Pressure Canning Chili

I got a really good deal on ground beef at the store the other day, but it had to be used up within a day.  How to use up 5 pounds of ground beef?  Well, I made beef stroganoff with a pound of it for lunch.  And then I decided to be brave and as Paul to use the pressure canner again.  So I fixed a big pot of chili.

I didn't take notes so I don't technically have a recipe, but I browned the beef with 5 cloves of garlic and drained it (I would've added onions but I was out).  Then I added one of those huge cans of tomato juice, two chopped green peppers, a bag of dry black beans, a bag of dry kidney beans, 1/2 can of chipotle pepper sauce, 1/2 cup chili powder, a couple tsp. cumin, 1 tbsp. salt, and about 5 cans of diced tomatoes.

I simmered this concoction for 20 minutes to let the flavors mix (the beans cook during the pressure canning, so no worries about that).  I got 13 pint jars filled up and Paul took them outside to supervise.  He doesn't seem to worry about blowing up the house as much as I do.

The jars were processed for 75 minutes, which is the guideline for ground beef.  I did pint jars because I thought they'd be handy to do things like chili to top baked potatoes or hot dogs.  For larger meals, we could do a couple of pints at a time (and to stretch them, add in elbow mac and a can of corn if needed). 

The next day, I made Cincinnati chili (chili over spaghetti noodles and topped with cheddar cheese).  The chili turned out so good!  It was a hit and Cort already asked when we would have it for dinner again.  And the best part?  It only took ten minutes to toss together this home cooked meal, as the chili was already made.