Sharing is caring!

Pressure canning your own chili is a fantastic way to stock your pantry with quick and convenient meals. With busy lives, having homemade chili ready to heat up for a quick meal to save time and money, making it less tempting to eat out. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step directions for home canning chili, ensuring you have everything you need for success. This is a great way to fill your pantry shelf with ready to eat meals that are simple crowd pleasers for the whole family. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Pressure Canning

How Does Pressure Canning Work?

Pressure canning is a method of preserving low-acid foods, such as vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood, by sealing them in jars and heating them in a specialized pressure canner. This process uses high temperatures, typically 240–250°F (115–121°C), achieved by creating pressurized steam, to destroy harmful microorganisms like Clostridium botulinum, which cannot be eliminated at boiling water temperatures.

The jars are filled with prepared food, leaving proper headspace, sealed with lids and rings, and placed on a rack inside the canner. Once sealed, the canner is heated to build pressure, maintained for a specific time depending on the food type, jar size, and altitude. After processing, the pressure is safely released, and jars are cooled and checked to ensure proper sealing, preserving the food for long-term storage.

What About the Risk of Botulism? 

While botulism is a serious foodborne illness, there’s no need to be scared if you follow proper canning procedures. Botulism is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which thrive in low-acid, oxygen-free environments like improperly canned foods. However, pressure canning eliminates this risk by reaching the high temperatures necessary to kill the bacteria and their spores.

Additionally, as a fail-safe, boiling canned food for at least 10 minutes before consumption destroys any toxins that might be present, providing an extra layer of protection. By adhering to tested recipes, maintaining a clean workspace, ensuring jars are sealed properly, and taking this precaution, you can confidently enjoy your canned foods without fear. Awareness and care are key—botulism is rare, and safe canning practices make it even less likely.

Will My Pressure Canner Explode? 

Many people are afraid to pressure can because they’ve heard horror stories of older canners exploding and even blowing holes in ceilings, but these incidents are typically linked to outdated or improperly used equipment. Today’s pressure canners are equipped with safety valves, locking mechanisms, and pressure regulators to prevent excess pressure from building up. For added peace of mind, most models will automatically vent steam or release pressure if the canner becomes too pressurized. By using a well-maintained, modern canner, following the manufacturer’s instructions, and ensuring the vent pipe is clear and pressure gauge is accurate, you can safely use your canner without fear. Regular maintenance and proper operation make the risk of accidents almost nonexistent, allowing you to pressure can with confidence.

What Is So Great About Pressure Canning? 

Pressure canning offers numerous benefits, making it an invaluable tool for preserving food at home. It allows you to safely store low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, and ready-to-eat meals like soups and stews for extended periods without refrigeration. This method helps reduce food waste by preserving seasonal harvests, leftovers, or bulk purchases, ensuring you always have nutritious, homemade meals on hand. Pressure canning also enhances self-sufficiency, providing a reliable food supply for emergencies or busy days. Additionally, it’s cost-effective, saving money compared to store-bought canned goods while giving you control over ingredients, flavors, and nutritional content. With pressure canning, you can enjoy the convenience of shelf-stable, wholesome meals tailored to your taste and dietary needs.

Now that we’ve discussed the common questions about pressure canning let’s dive into our recipe!

Pressure Canned Chili

This homemade canned chili recipe is a hearty, flavorful meal that’s perfect for stocking your pantry. Made with savory meat, rich tomatoes, and a blend of spices, it delivers the classic comfort food taste you love without any beans. Canning your own chili allows you to preserve its fresh, homemade flavor while providing a quick, ready-to-eat option for busy days, camping trips, or emergencies. Whether you enjoy it as a standalone dish, poured over fries, or used as a topping for hot dogs, this bean-free chili recipe is sure to become a household favorite. Let’s get started!

Ingredients for Pressure Canning Chili

To start, gather your ingredients. This chili recipe is a family favorite, but it can be modified to fit your taste, you can even double it if you want to make a large batch. For this batch, we’re using:

• 4 pounds of ground beef
• 6 cups of water
• 16 ounces of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 cup of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of salt

Mixing the Chili

Start by browning your ground beef in a large pot or roaster and drain the grease thoroughly. This is crucial for ensuring a proper seal during the canning process.Then, combine the browned beef and the remaining ingredients. When pressure canning chili, you don’t need to cook the mixture further, as it will be pressure canned for 90 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld together.

Make sure to mix everything well. The initial browning of the beef is the only cooking step required before canning. Once everything is mixed, you are ready to fill your jars.

Filling the Jars

Next, prepare your clean, sterile canning jars, canning lids, and rings. Use a canning funnel to ladle chili into the hot jars, leaving about an inch of headspace. Headspace is the distance between the top of the jar and the contents inside. This space is necessary for proper sealing and expansion during the canning process.

After filling each jar, gently tap them down and use a headspace tool to remove any air bubbles. It’s important to check for air pockets, as trapped air can affect the seal and lead to spoilage. You don’t want to loose the product of all your hard work!

Cleaning and Sealing the Jars

Once filled, take a clean cloth or paper towel and clean the rim of the filled jars with vinegar. This step ensures that there is no grease, food particles, or excess fat that could prevent a proper seal. After cleaning, place a lid on each jar and twist on the lid until it’s finger-tight, followed by a quarter-turn. It is always important to use new lids to ensure a proper seal.

