For quite some time I've been trying to come up with a recipe for my own "chili beans." We like them best when I make chili, but until now, I've always had to purchase the beans in cans. Because of the dangers of BPA that is in the metal can linings, and the fact that I can use organic beans and soak them properly, I am very happy to report that no longer will I need to buy my chili beans at the supermarket! I had looked, many times, in cook books and on the internet trying to find a recipe, to no avail. Here is how I do it now. They are really delicious!
First, make up a batch of the seasoning mix.
SEASONING MIX FOR CHILI BEANS ~ makes about 1/2 cup of mix (enough for 8 pints of beans)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon unrefined sea salt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
4 more teaspoons of the unrefined sea salt to add to the jars.
Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight glass jar.
How to prepare the beans
For 8 pints of home-canned chili beans, you will need 2 pounds of dry kidney beans.
Sort and wash them well. Drain. Place in a large glass or stainless container and cover with water, at least half again as deep as the level of the beans. Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Allow to soak for 24 hours. Drain. Rinse. Cover again, as before. Allow to soak for another 24 hours.
Drain and rinse. Cover well with clean water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface.
When you fill your pint jars for canning, fill them only about 3/4 full of beans and top off with the cooking liquid or boiling water. Leave 1 inch head space at the top.
Add 3 teaspoons of the seasoning mix to each jar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Process in a pressure canner for 75 minutes at 11 pounds pressure.
If you are not familiar with canning, please don't be afraid, but do consult an authoritative source on canning. I recommend this book: Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
If you are a fan of chili beans, you are going to love these!
Thanks so much for posting this! Have you done it with pintos? If so, do you reduce the soaking and cooking time?
ReplyDeleteI have not done it with pinto beans, however, I have canned plain pinto beans and use the same method. I like to soak my beans for 48 hours, but you should so a minimum of 8 hours, and then proceed the same way. Here is a previous post about canning pinto beans:
Deletehttp://simplyhomemaking60.blogspot.com/2010/11/saving-beans.html
You're so welcome!
Oops! "Do" a minimum... :)
DeleteI did a bit of pressure canning last year with great results, so this recipe looks very do-able to me! Actually, the only few jars I had that did not seal properly were the pinto beans. Not sure why, but I had several that did not seal...
ReplyDeleteI will have to try this sometime. I hate buying them from the store too. I didn't know that soaking them for 48 hours was a good idea. I will have to remember that. I have only done the over night soak.
ReplyDeleteI finally found spices that I like for my chili beans too. Its the fiesta brand pinto bean spice. I canned navy, kidney, black and pinto beans the dry bean method. It worked fine but I think I will soak them like you did for a better for you product next time.
ReplyDeleteDebbieo
How did you come up with the spice mix? That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI found it online, not as a chili bean spice, but it sounded about right, so I tried it and love the taste. I tweaked it a little, of course. :)
DeleteYour chili seasoning mix is almost identical to mine!
ReplyDeleteExcellent recipe. Canned these this morning and had the leftovers for lunch over rice. 3/4 full after soaking 24 hours, then cooking 1/2 hour removing foam was just right. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you like it and grateful for the feedback!
DeleteCould the beans and seasoning mix be cooked together and then frozen instead of canned? We're also trying to get away from the nasty things in cans.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it could, and that is a great idea!
DeleteHi! I am excited to find this recipe. I have been wanting to can my own chili beans. I have the beans but no recipe for seasoning. I do have a question. What does all of the soaking do? Other recipes for dried beans say to put in the jar and fill with water and let soak overnight and then put them in the canner in the morning, in that same water. It sure would be quicker, but Im assuming there's a benefit to doing it your way. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteProperly soaking beans (or grains, for that matter,) deactivates the phytic acid and other anti-nutrients that interfere with mineral absorption. I highly recommen the e-book,"Everything Beans", by Katie Kimball at www.kitchenstewardship.com
DeleteYou see, seeds are protected from sprouting until the conditions are right. Those same properties interfere with digestion as well. You can carefully soak, or even sprout your beans before cooking and they will be much better for you!
You're welcome. I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
I am fairly knew to canning. With that said i really want to try your recipe but dont gave a pressure canner. I have only done the hot water baths with great results. Do you think the bath would work for the beans?
