Canning Turkey Soup

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Canning turkey soup turns leftover roast turkey into a hearty soup with carrots, celery, onion, and optional poultry seasoning. Pack the jars full of solids, add broth to fill the gaps, and pressure can them. Add noodles or rice when you heat a jar.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Canning Time1 30

Total Time2 20

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canned turkey soup, canning turkey soup, leftover turkey soup, pressure canning turkey soup, turkey soup canning recipe

Servings: servings, makes 3 quarts

Equipment

Pressure Canner
Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Jar lifter
Canning Funnel
Bubble remover
8-quart or larger stockpot
Slotted spoon

Ingredients

6 cups roasted turkey diced or shredded, skin and bones removed
2 cups carrots peeled and sliced
2 cups celery diced
1 cup onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
6 cups turkey stock or chicken broth or water
2 tsp poultry seasoning optional
2 tsp salt optional
2 tsp ground black pepper optional

Instructions

Prepare the pressure canner, jars, and lids. Add water to the canner following your manufacturer's directions, and keep the clean jars hot in it.
Peel and slice the carrots, dice the celery and onions, and mince the garlic. Cut or shred the roasted turkey into bite-size pieces, leaving out any skin, bone, or gristle.
Put the turkey, vegetables, and garlic in a large stockpot, and pour in the turkey stock, chicken broth, or water, adding a little more if needed to cover the solids. Stir in the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper if you're using them.
Bring the soup to a boil, and boil it for 5 minutes. The vegetables finish cooking in the jars, so they don't need to be tender yet. Taste the broth and adjust the salt.
Use a slotted spoon to pack each hot jar with turkey and vegetables to 1 inch headspace, without pressing down hard.
Ladle hot broth over the solids to fill the gaps, leaving 1 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles, top up with hot broth if a jar came up short, wipe the rims clean, and apply the lids and bands fingertip tight.
Load the jars into the canner, lock the lid, and vent a steady stream of steam for 10 minutes before you bring it to pressure.
Process at 10 lbs pressure in a weighted gauge canner or 11 lbs in a dial gauge canner, pints for 75 minutes or quarts for 90 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
Turn off the heat and let the canner return to zero pressure on its own. Wait 5 minutes, remove the lid, and leave the jars in the canner another 10 minutes.
Lift the jars out and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals, remove the bands, label the jars, and store them in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Recipe source: Follows the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension guidelines for hearty soups, with the jars packed full of solids.

Yield: Makes about 3 quarts or 6 pints. Measure about 2 cups of turkey, 1 2/3 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of broth per quart before cooking. The vegetables shrink a little in the hot pack. Use half in a pint.

Hearty pack: Pack the jars full of solids to 1 inch headspace, then add broth to fill the gaps.

Turkey: Use fresh roasted white or dark meat within 3 to 4 days of cooking, diced or shredded. No ground, deli or cured turkey. Cooked chicken works cup for cup.

Not in the jar: Noodles, rice, dumplings, flour, cornstarch, cream, or milk. Add them at the stove when you heat the soup.

Pressure canning only: Turkey soup is low acid, and no soup has a tested water bath process. The smallest load is 2 quarts or 4 pints.

Altitude adjustments: The canning time is always 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts, at any altitude. Only the pressure changes as you go up.

Dial Gauge Canners

0 to 2,000 feet: 11 lbs
2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 lbs
4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 lbs
6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 lbs

Weighted Gauge Canners

0 to 1,000 feet: 10 lbs
Above 1,000 feet: 15 lbs

Storage: Store sealed jars with the bands off in a cool, dark place. They hold their quality for 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 to 4 days.

To serve: Simmer a jar about 10 minutes with a splash of broth or water. Cook egg noodles or rice right in the pot as it heats, or stir in cooked ones.

Nutrition