I Ran Out of Refrigerator and Freezer Space!

Just a quick post today!

It's COLD out!  When it's cold and dreary like this, I like to make a BIG pot of my Confetti Bean Soup.  Well, I did, and when there are only two people to eat it, there are LOADS of leftovers.  Usually, I just divide up the soup among a bunch of 1-quart containers and either freeze them or put them in the fridge and eat on it until it's gone.

Well, I made the soup, we ate the soup, and I looked in the refrigerator - FULL.  No problem!  I checked the freezers - FULL.  Hmmmmmm...  This was quite the dilemma.  What to do, what to do?

CAN IT!

Now, I had never, ever, canned bean soup before, so I was wading into unknown waters.  I was confident it was possible to pressure can it, but I just didn't know the headspace, pressure, or time required.  I rummaged through my shelf of canning books, and in the third one I pulled out, there was a recipe for 10-bean soup that's similar to mine.

It's just the normal pressure canning process with these specifics:

1" headspace

10 lbs pressure

90 minutes

I ended up with SEVEN quarts (a full capacity load for the canner) of soup, plus almost another quart I stuck in the refrigerator.  Now the guys won't get tired of eating bean soup every day for a week, and I can have it whenever it strikes my fancy, with no real effort (say hello to Mr. Microwave!).

And now I have to find some shelf space in the pantry...oh me.

French Onion Soup, Revisited

 When I hit the grocery recently, I saw Vidalia onions again.  Usually you think of Vidalias in the spring, but here it is, officially autumn, and there they were, big as life.  So I bought myself five pounds of Oniony Goodness from Georgia and made another batch of French onion soup.

Those Other People in the house aren't as fond of it as I am, so I figured I'd have to preserve it.  Well, the darned freezer is packed completely full, so I had to find another way to save the pot of soup.  In one of my canning/preserving books, there it was - French onion soup.  The recipe was almost identical to the one I use, and at the end there were canning directions!  So, I got out the pressure canner and making sure the soup had been brought to a boil, I put 3 quarts of boiling water and the canner's rack into the canner and filled jars with hot soup.  The canning procedure is the same as for broth, except the times are longer - 60 minutes for pints, 65 minutes for quarts. 

Ladle soup into each jar to 1 inch below the rim (if you're using a canning funnel, that's just below the bottom of the funnel).  Wipe any drips or spills off the jar's rim to ensure the lids will seal.  Place a lid on each jar, and tighten the ring to just finger tight.  Place the jars on the rack in the canner, close the lid, and turn on the heat, about medium-high.  Vent the canner according to its instructions. 

After venting 10 minutes, place the weight on the vent (yes, even a canner with a dial regulator will have a weight to place on the vent).  Allow the pressure to build to 10 pounds (a weighted regulator - the weight will rock gently on its own) or 11 pounds (a dial regulator).  The pressure relief valve will rise and lock the lid.  Start timing when the correct pressure has been reached.  Adjust the heat to maintain pressure. 

Process the jars, 60 minutes for pints and 65 minutes for quarts.  When the correct time has elapsed, turn off the heat and let the pressure release.  You won't be able to open the lid until the lid lock has dropped.  When it has dropped, wait an additional 10 minutes before opening the lid. 

Remove the jars from the canner.  Place them on a towel to cool.  Don't tighten or remove the rings.  Drape another towel over the jars to keep them out of any drafts.  You'll hear the lids click as they cool.  Let them sit overnight.  Don't touch them until then!  Check the lids to be sure they've sealed - they should be concave and stay that way.  You can remove the rings at this point. Label the jars and store them.  If any of the jars don't seal, you can put those in the refrigerator and use them within a couple of weeks, or reprocess.

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole - A Recipe from the Pantry

I found this recipe on the back of a box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, except that when I got around to actually making it (this week!) I only had boxes of Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice!  Because of the pandemic, rice of all kinds, including boxed mixes, has been scarce.  I've seen packages of Jasmine rice, Basmati rice, and, now and then, brown rice, but if you're able to score plain old white rice or any of the boxed mixes like Uncle Ben's, Zatarain's, or Rice-A-Roni, it's time to celebrate!

Anyway, I was in a little bit of a hurry and didn't have time to thaw any meat.  This recipe was sitting on the counter, and I took that as a sign.  It's easy, fairly quick, tastes good, and not exotic.  Sometimes you want comfort food, but something a little different, and this fit the bill.

Before the toppings!

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole

1 7-oz box Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice OR Black Beans and Rice
1 T butter or oil
2 1/2 c water
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 4-oz can green chilies, undrained
1 t cumin
6 8-inch flour tortillas
2 12-oz cans white meat chicken, drained OR 2 c shredded cooked chicken
2 c (8 oz) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Using the first three ingredients, prepare the rice and beans mix as directed on the package, adding the corn, green chilies, and cumin at the same time.  You will simmer this mixture for 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a sprayed 11" x 7" baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the rice mixture.  Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed.  Layer with 1/2 each of the remaining rice mixture, the chicken, and the cheese.  Repeat the layers with the rest of the tortillas, rice mixture, chicken, and cheese.  Cover with non-stick foil.

Bake 20 minutes, uncover, bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Top with sour cream, salsa, and chopped green onions, if desired.