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Yield: 7 to 9 pint jars
Click here for a PDF print version
Making and canning your own Chili Con Carne is easy and safe with this recipe. It closely follows the USDA's tested recipe for safety, and I explain what you can modify safely!
Yield: 9 pints
Modifications You can substitute the spices. For example, You could add 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce, add a couple more tablespoons of chili powder (or use less). You can reduce or omit the onions or peppers, but don't add more of them.
This is a good time to get the jars ready! The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle. Otherwise put the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. I just put the lids in a small pot of almost boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" (available from target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) to pull them out.
Rinse out your pressure canner, put the rack plate in the bottom, and fill it to a depth of 4 inches with hot tap water. (of course, follow the instruction that came with the canner, if they are different). Put it on the stove over low heat, with the lid OFF of it, just to get it heating up for later on.
Wash beans thoroughly and place them in a 2 qt saucepan. Add cold water to a level of 2 to 3 inches above the beans and soak 12 to 18 hours. Drain and discard water.
OR use drained, rinsed canned beans.
I dice the onions and peppers into small pieces, about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm), and the tomatoes I leave in larger pieces, around 1 inch (2.5 cm).
Combine the beans with 5-1/2 cups of fresh water, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Drain and discard the water.
Brown the chopped onions and peppers in a pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, if needed, to avoid burning!
Now, brown the meat (ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey), along with the chopped onions, and peppers, (the onions and/or peppers are optional), in a skillet.
Drain off the fat (I put it in a colander or sieve and let it drain in a pan in the sink). Put the pot back on the stove and add the spices.
Put the drained, cooked beans and the drained browned meat in a large pot. Add the, lemon or lime juice and the drained, cooked beans. Simmer for 5 minutes, so everything is heated thoroughly. Caution: Do not add starch or other thickeners.
Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and tighten the bands, gently, by hand.
Put the lids on each jar and seal them by putting a ring on and screwing it down snugly (but not with all your might, just "snug").
Using the jar tongs, put the jars on the rack in the canner. By now the water level has probably boiled down to 3 inches. If it is lower than that, add more hot tap water to the canner. When all the jars that the canner will hold are in, put on the lid and twist it into place, but leave the weight off (or valve open, if you have that type of pressure canner).
Put the heat on high and let the steam escape through the vent for 10 minutes to purge the airspace inside the canner.
After 10 minutes of venting, put the weight on and close any openings to allow the pressure to build to 11 pounds.
Once the gauge hits 10 or 11 pounds (depending on the type of canner , see the tables below), start your timer going - for 75 minutes. Adjust the heat, as needed, to maintain 10 or 11 pounds of pressure.
Note: the chart at right will help you determine the right processing time and pressure, if you have a different type of canner, or are above sea level.
It is important to learn how to operate your pressure canner by reading the owner's manual that came with your particular canner. If you cannot find your owner's manual, you can obtain find one online: Here is where to find some common manufacturer's manuals:
or by contacting the company that made your canner. Give the model number
to the manufacturer, and they will send you the right manual. Click here for more information about pressure canners and a variety of models you can order.
process according to the recommendations in the table appropriate to your type of pressure canner below:
Recommended process time for Chile Con Carne in a dial-gauge pressure canner. |
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Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of |
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Style of Pack |
Jar Size |
Process Time |
0 - 2,000 ft |
2,001 - 4,000 ft |
4,001 - 6,000 ft |
6,001 - 8,000 ft |
Hot |
Pints |
75 min |
11 lb |
12 lb |
13 lb |
14 lb |
Recommended process time for Chile Con Carne in a weighted-gauge pressure canner. |
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Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of |
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Style of Pack |
Jar Size |
Process Time |
0 - 1,000 ft |
Above 1,000 ft |
Hot |
Pints |
75 min |
10 lb |
15 lb |
When the processing time from the chart above is up, turn off the heat, and allow the pressure canner to cool and the pressure to drop to zero before opening the canner. Let the jars cool without being jostled. After the pressure drops to zero (usually, you can tell but the "click" sound of the safety release vents opening, as well as but the gauge. Let the pressure in the canner drop to zero by itself. This may take 45 minutes in a 16-quart canner filled with jars and almost an hour in a 22-quart canner. If the vent is opened before the pressure drops to zero OR if the cooling is rushed by running cold water over the canner, liquid will be lost from the jars. Too rapid cooling causes loss of liquid in the jars!
Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool on a wooden cutting board or a towel, without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they won't be bumped. You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok. You're done!
Water bath canner with a jar rack
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Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
Ball Blue book (most recent version)
Jars: 8oz canning jars for jams
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Festivals - local fruit and vegetable festivals
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With this Presto 23 quart pressure canner and pressure cooker, you can "can" everything, fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, salsa, applesauce, pickles, even meats, soups, stews. Model 01781
You can make jams, jellies, can fruit, applesauce, salsa and pickles with water bath canners, like this Granite Ware 12-Piece Canner Kit, Jar Rack, Blancher, Colander and 5 piece Canning Tool Set