Canned Chili

 

 Of the 20 lbs of hamburger I bought this week I took 10 pounds and made chili to can. I used dried red beans which I cooked in the slow cooker before make the chili, onions, green peppers, chili powder, cumin, garlic, a little cocoa powder ( yep I said cocoa powder), canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. When the chili was done I took enough out of the pot for us to have for dinner that night and the rest went in to quarts jars and then into the pressure canner. I got 12 beautiful jars of chili (one of our favorite cold weather meals) plus one meal from the 10 pounds of hamburger and 4 pounds of dried red beans.  We eat chili at least 3 times a month. :)

The cocoa powder may sound funny in chili but it just adds this special little touch to chili. You don't add a lot. I added 2 tablespoons to the big pot I made. So really that is not much. :)

Here is my 12 lovely quarts of chili all ready to go back in the box and in to the pantry. These will come in really handy when hubby or son needs to cook a meal. :)

Because hubby and I are both disabled ( he is in worse shape than I am ) I try to keep quite a few fast, easy fix meals on hand for times when I am really busy or not feeling well enough to put a meal together from scratch. We do not eat out much so these jars meals up a lot. Even on the budget since I only can things that I grow myself or can buy at a really good price.

But I have more reasons why I can. I remember eating all the delicious foods my grandma canned all the time and seeing all those pretty jars lined up so nice and neat in her pantry. There never was a time you could go into the pantry and not find some thing good to eat. Since my grandma is gone now I can always open a jar of my own home canned foods and the memories of her and all that food come flooding back. Sweet memories that I never want to forget. :)