Each Wednesday, I host a “Waste Not Wednesday”. It’s a celebration of the old saying “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” You are welcome to share your interpretation of the saying by leaving your idea in the comment section, on Jo’s Country Junction Facebook page or by including your blog link to the party below.
I have several things going on here today so don’t miss It the Quilt Square Quilt Along Parade….AND is the “Leap Day Giveaway Blog Hop”.
Over the weekend I decided to make a HUGE batch of chili with the intention of trying out my new pressure canner and canning the jars of chili. I mixed up HUGE batch improvising a recipe to make it mine.
Here’s the recipe:
4 pounds of dried beans cooked
2 quarts of stewed tomatoes
2 quarts of Salsa
2 quarts of water
3 12 oz cans tomato paste
6 pounds hamburger
8 T chili powder
1 T salt
1 T pepper
2 T Tabasco sauce
3/4 c brown sugar
3 large onions sauteed
Mix it all together and you have a HUGE batch of chili.
I put the chili in the canning jars, sealing them like always. I put them in the pressure cooker and started them cooking. We had trouble getting the cooker to get down to 10 pounds of pressure as directed…but gave it a try. Once the time limit was up, I shut the burner off and went to bed. I figured it would release pressure overnight and I would deal with it in the morning. While I was laying in bed reading my Kindle, I heard a huge POP! I came downstairs and one of the jars inside the canner had popped and had blown up all over inside the canner. UGH!! I did the Scarlet O’Hara move and decided to “think about it another day”…in my case, in the morning.
In the morning I got up. I didn’t want to have wasted all the chili so I packaged it into zip seal bags and put it the freezer. UGH! Well I was hoping to have chili in canning jars to show you…didn’t happen. Now I need to do some research on proper use of a canner. I am not letting it detour me from my canner. I know all of you have horror stories, but I can master this…I know I can!
Before you go check out the Leap Day Giveaway Blog Hop.
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What a bummer about the canner explosion. Does the chilli freeze well?
Sorry, I don’t have a blog! I decided to use up a couple over-ripe bananas in some Texas-style banana/pecan muffins and the last 1/2 of a can of cranberries and some yogurt into Texas-style muffins too! I used the Tightwad Gazette’s Master Muffin Recipe. I made a quilt from stash including a scrap that had 9 gingerbread squares that I used as a focal point to the baby quilt. Used my crockpot to soak and cook up black turtle beans from my food storage rather than buying canned beans. Have used them in our tacos one night and chicken enchilada casserole last night! Still have 1 quart of my black beans in the fridge! Feeling rather pleased!
Oh, on the gingerbread quilt (you can see it by clicking on my name), the blue plaid squares and binding are cut from an old cotton jumper that I wasn’t wearing anymore!
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Oh no! Did any of the jars seal? I bet that was a terrible mess!
A jar will sometimes break in the canner. I find when it happens it’s usually around the bottom of the jar and the bottom just falls out. Not sure what causes it….weakened jar, too full, jars clinking against each other in the canner. Don’t let it spoil your enthusiasm for canning.
I had to chuckle at your story. When my Mom was young, a fellow in the apartment upstairs had a pressure cooker and was making stew. It blew and he ended up with stew all over the ceiling. Didn`t want the cooker any more. My Mom ended up with it and used it for many years – with no trouble but every time she used it, I thought of the stew all over the ceiling.