White Chili Starter

This is a great recipe to freeze or can. Imagine using this starter to cook a batch of white bean chicken chili on a cold Sunday afternoon watching the NFL playoffs - if there are NFL playoffs..... And to think, the tomatoes, peppers, and maybe even the beans came from your own garden!

6 cups of cooked beans (This year in the garden I grew a white bean that is no longer sold which my grandmother passed along to me. It is a cross between a Crowder Pea and a Pinto Bean.)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 yellow onions
3 chopped bell peppers (mixed in colors)
3 jalapenos (or other hot pepper from your garden)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
6 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoons black pepper
6 cups water

Makes 5 quarts

The longest part of the prep is the tomatoes.  It took me one hour to peel, seed, and chop the six cups. After that, the starter came together fast.

1. Heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft - about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in peppers and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Stir in spices and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Stir in tomatoes and beans. Cover with water (about 6 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Package and freeze or Ladle starter into prepared canning jars. Process in a pressure canner at 11 lbs. for 90 minutes.

*When ready to serve. Cook 2 chicken breast then shred them. Add chicken to one jar of starter, heat and serve. Serves four. If you need to serve a crowd, add another chicken breast and another can of beans to bulk up the starter to serve six.