Learn How To Can Soup safely with this step-by-step guide. Understand the essential techniques and equipment used, and discover delicious recipes for pressure canning soups to enjoy easy homemade goodness all year round.
If you are new to canning, then be sure and read through How To Start Water Bath Canning. Learning the basic steps of canning for beginners is a fun and economical way to make great tasting fresh foods available to enjoy year-round.
If you have not used a pressure canner or would like to learn more about using one, then read my detailed post on pressure canning. Learn How To Pressure Can your own meats, vegetables, and soups so you can proudly have flavorful, high-quality foods that save money, build self-reliance and create quick and easy meals on busy nights.
Why Learn How To Can Soup?
First and foremost, you will know the exact quality of the food you are serving your family. You can choose the freshest organic vegetables and meats to go into your canned soup recipe.
Canning Soup Safty Guide
There is an endless combination of soups that can be preserved with a pressure cooker. However, there is only one version of pressure canning directions for home-canned soups available from USDA. You should follow these directions exactly: USDA How To Can Soup. If additional ingredients or thickening is desired, the soup should be canned as described, and those variations should be made when the jar is opened for serving.
Canning Soups
When you can your own soup, you will also save money by either growing your own produce and meat or purchasing local, high-quality products in bulk. You will also build self-reliance, learning not to depend on the big box store to supply convenient heat and eat meals.
Canning Vegetable Soup
Home Canned Vegetable Soup is a flavorful, high-quality soup that saves money, builds self-reliance, and creates quick and easy meals. I have written an extensive, step-by-step post that will teach you how to easily can your own vegetable soup. I explain how you can add different veggies and which ones are not ok to add.
How To Can Chili
A homemade Canned Chili Recipe is an easy way to make a big batch of delicious chili for quick-serve meals on a cold and busy night.
Canning Tomato Soup
One of our family favorites is my Canning Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes Recipe. During tomato season, I always make several pressure pots full. It’s so good to open a jar and warm it on the stove on a cold winter day.
More Soup Canning Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite soup recipes to can.
- Vegan White Bean Chili would be great to can following the USDA guidelines above.
- Vegetable Chowder: It’s easy to make your own hearty vegetable chowder at home.
- Copycat Wendy’s Chili Recipe: Make Wendy’s chili at home and then can it. There are a few key secrets to making it, just like Wendy’s restaurant, that I am going to share with you.
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe: If you want thick Texas chili, then you need to make the Best Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe. It’s fan tested, the best copycat Texas Roadhouse Chil you can make at home, hands down!
How To Pressure Can Soup
Pressure canning soups and stews is a great way to preserve them for long-term storage. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pressure can soups and stews:
Gather Your Equipment
Equipment: You’ll need a pressure canner, canning jars with lids and bands, a jar lifter, a canning funnel, a ladle, a clean cloth or towel, and a timer.
Choose A Suitable Soup Recipe
Pick A Soup Recipe: Select a soup or stew recipe that is appropriate for canning. Canned vegetables, dried beans or peas, meat, poultry, or seafood soups are all options. These instructions assume that the ingredients being used already have specific canning recommendations for their individual foods.
Sterilize Canning Jars
- Wash the jars, lids, and bands with hot, soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly.
- Place the jars in a large pot filled with water and bring it to a simmer. Keep the jars in the simmering water until you’re ready to use them.
You could also run them through a dishwasher sterilize cycle.
Cook Soup For Canning
Follow your recipe and prepare the soup or stew according to the instructions. Make sure it’s fully cooked but avoid overcooking since the food will be processed again during canning.
Fill Jars and Place On Lids
- Remove one jar from the simmering water using a jar lifter. Place the canning funnel on top of the jar and ladle the hot soup or stew into the jar, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp cloth to ensure a proper seal.
- Place a lid on top of the jar and screw on the band until it’s fingertip tight. Repeat this process for all the jars, filling and sealing one at a time.
Load The Pressure Canner
Fill the pressure canner with a few inches of water, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the filled jars into the canner, using a jar lifter. Make sure the jars are not touching each other or the sides of the canner.
