HOME CANNING CHILI

HOME CANNING CHILI
Here's a recipe along with the detailed instructions for canning Chili, No Beans, adapted from the newest Ball Blue Book, which is a nice reference to have on hand if you plan to do any canning.You'll need a pressure canner (12 quart capacity or more), canning jars and new lids and rings, a jar lifter (for removing hot jars after processing) and a canning funnel. 5 lbs ground beef 2 cups chopped onions 1 clove minced garlic 6 cups canned tomatoes and juice 1/2 cup chili powder 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1 hot red pepper, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed I modify the recipe somewhat by adding a few extra cloves of garlic and another hot pepper (depending upon how hot the peppers are). I also sometimes add 1/4 cup cider vinegar and several tablespoons of ketchup and use 2 teaspoons cumin instead. That spices things up a bit! Extra Instructions for using fresh tomatoes (skip if using canned): In the Summer, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Wash and peel the tomatoes by dipping briefly in a boiling water bath until the skins begin to break. Dunk quickly into cold water and set aside til cool. Use only ripe, blemish-free tomatoes. Cut off the top and bottom ends of the tomato, then remove seeds from the "pockets" using a baby spoon. Chop and simmer. I have an Italian tomato squeezer which looks a little like a hand crank meat grinder. You put the tomatoes in the top (unpeeled), turn the crank and peeled, seeded puree comes out. This makes things easier when doing large batches. (I once planted and canned from 200 tomato plants!)In the bottom of a large stockpot, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic. Drain well any excess fat. This is an important step as high fat content foods don't keep as well canned; additionally the fat has a tendency to cause a higher proportion of jar seals to fail during processing. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook about 20 minutes. Skim off any excess fat. Meanwhile, prepare a pressure canner with several inches of simmering water. Place clean jars in the simmering water (may be washed in a dishwasher - if your dishwasher has a sani-cycle, all the better). Place the jar caps in hot water to sit until ready to use. Fill hot jars, one at a time, with hot chili, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Headspace is the amount of space between the lid and the chili. Remove air bubbles from the mixture, if any exist, using a plastic knife or a straw (or a plastic bubbler available from Ball). Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel so that they're perfectly clean which allows them to seal effectively. Put the lid on and tighten the ring just until the point of resistance is met. Place the jar into the simmering water in the canner, and continue to fill the remaining jars until all are used. Place the lid on the canner but leave the petcock open or if you're using a weighted gauge canner, don't place the weight on for 10 minutes. It's necessary to vent a pressure canner so that there are no air pockets in the canner during processing. After 10 minutes of venting close the petcock or position the weighted gauge. Don't begin timing until the gauge begins to rock 2-3 times a minute, or if using a dial gauge canner, when the pressure comes up to 10 pounds. Begin timing. Process pint jars for 1 hour 15 minutes, or quart jars for 1 hour 30 minutes. If you're at a higher elevation than 2000 ft, check with your USDA extension service about adjusting processing times for your elevation. After the processing time has completed, allow the pressure canner to cool for 30 minutes and remove the weight gauge. After pressure is at 0 lbs psi (on dial gauge, or not steam escapes after weight is removed), then you can safely remove the lid. Face the lid away from you as it is removed, being careful of the steam. Allow jars to sit 5 minutes in the canner, then remove using the jar lifter to a draft-free place to cool. Allow to sit 24 hours, then carefully remove rings and wash jars. Test lids by tapping gently with a metal spoon - you will hear a ringing sound. If you hear a dull thud from a jar that doesn't sound like the rest, break the seal and put this jar in the refrigerator and use within a few days or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid. Yields 6 pints or 3 quarts. You may double or triple this recipe if you have a larger canner. A 21 quart capacity pressure cooker allows you to process 18-19 pints at a time. Serve chili with cooked or canned kidney, pinto beans, elbow macaroni or wide egg noodles if desired.

Make Your Own Liquid Herbal Extract While paying for the convenience of a manufactured herbal  extract can be nice, we have found that the best medicines  are those we make ourselves. Not only that, but for those of  us that incorporate extracts into our daily diet the costs  really begins to add up. Making your own extracts will  save you hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars. This recipe is the simplest way to make your own liquid  herbal extracts in your own home. Start with a clean  jar that has a tight fitting lid and the herbs of  your choice. If you can use fresh herbs, then fabulous!  Fresh material is always preferred but availability is  determined by your local bio-region, climate, etc and  many quality herbs may not be available. If you  cannot locate fresh materials, be sure to get good  quality, organic herbs from a reputable supplier.  Note: Try not to use powdered herbs; they will be  difficult to filter out in the end and the debris will  settle in your final product. If using fresh material, chop the herbs finely. Then  put in the glass jar. Next, pour a good, strong grain  alcohol or Vodka over the herbs, completely  covering the herbal material. If you are using dried  herbs you will need to add more alcohol over the  next day or two as the dried herbs absorb and expand.  A good ratio for dried material is about 1 part herb to  5 parts alcohol and with fresh material 1 part  herb to 3 parts alcohol. After you have done this, cover with tight fitting lid  and be sure to place a plastic bag sandwiched  between the lid and the jar. This will prevent rust  contamination from spoiling your extract. Shake well and place the jar in a dark place &  allow the herbs to soak or macerate for 4 to 6 weeks.  Shake every few days. The alcohol will siphon and  extract the active constituents from the herbs.  After 4 to 6 weeks strain the herbs. Use a large  sieve, strainer, press or potato ricer lined with  fine mesh cloth or cheesecloth. Then pour  into another large bowl or container. After you  have done this grab the soggy herbal material  and place in muslin, cheese or another fine  cloth and tightly squeeze the material to extract  every last drop from the cloth. The herbal material left  over that is saturated, is the strongest in terms of active  medicinal constituents. Now funnel  the material from your larger container into smaller  bottles, preferably amber bottles and store your  tinctures in a cool dark place. Voila! You have now  made your own remarkable medicinal herbal extract  for a fraction of the price you would have paid at the  store. By now you have probably noticed that your pantry  is stored with some 16-20 ounces of liquid herbal extract… …this will last you for some time. (It will keep for 3-5 years)  Enjoy!