It is safe but honestly I wouldn't recommend it as, unlike the dried ones, they are already fully cooked. The pressure processing will make them very mushy/paste-like. It's a texture thing, not a safety thing.

If you don't mind that aspect then fine. Personally I'd make the the no-beans chili and then add the beans after opening the jars. But I agree that if you decide to use them go with the lowest amount or even less. Add them just 1 can at a time until it looks like the right balance of beans. It is one of those situations where less is better than more.

Dave

Thanks Dave!

I felt confident that would be the correct answer and went forward with the recipe. I now have the lovely sound of the gentle rocking of the weight in my kitchen with 7 pints of chili con carne being processed. If I'd been wrong, I would have stuck the jars in the freezer after processing and cooling down. The remainder of the batch that didn't go in the canner will be for supper tonight.

I agree with the amount of beans...I think I stopped at 5 cups instead of the 6 because it just looked right and more would have been too much.

I adjusted the dried seasonings a bit, using a blend from the Ball book that added cumin, red pepper, and coriander.

If the beans come out a little too soft or mushy, that won't bother me at all in chili.

I've done a taste test and I think I like my cooking recipe for chili better, but since I like to have some canned chili ready for instant meals, this is the way to go. I may be able to tweak the dried seasonings a bit more and get closer to the taste of my regular chili. What I notice most is the absence of garlic. I put a lot of garlic in my cooking/not canning chili recipe. I know there are some canning recipes (Ball Blue Book and Ball Complete) that do include garlic, but the recipe I used from NCHFP didn't include it.

Thanks for the feedback. It is always appreciated.

Jill