How long to pressure can chili?

Question

My husband has his own recipe for chili which is one we did not get from a canning recipe book. He would like to can it. Since it isn't in a recipe book, I don't know how long to can it for. He would like to can it in pint jars and we live at 900 feet above sea level. Someone told me that you can pressure can anything at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes and it will be okay? Is this true? Is there some website that will tell you how to figure canning times for your own recipes?

Thanks!

Answer 1

First, you CANNOT can any homemade recipe because there is no way to determine the correct processing times without lab testing the ingredients for their pH values. This is a health and safety issue, and the consequences of ignoring proper canning techniques are well documented and too dangerous a health and safety risk to to the lives of your family.

Always use a safe and tested, current canning recipe. When canning combinations of high and low acid foods, like a recipe for chili -- you must use a pressure canner and follow the directions exactly for the jar size and use the timing directions appropriate to your altitude.

If there isn't a safe canning recipe that suits your taste preferences, then the correct procedure is to process the main ingredients for your recipe separately, again using safe and tested canning recipes; like a tomato sauce, or meat with broth for example.

Then use those canned products as the basis for preparing your favorite dish at serving time, adding all the other ingredients that make it special to you.

Canning is a science and there’s more to it than just pouring food in a jar, slapping a lid on it and boiling it to get it to seal. The processing times are scientifically determined and tested to give you adequate safeguards against any variables encountered during home canning to kill micro-organisms and ensure you have a product that is safe to eat.

There is a LOT of really bad -- and outrageously dangerous -- canning info on the web. Most of it is slap-dash junk someone just made up, or outdated stuff that their granny used 80 years ago. If you want to learn how to can, learn from a reliable and trusted source that uses current, tested and safe canning directions.

Canning is safe and more reliable  than it ever was... as long as you follow the current canning guidelines which are tested and proven safe by the USDA.

Answer 2

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/20/7814 There you go.  I believe that should help.