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pqtex

Chili con Carne --bean question

pqtex
11 years ago

I am making Chili con Carne per the NCHFP recipe. It calls for 3 cups dried kidney beans with instructions for the preparation of the dried beans.

I do not have dried kidney beans, but do have canned (commercial) kidney beans--without thickeners (I checked the label). For pressure canning purposes, is it okay to substitute the canned ones (rinsed and drained) for the dried ones?

According to the Iowa extension service, one cup of dried beans = 2-3 cups cooked beans. Therefore, the substitution for 3 cups dried would be 6-9 cups of the canned beans. I plan on using the lower number (6 cups canned beans) for this recipe.

Is this okay to do?

My other choice is to make the Ball version of chili without beans, which I have made before. It's okay, but I wanted to try the Chili Con Carne recipe that includes beans.

Thanks for your help...and suggestions.

Jill

Here is a link that might be useful: nchfp chili con carne

Comments (2)

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    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

  • pqtex
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    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