Canning chili and making sauerkraut

A friend of mine wants to can chili in a quart and says he can’t find a recipe for it. Do you have a good one? I looked through the archives but didn’t see one. He’s concerned about how long to pressure can to ensure safety.

Also, I’m trying my first try at sauerkraut and am wondering if it’s going okay. I have had some little mold spots on the liquid, which I have skimmed off, but it’s barely making bubbles. I have a cheese cloth on the top of the cabbage, then a glass plate, held in place by a gallon jar of water to weight. The liquid is a light amber color, not sure when I should check the kraut for doneness. It’s been set for a week.

Debra Basquez
Puyallup, Washington

You’ll find a good Chili recipe in my book, Growing and Canning Your Own Food, on page 189.

Are you fermenting your kraut at room temperature or in a cool place? Too cool a place makes for slower fermenting — up to 6 weeks or sometimes more. Yes, the mold is normal, just spoon it off daily and re-cover the kraut, being sure that the liquid is covering the top kraut. I wouldn’t test it for doneness for at least two weeks, then just fork out a piece and taste it. If it tastes like sauerkraut, it’s done! No, it won’t poison you. Kraut typically takes from three to six weeks to ferment nicely. Then you can put it into jars and can it to keep it nice without further work. — Jackie

Using TVPs in canning

I am a vegetarian and I want to know if I can use TVP in some of my canning recipes. I know it is used in commercial foods? Would I have to adjust time as though it was meat or treat it as a bean?

Rochelle
Snellville, Georgia

Yes, you can use TVPs in canning recipes. You will be treating it as a bean or a seasoning, depending on how much you use in a recipe and what else is included. I’d just process your recipes as if a bean ingredient — just to be safe. — Jackie

3 COMMENTS

  1. TVP is textured vegetable protein. It is usually made from soy, and is formed to the texture of meat. It can be used in place of ground beef or used to extend ground beef.

  2. What is TVPs? I love reading you answers to everyone. Your “Jackie” emails are always read. I usually have 2 or 3 to read before I get to my email. I usually read them right before bed, when the house is nice and quite.

    Thank you so much

  3. Jackie

    Referencing the comments on sauerkraut, I use a doubled plastic bag filled with water to seal my crock rather than the plate with weight on top method. The bag forms a tight seal against the sides of the crock and I have none of the ‘scum’, mold or bugs (no see-ums) that I remember so fondly from my childhood.

    I make sure the exposed area of the crock above the kraut is absolutely void of any material that would defeat the seal.

    I put the crock in the basement and use a ferment time of three weeks before checking. After checking, I use new bags to reseal if I’m not satisfied the product is ready.

    The ‘kraut I make will cause your leg to reach up and smack you behind the ears. It’s that good. But I like mine on the sharp side.

    Mike

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