Canning chili

I have read all of your archived “Ask Jackie” columns and quite a few of the recent columns as well. You talk about not canning foods that are very thick because you can not be assured that the center of the food was brought up to the proper temperature before the processing time was done. However, I have seen instructions on how to can refried beans and bean dip, and it seems these would be very thick! I am questioning all of this because I would really like to can my chili. But the type of chili I make is definitely not a thin chili, it doesn’t pour from a spoon into the pot, it glops. Can I still can it?

Connie Moore
Clearlake, Washington

Yes. Just make it a little thinner, so that it “kind of pours” with help, much as “store” baked beans do. You can then cook it down a little to remove excess liquid, on heating to eat, if necessary. We can baked beans and frijoles all the time, but do make them a little thinner than in the past because of that concern, although I’ve never heard of a person becoming sick from eating home canned “thick” foods. It’s possible, but not probable, so we should err on the side of safety. — Jackie

Grape juice

I’m looking for a canning recipe for grape juice that puts whole grapes in a quart jar with sugar and boiling water. The jars are processed then stored till the juice is ready. No juice bags needed

Anne French
Wauseon, Ohio

Trust me, making grape juice the traditional way, with a juice bag is much better. Even better is using a steam juicer. My friend, Jeri, has a Mehu-Liisa steam juicer, which only requires adding a small amount of water to steam, then putting in the grapes. In a while, the juice begins to flow….LOTS of it. She only has to heat the juice, add sugar, if necessary, then fill jars and can up the juice. (It’s one of my MUST HAVE harvest tools!) The trouble with canning the grapes with the juice is that then you throw away the grapes (a waste) and you only have a small amount of juice for your trouble. However, if you want to do it that way, just use any “canning grapes” recipe, adding sugar to your taste and can up juice grapes instead of seedless ones. Basically, wash the grapes, then fill jar without crushing grapes, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Add boiling light or medium syrup, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes (quarts) or 15 minutes (pints). If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your processing time if necessary. — Jackie