ReplyDeleteNO. NO. Beans MUST be processed in a pressure canner. However, you could prepare these beans and freeze them to use later!
DeleteOk. Thats good to know. Thank you for the input. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteLove this thanks! I do pinto beans this way for refried and would love to have some spicy chili beans ready to go.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like these!
DeleteSo happy to find this! With cooler weather coming quickly, I want to can some of my own chili beans, and I am not one to develop my own recipes. Putting some of these in the canner this morning, along with my Navy Bean and Ham Soup recipe I found the other day. I am dry canning them, though. My beans turn to mush in the canner otherwise.
ReplyDeleteTrying your recipe and method this weekend. Question: what is the purpose/benefits of the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar during the pre-soak phase of prep? I have never read this technique before...curious!! Thank you and many blessings.
ReplyDeleteUsing an acid ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar or live whey helps to break down the phytic acid that is in the covering of beans, seeds and grains. Phytic acid interferes with the absorption in your body of minerals, such as calcium and others. Soaking deactivates the phytic acid. Soaking with the addition of the lemon juice helps it to happen more quickly.
DeleteHi. I was wanting to know instead of using pint size jars if I could use this recipe with quart size jars and would I process for 90 mins instead of the 75?
DeleteJust found your post! I am excited to try these - we are working on our years worth of food storage and were trying to decide if we should just break down and buy the cans from the store. Thank you so much for this awesomely helpful post!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works out really well for you! Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI put the spices and dried pinto beans in a crockpot and cooked them for about 8 hours - excellent. I cook all my beans in a crockpot which is really easy. Therefore, no need for me to can beans.
ReplyDeleteSince most of the time, it's only me and my husband here, and I buy my beans in bulk, they get too dried out before I can use them sometimes, so doing this is not only convenient, but frugal. I also have to soak my beans really well, or they don't agree with us. By the way, if you cook dried kidney beans in the crockpot, be sure to boil them for a few minutes first. Otherwise, they can be toxic.
Deletehow long can these be stored? Self life? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteAs long as the seal is intact, they will keep indefinitely, but of course, like anything else they will lose quality over time. I would try to use them within 2 years.
Deletenice..
ReplyDelete:) I hope you will like them!
ReplyDeleteI currently have a canner of pinto beans on the stove right now, I had wondered if I could make my own chili beans, and your site was the first and last place I looked. The recipe sounds perfect. I love the no nonsense recipe. I also signed up to receive your blog. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome. I was so pleased when I came up with this one. I hope yours turn out just how you want them to! Thank you for visiting and commenting.
DeleteMy son has been on my case every since I canned the chili beans to open a jar. So I made taco salad for supper and used a jar. They are fabulous! I am going to make them again, but will make quart jars this time. They taste just like the brand that I normally purchase. Again, thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! And, you're welcome! Be sure and adjust the processing time for the larger jars. You already know that, but just in case..... :)
DeleteMy mom and I canned about 13 lbs of beans (pinto, kidney and red)in pints and quarts this weekend using this recipe. It was the first time pressure canning and these came out great! (Almost too good to be true) SO much better than the canned beans from the store. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy to know that this recipe is a help to you! I'm so proud of you! Thanks for letting me know. By the way, did you mix the beans or do them separately?
DeleteWe did them all separately. It was sort of a spontaneous decision to can this weekend so we didn't have them all soaking at once. There are still 5 more lbs of dried pinto beans...good thing beans are so easy to can!
DeleteI made this recipe a couple of weeks ago with 3 types of beans.... taste just like the Ranch Style beans.... an also going to can some plain kidney beans since we do large pot of chili and use like 6 cans of beans.
ReplyDeleteIt is SO nice to have a good stock of home canned beans on hand, and then I don't have to "plan ahead" so much. Good for you!
Deletedo you think I could use less salt? on a low salt diet. thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou can leave the salt out entirely, if you wish. It has nothing to do with safety.... only flavor. :)
DeleteI grew my own kidney beans and wish to use them in your recipe. Do I have to dry them and then soak them or what process do I use to can them from fresh picked?
