Make and Can your own, Not to Spicy, Homemade Chili

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     Our family is going on a week long cabin trip together soon.  One of the nights of our reunion we are going to have a chili cook-off!  That sounds like a lot of fun, except my husband and I really cannot handle very spicy food.  My husband has been especially sensitive to it since he had Covid 19.  So, of course, I am joining the cook-off so that I can make sure that at least one of the chilies will be mild enough for our taste!  

     I decided that the easiest way to make the chili without having to do a long process while on vacation would be to make it at home and can it!  So, that is just what I did!  I came up with the recipe in my head, made a huge pot of chili for dinner one night and then just canned the rest of it, processing in my pressure canner.  Overall, it was even easier than I had imagined.  (I had never canned chili before.)
    

       Here are some tips that made the process really easy:

• Use pre-canned beans!  I was going to start with dry beans, but in the end I didn't, and I am really glad because just rinsing the canned ones saved me a lot of time! 
• Chop up all of your veggies before you start. 
• Taste as you go to make sure the seasoning is what you want.  Then, before bottling it, I had a few taste testers help me decide if the chili was just right.  I used my husband, my son and his friend.  I was so pleased when my husband asked for another bowl! 
• Use a deep skillet and a large pot to make this recipe.  I was able to brown the meat as I started sweating the vegetables.  Then, I combined the meat and the vegetables and began adding other ingredients.  I put the tomatoes in the skillet that the meat had been in to mash them up and season them before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.  It worked out great.
• I added beets to my recipe because I had a few little ones from my garden waiting to be used.  You don't have to put them in, but you can.  You can add any other veggies you would like to add as well.  I also had a few chopped potatoes that I chopped smaller and add in.  You could add corn or whatever your heart desires. 

I think the beets help to add a nice rich color.

     After you eat dinner, prepare your jars and put them in the canner.  At my altitude, the process time is 90 minutes for quarts at 10-11 lbs. of pressure.  Be sure to check for your area. 

     My goal was a flavorful chili that gives that chili flavor without burning your tongue.  That is what I achieved in this recipe!  If you have a sensitivity to super hot spices like my husband and I do, I think you will enjoy my flavorful version of chili.  Believe me, when people tell me that food isn't spicy, I rarely trust them because it will still usually be spicy to me.  This chili is very mild, yet you definitely get that it is chili! 

Home Canned Chili

     Enjoy!

​You may also enjoy:

• Pumpkin Chili
• Green Chili Burros Salad
• Chili Garlic Oil
• South of the Border Casserole​

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