Adding to the Larder

I decided it was time to replenish the pantry a bit, and as I had more dry beans than ready-to-canned ones, I thought:  Heck, let's break out the pressure canner!  Since I've gotten over my fear of pressure canning, I just looooooove breaking out that giant beast and canning up all sorts of low-acid goodness.

Yes, I know.  I need to get out more.

Anyway, I decided it was time to make a batch of Mexican-Style Black Beans. Into each pint jar, you put:  1/2 cup of dry black beans; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or you could use fresh); 1 Tablespoon minced onion (dried or fresh--I only had fresh on hand); and hot pepper additions of your choice--cayenne pepper, or as I used, a couple rings of dried jalepenos. You should wind up with a pint of joy that looks like this:

 Next, you add hot water (I boiled some up fast in my little electric kettle) to within one inch of the top, pop on a lid and tighten down the band.  After parking it into the pressure canner and processing it (according to manufacturer instructions, please--safety first!) for 90 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure, you should wind up with something that looks like this:

These beans are a really great addition to tacos, or a plate of Mexican Potato Nachos or added to a southwestern salad.  Good stuff, I tell you!