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry it took me this long to get back to you. I was out of town. No, don't dry and soak your beans, rinse and add them to your jars, leaving just a little extra head space and then proceed! How wonderful that you grew your own!
ReplyDeletewow I just open and used my first can of beans....love the spices. I can not thank you enough for this recipe. I just love the way these beans taste. thank you thank you thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so very welcome! I am happy to know you are pleased! Thank YOU!!!
DeleteMany thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for! Can't wait to make my own Chili beans. I always have the spices on hand and I'm familiar with canning beans with good results.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I'm so glad you found the recipe! I had looked and looked online and No One had one. And we really like these!
DeleteThis sounds great. I had a huge 10 pint chili bean failure last fall. My question is I'm back to using my presto weighed instead of the dial. If normally I'm at 10 pounds would that work? You have 11 pounds but I believe your elevation is higher than Texas. Thanks
ReplyDeleteYes, your 10 pound weight is fine. "They" suggest 11 pounds using a dial, I think just to be safe. I hope this works out well for you!
DeleteSo I goofed. I just canned these, but I did quarts, and only processed them for 75 minutes. Will they still be safe?
ReplyDeleteOh, dear... no, you need to reprocess... 90 minutes in quarts. You have to do the whole 90 minutes at one time. :(
DeleteI can dried beans without cooking them first. It saves SO much time. I put a heaping cup of dried beans in a quart or a heaping 1/2 cup in a pint. Add 1/2 or 1 tsp. salt, then fill with water leaving a 1/2 inch headspace, then process. Easy peasy. I'm anxious to try your chili bean recipe!
ReplyDeleteHi Cindee. Yes, that would save lots of time. Unfortunately it would not agree with my system. I'm glad it works for you! Good luck with your chili beans. :)
DeleteJust wondering if I could mix the pinto and kidney bean together and can.
ReplyDeleteCertainly! That would work well. :)
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ReplyDeleteI canned my first batch of "soup beans" this morning with great results...so I want to can some chili beans tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe, I'm sure they will turn out great, a lot healthier, and more economical as well! (and extremely satisfying making these myself!)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I hope you like them as much as we do!
DeleteI'm glad I found your recipe! I'm going to use it with a slight twist. I have plain beans on the shelf for assorted recipes. But I made a batch of the seasoning mix and tonight I used it to season a quart of plain pinto beans for an enchilada casserole. It was a homerun! I'm sure I'll can some beans with the seasoning in them, but right now this is a great merging of items on hand.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad! Yes, that's what we do - use what's on hand. :)
ReplyDeleteI followed directions I thought perfectly but my beans are all busted and I'm afraid they are going to be mush after pressure canned. Any ideas what I did wrong?
ReplyDeleteCourtney, I really have no idea. Did you cook them too long? After soaking, I only cook mine for 30 minutes before putting them in the jars. How long did you cook them? They shouldn't have done that if it wasn't too long. I'm so sorry that happened!
DeleteI only cooked them 30 mins.
DeleteThat is so strange. I am sorry that happened. :(
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi, I don't have a pressure scanner, so I wonder if i could just make up the spices, sore in a jar as suggested, and use that to make one portion of chili beans as I need it? How long will the spices keep in the jar?
ReplyDeleteIrish Girl, I'm sure that would work. If you are cooking the beans yourself (not already canned, I mean), do not add the salt until the very end, then you can salt "to taste" because salt makes it harder for the beans to get tender for some reason. As to how long the spices will keep... I am not an expert on this, but I've had a jar of them in the cupboard for a few months and they were fine. If you kept them in your refrigerator or freezer they would keep much longer. Good luck!
DeleteThanks. I am going to give it a try.
ReplyDeletecan I use this on just pinto beans. This sounds like a good recipe. will have to try it.
ReplyDeleteYes. Pinto beans will work nicely. :)
DeleteDuring the SECOND soaking, do I still add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar?
ReplyDelete- Julia in Missouri
Good question! I don't. Only the first time. In fact, I am canning 14 quarts of them today! I hope you will be pleased. :)
DeleteThanks for the quick reply! I can't wait to try this recipe. It will be nice to serve my family chili with no "mystery" ingredients!
