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Canned chili sways a few taste buds

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published November 9, 2005

Only one of our four Taster's Choice panelists would admit to buying canned chili. She serves it to her family regularly. The other three tasters were making pretty disgusted faces throughout the process.

Tasters endured seven varieties of canned chili with beans. They were looking for decent-sized chunks of meat, whole beans and a kick in the flavor. They found those features in Hormel ($1.99 for a 15-ounce container). The Hormel chili was packaged for the microwave and heated in just seconds.

Unless the chili was microwave-ready, we heated each sample on the stove, according to manufacturer directions. The test kitchen had a lingering chili aroma; all of them packed a big smell. One brand remained in its can-shape inside the pot for longer than we thought it should. A couple varieties looked more like dog food than people food. But we found a few buyers among our judges.

Panelists gave Hormel 42 out of 80 points. They liked the thickness of the chili, describing it as "hearty."

"This one has nice seasoning and looks homemade," said one judge. Two of the four panelists said they would buy Hormel chili.

However, most of the panelists said they prefer to make their own chili. The canned varieties might make a good base, they said.

"This is the one I would chose for my chili dog," said one judge of Hormel.

Bush's Homestyle Chili ($2.49 for a 15-ounce jar) would be the brand that one judge would buy. The panel picked it as the second choice with 39 points.

Bush's chili was thick, chunky and flavorful. Judges detected a hint of red pepper. While the heat was too much for one panelist, another said, "I loved the flavor - the chili would go nice with a plop of sour cream."

Chili by Stagg, purchased at Kash n' Karry ($1.59 for a 14.3-ounce carton), received 35 points from panelists.

Panelists were: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Extension; Gary Kawalec, chef-owner of Supper Club, a make-and-take meal assembly business soon to open in Safety Harbor; personal chef Julie Overton; and Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studioat620. All products were tasted blind.

Send suggestions for product testing to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to www.sptimes.com/food

No. 1: Hormel.

No. 2: Bush's.

No. 3: Stagg.

[Last modified November 8, 2005, 09:16:04]