PREP: 1 hour 30 minutes STAND: 1 hour COOK: 30 minutes PROCESS: 1 hour 15 minutes COOL: 10 minutes MAKES: 8 quarts
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
6 qt. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups chopped, peeled sweet potatoes
4 cups chopped red, green, and/or yellow sweet peppers
2 cups chopped sweet onions
4 poblano, banana, or Anaheim chile peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (tip, page 107)
2 to 4 jalapeño or serrano chile peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (tip, page 107)
9 cups tomato juice
½ cup lime juice
3 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
6 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
½ cup snipped fresh cilantro
¼ cup ground ancho chile peppers or chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1. Rinse beans. In a large pot combine beans and 2 qt. of the water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans. Return beans to the pot and add 2 qt. fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Drain beans; set aside.
2. In an 8-qt. pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, onions, poblano peppers, and jalapeño peppers. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Meanwhile, in a 6-quart heavy pot combine tomato juice, the remaining 2 qt. water, and the lime juice; bring to boiling.
4. Meanwhile, cut kernels from ears of corn. Stir drained beans, corn kernels, and the remaining five ingredients into the pepper mixture in the 8-qt. pot.
5. Fill eight hot sterilized quart jars half-full with bean mixture. Add hot tomato juice mixture, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
6. Process filled jars* in a pressure canner, at 10 lb. pressure for a weighted-gauge canner or 11 lb. pressure for a dial-gauge canner, 75 minutes (start timing when canner reaches 10 or 11 lb. pressure). Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove canner lid; cool jars in canner 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; cool on a wire rack. Check lids for seal. (Canning tips, pages 461–466.)
7. To serve, place contents of one jar in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil. Boil, covered, 10 minutes (add 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of elevation). Season to taste.
*Recipe Note: Cover and refrigerate any soup that does not fit into the pressure canner up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. To serve, transfer to a saucepan and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
PER 1⅓ CUPS CHILI: 173 cal., 2 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 529 mg sodium, 33 g carb., 7 g fiber, 8 g pro.