Home canned chili beans - re-post!

My post on how to can your own chili beans at home has been very popular, and so I thought I would post it again for those who didn't see it the first time around.

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!

"Fiber for the landless."

Are you familiar with "stinging nettles?"  It is a plant that grows wild in many areas of the world, including where I live in Indiana, USA. Here is what they look like in my area.  The name for them tells you what they are like.  They are covered with little prickles that have formic acid in them. If you brush your skin against a stinging nettle, you will feel pain!

The leaves of the nettles are highly nutritious, and of course, if you cook them, all the sting is gone. They also make a lovely, healthy, herbal tea.  I like to go out in mid to late May and (wearing gloves!) gather the top leaves of  some of the plants and bring them home to dehydrate for tea.  Then, in late June, I take some pruning shears, wear gloves and long sleeves and go cut the stalks, bundle them up, and bring them home.  Then I strip off the leaves and since I no longer have chickens, I put the leaves in the compost bin.

2018 was the first year I ever "played" with nettles.  You see, they produce fibers that can be spun into yarn. It has been a small, but enjoyable journey.  I am still learning, certainly.  Here are a few pictures so you can see what I've been up to:

Here is some on the little hand spindle I used.

I have a small "pin loom" and made a tiny weaving.

My skill and method is still very crude, and yet I am happy with the result. Nettle is a "bast" fiber, similar to flax, from which linen is made. Nettle has been used since prehistoric times. I like that working with it connects me to people back through the generations.  Making bread does the same thing for me.  

Some nettle cordage:

A bit of weaving on a cardboard "loom"

My latest tiny project is a very humble and delicate bookmark that I made to give as a gift.  All of this effort, to anyone not familiar with this, does not look like much.  I assure you, though, that many hours of work have gone into gathering, processing and using these fibers. 

Now, in the dead of winter, I am still working with the fibers I was able to gather last summer and looking forward to the new season, not only to grow food in our garden, but to gather more Stinging Nettles.

The journey continues....