Best as I understand the difference between pico and salsa is that pico isn't cooked at all and uses no vinegar. So the closest I have come to pico (and it isn't real of course because it is cooked when canned) is a modification of the NCHFP Tomato and Green Chile Salsa. I used jalapenos instead of chilies, left out the garlic, cumin, subbed cilantro for the oregano, and used lime juice for 1/2 the vinegar called for. Drain well and chill well before serving. Not great but not bad either. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Tomato Green Chili Salsa

Hi, yes peppers are very good medicinally. I have over the past 2 years developed a taste for hot peppers and they have had a marked influence on my health. I have sinus issues so i used to get the flu or a cold roughly about every 2 months. I have not been sick at all in the past 2 years since eating hot peppers. I have also heard the claims about cholesterol control, one of my colleages has high collesterol and he tested the theory once, he went for a cholesterol test and the results showed high, then for the next week he had cayenne pepper every day then went for the same test and the level had come down a lot, obviously there are other things that could have affected the results but interesting none the less.

Steph - This is THE BEST chili I've ever made. It looks time consuming, but it's worth it. Boilermaker Tailgate Chili * 2 pounds ground beef chuck * 1 pound bulk Italian sausage * 3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained * 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce * 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice * 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste * 1 large yellow onion, chopped * 3 stalks celery, chopped * 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped * 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped * 2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped * 1 tablespoon bacon bits * 4 cubes beef bouillon * 1/2 cup beer * 1/4 cup chili powder * 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce * 1 tablespoon minced garlic * 1 tablespoon dried oregano * 2 teaspoons ground cumin * 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. TabascoÂ) * 1 teaspoon dried basil * 1 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon ground black pepper * 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper * 1 teaspoon paprika * 1 teaspoon white sugar * 1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos® * 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese * add to recipe box Add to Recipe Box My folders: * add to shopping list Add to Shopping List * add a personal note Add a Personal Note DIRECTIONS Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

I've used this recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and did not find it to be too thin or "soupy": https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/chili_con_carne.html I did, however, find that it was not seasoned as well as I liked, and I had to add some cumin, I used celery salt instead of regular salt for seasoning and added a bit of powdered cayenne as I was not comfortable adding low acid vegetables to the mix. The problem I encountered was not density, it was texture. When I can ground beef it just seems to be overcooked, with that odd texture, and I don't like that. Annie