DeleteJulia in Missouri
I am anxious to try this seasoning! We love beans and this would really be a change from "plain old beans!"
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI to anyone who is planning to cook then freeze instead, DO NOT add the total amount of salt. I accidentally did and unfortunately they are so salty that they are inedible now. I didn't take into account that with the canned beans there is extra liquid that you can drain afterwards to remove the salt...and of course when you freeze them you don't need the extra salt for preservation.
ReplyDeleteJanine, thank you very much for that tip! Actually, the salt doesn't preserve the beans in canning, just improves the flavor, but as you say, you don't need that much if you are going to freeze them!
DeleteStill canning chili beans using your recipe, it is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad! Thank you for telling me.
DeleteI know this is an older post but if seen..I have been using this recipe for a few years now. Love it. The last 2 years I've started using the TATTLER lids. They are awesome and reusable. Only about 7 jars, not all beans, have not sealed. But you just reach in your basket grab a new set and redo. Anyway long wonder here, love the recipe and now I can enjoy even if store is out of metal lids as mine are reusable. Happy canning
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know you enjoy this recipe! I actually have some Tattler lids, but was kind of saving them for if I can't get any others. :)
DeleteI preserve everything that I can with a water bath canner. I’d love to try pressure canning for all of the cool stuff that I could put up for winter!
ReplyDeleteI hope you will be able to do that! I know that pressure canners can be relatively expensive, but it is an excellent investment and should be a one time purchase.
DeleteCan’t wait to try! How long do you boil them before putting them in the jars? Boil until tender?
ReplyDeleteIf you look near the top of the article, you'll see this: "Drain and rinse. Cover well with clean water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface."
DeleteI hope you like the recipe! I've never had any complaints. :)
I can’t wait to try canning beans and potatoes from my garden! I never thought about canning those two items before until recently and I have been canning for 35 to 40 years! Thank you for the post!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Good luck to you, Stephanie. :)
DeleteNow that I see a newer post I'm commenting. Found this several years ago and now it's the only beans my family will eat. Ty for sharing this. It's a bit of work but, soooo worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy to know this!
DeleteI found this recipe last year and we just love it! It was the only chili bean recipe I could find and it is perfect. My daughter likes it best when I use white beans as that is the type of chili beans we used to buy, and we make them in quarts. I do not cook them after the soaking step and so put a little less beans in each jar (about 2/3 full) and process 90 minutes for a winning product for us. Thank for posting this for all of us who love our chili beans!
ReplyDeleteI had finally got a pressure canner last year so this was perfect for practicing my pressure canning skills! I am hooked!
Tish, thank you for telling me about this! I am so pleased that you like the recipe. When I developed this, there were no similar recipes anywhere that I could find. And thank you for the tips on how you do it. I will have to try that! I'm glad you could get a pressure canner! Would you mind telling me what brand you got? Take care and enjoy your nice chili beans!
DeleteDo the beans get mushy, and what do you mean by Place in a large glass or stainless container and cover with water, at least half again as deep as the level of the beans. Cover the beans with water then add more?
ReplyDeleteThe beans are well cooked and soft, but I would not say mushy. Put your dried beans in a container, glass or stainless. Pour water over them until the level is at least half again as deep as the beans are. Does this make sense?
DeleteHello. How do you keep your beans so pretty!? I tried your method on pinto beans, but I had to can for 90 minutes at 15 lb pressure because I was doing quart-size at high altitude and NONE of my beans look that nice. They are mush. Most of them lost their skins as soon as I put water on them to soak them. Also, am I supposed to ad salt to the seasoning AND salt to the jars? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI do my beans at 11 pounds of pressure because of the altitude we live at. I realize that above 5,000 feet, you'd have to increase the pressure setting. Why did your beans lose their skins when soaking? I've never had that happen. Yes, I do put 1/2 tsp of salt in the jars along with 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix, but of course you would not have to do that! I suspect that processing for 90 minutes because you used quart jars instead of pint jars and also the higher pressure might be why your beans are mushy. Still, though, I wonder if there's something wrong with your beans since you said the skins slip off like that. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWould these be comparable to mild chili beans or are they spicier
ReplyDeleteI would say, "medium". :)
ReplyDelete