Preparing the Pressure Canner

Now, it’s time to prepare your pressure canner. With low acid foods like chili it is always necessary that you are pressure canning instead of water bath canning in order to maintain the proper temperature to preserve the food safely. Another important thing is not to confuse a pressure cooker with a pressure canner. Pressure canners are designed to reach the high temperatures required for canning more consistently than pressure cookers. I use an All-American Pressure canner and it is one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools. 

Add hot water according to your canner’s instructions—typically about 3 inches of water. You won’t be submerging the jars like in water bath canning, Adding a bit of vinegar to the water can help prevent mineral deposits on the jars, especially if you have hard water. Now place jars inside the canner on a rack, never sit them directly on the bottom of the canner, doing so can cause the jars to overheat, crack, or break during the canning process.

Most canners are designed to use a rack that elevates the jars slightly above the bottom, allowing water or steam to circulate evenly around them, some even have an extra rack that allows you to stack jars two layers deep. This even distribution of heat ensures consistent processing and prevents “hot spots” that could damage the jars or compromise the safety of the canned food. Additionally, the rack helps to reduce direct contact with the intense heat of the burner, which can further stress the glass jars.

Safety Measures For Pressure Canning Chili

Before sealing the canner, ensure the vent hole is clear. This is crucial for allowing steam to escape during the canning process. Never skip this step! For canners without rubber gaskets, apply a bit of olive oil to the rim to help lubricate and create a better seal.

Canning Process

Once everything is set, place the jars in the canner. Seal the canner lid according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Turn the heat on high to bring the canner to a boil.

Once steam starts to escape from the vent, allow it to vent for 15 minutes. After that, place the weight on the canner to reach the necessary pressure, which for us is 10 pounds of pressure (be sure to check your recommended weight for your altitude here). Once the weight starts jiggling, adjust the heat as needed to maintain the pressure, aiming for the weight to jiggle about four times per minute.

Process the quart jars for 90 minutes (if you are using pint jars processing time is 75 minutes). The processing time starts only after the canner weight starts to jiggle. This ensures you have the full time at the required temperature. After the time is up, turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool down to zero pressure before removing the weight and lid.

Use the gage to make sure the pressure is zero before you remove the weight. After removing the weight, let the canner rest for 15 minutes before opening, this helps prevent a rapid temperature change which can cause siphoning (food leaking out of the jars). Always open the lid away from you to avoid steam burns.

Cooling and Storing the Jars

After removing the lid, let the jars sit for about 15 minutes to acclimate to room temperature. This helps prevent siphoning, where the contents of the jar can spill out and affect the seal. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner as the water will still be hot. 

Once cooled, check the seals on your jars. If the lids are down and do not pop back when pressed, they are sealed properly. If any jars did not seal, you can refrigerate them and use them within a week.

Final Thoughts

After a long day of canning, you should have several quarts of delicious home-canned chili ready for your pantry. This great recipe is an excellent way to ensure you have meals ready to go, especially during busy weeks. Plus, knowing you made it yourself adds that personal touch to your meals. Having canned foods around is such a game-changer and these cans of chili are such a quick and easy meal. 

In conclusion, canning chili is a practical and rewarding way to preserve a hearty, homemade meal that’s ready to enjoy anytime. By following proper canning procedures, including using a pressure canner and ensuring jars are sealed correctly, you can safely store chili for months while maintaining its delicious flavors and nutritional value. Whether preparing for busy days, stocking up for emergencies, or simply savoring the fruits of your labor, canning chili is a versatile and satisfying method of food preservation that brings the comfort of homemade cooking to your pantry.

As you continue your canning journey, remember that practice makes perfect. Each batch will help you refine your technique and find what works best for you and before you know it you will be a master food preserver. I hope you enjoy one of our family’s favorite canning recipes! Happy canning!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Pressure Canned Chili

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This delicious chili recipe is a family favorite, and it can be modified to fit your taste!

• Author: Kristy Huntsman
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 120 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 Quarts 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 pounds of ground beef (double the original recipe)
• 6 cups of water
• 16 ounces of tomato sauce (home-canned or store-bought)
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 cup of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of salt

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain.
2. In a large pot or roaster, combine the browned beef with the other ingredients. You don’t need to cook the mixture further, as it will be pressure-canned for 90 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld together.
3. Prepare your clean, sterile canning jars. Use a funnel to pour the chili mixture into the jars, leaving about an inch of headspace. After filling each jar, gently tap them down to remove any bubbles.
4. Once filled, take a clean cloth or paper towel and clean the rim of each jar with vinegar. This step ensures that there is no grease or food particles that could prevent a proper seal. After cleaning, place a new canning lid on each jar and twist on the ring until it’s finger-tight, followed by a quarter turn.
5. Add water according to your canner’s instructions—typically about 3 inches of water. Adding a bit of vinegar to the water can help prevent mineral deposits on the jars, especially if you have hard water.
6. Before sealing the canner, ensure the vent hole is clear. This is crucial for allowing steam to escape during the canning process.
7. Once everything is set, place the jars in the canner, ensuring they are not submerged. Seal the canner lid according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Turn the heat on high to bring the canner to a boil.
9. Once steam starts to escape from the vent, allow it to vent for 15 minutes. After that, place the weight on the canner to reach the necessary pressure, which is typically 10 pounds for most altitudes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the pressure, aiming for the weight to jiggle about four times per minute.
10. Process the jars for 90 minutes. After the time is up, turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool down to zero pressure before removing the weight and lid. Always open the lid away from you to avoid steam burns.