Re-canning kidney beans

[farm~maid]

I'm not sure what to do with all these beans........

 

I bought a gallon of kidney beans because it was "to good to pass" sale. $1.99 for a gallon of beans is a good buy around here. I actually bought a gallon of pinto beans, too.

Now that I've opened the can, I'm not sure how to keep the unused beans. My first thought was the freezer, but I've read that freezing cooked beans makes them mushy. I've thought of canning in pint jars in the pressure canner like I do dried beans. But, I'm afraid they will get too soft.

What do you think if I just made a large batch of chili with meat and beans and pressure canned that in quart jars?

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks~

[Violet]

The beans would be really soft if you canned them. Freezing beans gives a great result. I would freeze them.

[farm~maid]

Thanks Violet. I knew someone here would have experience.

So, freezing it is. Much easier than pressure canning, too.

[Dee]

You can also use them to make chili ahead and freeze in serving portions for later use. Simply thaw and heat in the microwave or on top of the stove in a saucepan. Nice to have a meal all cooked and it just take a few mins. to have it on the table.

[farm~maid]

Dee, thanks. I do like have meals already to be warmed and served. Saves on clean-up, too. That's always a plus.

 

I had thought of canning up the beans only because it's been a goal this year to get away from freezing. Freezer space is always limited because of all the meat. That is a blessing, but throw in all the fruits and veggies and the freezer is full. I'm sure a few containers of chili would not be in there for long. We like chili.

[TurtleMama]

We freeze chili all the time, with magnificent results!! It's super easy to thaw, heat and eat. Hooray.

 

We eat it with cornbread, with macaroni, and on turkey hot dogs. I also stole Wendy's Baja Salad idea...make a big green salad, put on some salsa, a little shredded cheese, and some guacamole if you have it, then top with nice, warm chili. Sounds wierd, but it tastes great!! If you need dressing, a little ranch is good on it, but I often eat it with just the chili...lower fat!

 

Enjoy your frozen beans!

[kappydell]

You can also dehydrate 'dem beans. They will rehydrate very quickly when you want to use them. You can dump dehydrated (cooked) beans right in the chili pot. Speaking of chili, it also dehydrates nicely to make a home-made cup-o-soup with panache.