball book say 75 minutes and an inch of head space for pint jars.

For instance a clam, venison and squash mixture could be pressure canned together for 75 minutes in pint jars?

Mike Haasl wrote:
For instance a clam, venison and squash mixture could be pressure canned together for 75 minutes in pint jars?

Only if you are a sick, sick man.

Mike Haasl wrote:Can you basically pressure can anything you want as long as all the ingredients can be found in other canning recipes?  Just use the longest time of any of the ingredients?  It seems like most things in the Ball book say 75 minutes and an inch of head space for pint jars.

For instance a clam, venison and squash mixture could be pressure canned together for 75 minutes in pint jars?

Mike, assuming you're that daring (!!!) you process it for the food item that requires the longest processing time. So using your example and Putting Food By:

Venison - 75 minutes for pints
Clams - 70 minutes for pints
Squash (summer) - 30 minutes for pints
Squash (winter) - 55 minutes for pints

So, you're correct. You'd process your mixture for 75 minutes for pint jars at 10 pounds pressure.

Thanks Leigh!!!

This next question really belongs in another thread so I'll post the link here in the hopes you and the other experts migrate over there to hopefully answer

Headspace question

I have 12 jars of vegan chili I canned using the following recipe from the internet as a guideline, I may have followed it exactly this time, I don't recall but I didn't add anything that would reduce acidity.

I am honestly terrified to eat it. I did 75 minutes at 10PSI being at ocean level. I actually just took one out of the cupboard, I might heat it to a boil, taste a spoonful, then put the rest in the fridge for the day to see if I notice any sickness.

It's difficult to have preferences and not be able to stray from USDA approved recipes. I don't mean to hijack this thread, but does anyone have any comments on pressure canning this recipe in pint jars.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ teaspoon salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons chili powder*
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large can (28 ounces) or 2 small cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes**, with their juices
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste

Hi Jeff,

Given the contents, processing time, and pressure, I would eat it.

If you are concerned, add some water and boil it for 20+ minutes for added protection.

Jeff Steez wrote:I have 12 jars of vegan chili I canned using the following recipe from the internet as a guideline, I may have followed it exactly this time, I don't recall but I didn't add anything that would reduce acidity.

I am honestly terrified to eat it. I did 75 minutes at 10PSI being at ocean level. I actually just took one out of the cupboard, I might heat it to a boil, taste a spoonful, then put the rest in the fridge for the day to see if I notice any sickness.

It's difficult to have preferences and not be able to stray from USDA approved recipes. I don't mean to hijack this thread, but does anyone have any comments on pressure canning this recipe in pint jars.

Jeff, the "rule" when canning your own mixtures is to use the time for the food item that requires the longest processing, in this recipe, your pinto and black beans. Both require 70 minutes at 10 lb pressure (sea level) for quarts. The addition of an acidic item doesn't change that, so your 75 minutes is more than adequate. As long as the seal remains in tact, it's perfectly safe to eat!

Is botulism truly destroyed when boiling after canning? I was under the impression heating the ingredients to a boil and holding it for any amount of time, once pressure canned, would achieve nothing. Are these canning guidelines more suitable for things that remain unheated, such as fish for a sandwich?

Yes, that's what I did, but then USDA approved recipes would be redundant, basically useless, if you could stick random things into a jar, add liquid to achieve proper headspace and go at it.

What I am interested is some type of combination of ingredients on that list that would result in an impossibility, or perhaps a longer processing time than the ingredient with the longest time. Things not listed are of no concern, I will not use them, but as previously described, I'm interested in list-based impossibilities or times that subsequently differ with combined ingredients.

If there are none, then I will pressure can like a madman.

Just as an extra datum, we also can chili along the lines of what the folks in this thread are saying. I haven't had bits of spice corrupt a jar's seal yet but I'm not super-experienced with maybe 20 jars under my belt.

Jeff, I don't really understand what you're saying, but I will say that if you are uncertain or uncomfortable eating something you've canned, then don't. If you have doubts about something you've canned, don't eat it. We have threads discussing botulism you can search for and find a full discussion there.

Preserving your own foods should be satisfying, not stressful. For chili (the topic of this thread), it sounds like it would be better to either find a USDA recipe to follow exactly, or try something else.

Just a word on botulism: it's not the bacteria, but the toxic chemical they create that makes people sick. You might heat the food to kill the bacteria, but if they've already had a chance to populate, the food is poisoned and there's no way to take it out. Hence us canning fresh food at high pressure to kill microbes: once they produce the toxin, it's game over.
Pressure-canning chili is something I've wanted to do for a long time, especially if I can wheedle some venison from friends and family who hunt. Good luck to everyone!