How Long To Can Soup
Put the lid on the canner and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to bring the canner up to the correct pressure. Once the pressure is reached, start the timer and process the jars for the recommended time according to your recipe and altitude.
| Dial-gauge pressure canner: Recommended process time for Soups | ||||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes | ||||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0 – 2,000 ft | 2,001 – 4,000 ft | 4,001 – 6,000 ft | 6,001 – 8,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 60* min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb |
| Quarts | 75* | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |
| * Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafoods. | ||||||
| Weighted-gauge pressure canner: Recommended process time for Soups | ||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0 – 1,000 ft | Above 1,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 60* min | 10 lb | 15 lb |
| Quarts | 75* | 10 | 15 | |
| * Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafoods. | ||||
Release Pressure and Cooling Jars
- Release the pressure: After the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the pressure canner to cool down naturally. Do not try to force-cool or open the canner prematurely, as this can be dangerous. Wait until the pressure gauge indicates that it’s safe to open.
- Remove the jars: Once the pressure has been released and the canner is safe to open, use a jar lifter to carefully remove the jars and place them on a clean towel. Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the seals: After the jars have cooled, check the lids for a proper seal. Press down on the center of each lid to ensure it is concave and doesn’t move. Any jars that haven’t sealed properly should be refrigerated and consumed promptly.
Storing Canned Soup
- Label the sealed jars with the contents and date.
- Remove the rings.
- Store them in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or cellar, for up to a year or as recommended by your recipe.
Remember if you have any questions be sure to check with the National Center For Food Preservation’s article on Canning Soup.
Tips and Questions For Canning Soup
Learning how to can soup is a great investment in your time and easy to do with these simple instructions, tips, and answers to common questions.
What Soups Can Not Be Pressure Canned
Pressure canning is generally not recommended for soups or stews that contain certain ingredients like fats, dairy, some vegetables and fruits, grains, or meats. These ingredients can pose safety concerns and may not be suitable for long-term storage using the pressure canning method. Here’s a breakdown of why:
- Fats: Fats, such as oil or butter, can become rancid during the canning process and may interfere with the sealing of the jars. Additionally, they can create an anaerobic environment inside the jar, which is conducive to the growth of harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum.
- Dairy: Dairy products like milk, cream, or cheese can curdle or separate during the canning process. They can also create an environment that promotes bacterial growth. Canned dairy products are generally not recommended for safety reasons.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, brussel sprouts (pickled ok), cabbage(pickled or fermented sauerkraut), cauliflower (pickle ok), eggplant (pickled ok), summer squash (pickled ok), olives (pickled ok), lettuce, artichokes, mashed parsnips, mashed squash, mash potatoes, and mashed pumpkin
- Grains: Grains, such as rice or pasta, tend to expand during the canning process. This expansion can cause the food to become mushy or lead to issues with the seal of the jars. It is generally recommended to cook grains separately and add them to the soup or stew when serving.
- Fruits: Bananas, avocados, and coconut milk
- Meats: avoid high fat such as duck, liver and giblets, hot dogs, and meats with fillers.
Can you can homemade soup with meat?
Canning soups with meat in them is a great way to make a warm and hearty meal. Vegetable, dried bean or pea, meat, poultry, or seafood soups can be canned. You must be sure that you follow the proper canning guidelines set by.
Can I pressure can leftover soup?
Yes, you can pressure can leftover soup if it meets the requirements for safe canning. Here are a few important considerations to ensure the safety of pressure canning leftover soup:
- Freshness: Ensure that the leftover soup is still fresh and hasn’t been sitting out at room temperature for an extended period. Proper refrigeration and food handling practices are crucial to maintain food safety.
- Safe ingredients: Make sure that the soup contains only ingredients that are safe for pressure canning such as dairy, fats, grains and some vegetables.
- Canning Leftover Soup: Follow the the steps outlined for safly canning soup.
Note: It’s important to note that the quality of the soup may change during the canning process, especially if it contains tender vegetables or other delicate ingredients. The texture and taste of the soup may be different after canning, but it should still be safe to consume if the canning process was performed correctly.
Do I pressure can or water bath soup?
Soups must be processed in a pressure canner. Pressure canning is a way to safely preserve low acid foods such as meats, vegetables, and soups. The pressure canner is able to heat the food to a higher and constant temperature to kill botulism spores. Using a boiling water bath canner only kills botulism bacteria, but the spores can survive in low acid foods that are not heated above the boiling point for a specific length of time.
Learn How To Can Soup
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 quarts Soup, Favorite soup recipe for canning
Instructions
Gather Your Equipment
- Equipment: You'll need a pressure canner, canning jars with new lids and bands, a jar lifter, a canning funnel, a ladle, a clean cloth or towel, and a timer.
Choose A Suitable Soup Recipe
- Pick A Soup Recipe: Select a soup or stew recipe that is appropriate for canning. Canned vegetables, dried beans or peas, meat, poultry, or seafood soups are all options. These instructions assume that the ingredients being used already have specific canning recommendations for their individual foods.
Sterilize Canning Jars
- Wash the jars, lids, and bands with hot, soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly.
- Place the jars in a large pot filled with water and bring it to a simmer. Keep the jars in the simmering water until you’re ready to use them.
- You could also run them through a dishwasher sterilize cycle.
Cook Soup For Canning
- Follow your recipe and prepare the soup or stew according to the instructions. Make sure it’s fully cooked but avoid overcooking since the food will be processed again during canning.
Fill Jars and Place On Lids
- Remove one jar from the simmering water using a jar lifter. Place the canning funnel on top of the jar and ladle the hot soup or stew into the jar, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp cloth to ensure a proper seal.
- Place a lid on top of the jar and screw on the band until it’s fingertip tight. Repeat this process for all the jars, filling and sealing one at a time.
Load Pressure Canner
- *Follow your pressure canner's manufacturing guidelines for processing.
- Fill the pressure canner with a few inches of water, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the filled jars into the canner, using a jar lifter. Make sure the jars are not touching each other or the sides of the canner.
How Long To Can Soup
- Put the lid on the canner and follow the manufacturer's instructions to bring the canner up to the correct pressure. Once the pressure is reached, start the timer and process the jars for the recommended time according to your recipe and altitude. For detailed times and pressure, see the chart in the notes.
Release Pressure and Cooling Jars
- Release the pressure: After the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the pressure canner to cool down naturally. Do not try to force-cool or open the canner prematurely, as this can be dangerous. Wait until the pressure gauge indicates that it’s safe to open.
- Remove the jars: Once the pressure has been released and the canner is safe to open, use a jar lifter to carefully remove the jars and place them on a clean towel. Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check the seals: After the jars have cooled, check the lids for a proper seal. Press down on the center of each lid to ensure it is concave and doesn’t move. Any jars that haven’t sealed properly should be refrigerated and consumed promptly.
Storing Canned Soup
- Label the sealed jars with the contents and date.
- Remove the rings.
- Store them in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or cellar, for up to a year or as recommended by your recipe.
Notes
| Dial-gauge pressure canner: Recommended process time for Soups | ||||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes | ||||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0 – 2,000 ft | 2,001 – 4,000 ft | 4,001 – 6,000 ft | 6,001 – 8,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 60* min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb |
| Quarts | 75* | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |
| * Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafoods. | ||||||
| Weighted-gauge pressure canner: Recommended process time for Soups | ||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0 – 1,000 ft | Above 1,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 60* min | 10 lb | 15 lb |
| Quarts | 75* | 10 | 15 | |
| * Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafoods. | ||||
Can I add dried seasonings, like parsley and granulated garlic to the soup before canning?
Dried herbs are safe to use when canning soups. I like to use oregano, thyme, chili powder, garlic, onion, and cumin. The only caution is to be careful not to put too much in and over season the soup. You can always add more later when you open a jar and reheat it.