Pressure Canning Soup

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Creating your own canned soups means healthy, convenient meals at your fingertips. Whether you're preserving seasonal produce or customizing your favorite recipes, you'll always have a delicious and safe meal ready to go.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Canning Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pressure Canning

Servings: quarts

Equipment

Pressure Canner I use an All American 930 Canner (capacity 14 quarts or 19 pints)
Regular Mouth Pint Mason Jars
Regular Mouth Quart Canning Jars
Regular Mouth Canning Lids
Jar Lifter
Canning Funnel

Ingredients

For Brothy Soups:

Fresh vegetables e.g., carrots, celery, bell peppers
Meat e.g., chicken, beef, pork or poultry (cut into pieces)
Fish in small pieces, optional
Pre-soaked and rehydrated beans optional
Broth water, stock, wine, or juice
Fresh or dried herbs and spices to taste

For Hearty Soups:

Fresh vegetables e.g., potatoes, carrots, peas
Meat e.g., beef, pork, chicken or seafood (optional)
Broth stock, or water
Fresh herbs and spices to taste

Instructions

For Brothy Soups:

Prepare Ingredients as follows:
Vegetables: Wash, peel, chop, and cook (if necessary). Pre-cook vegetables like carrots and celery for hot packing.
Meat: Cook meats to tender (remove bones, excess fat), then cut into bite-sized pieces. Ground meats should be browned.
Seafood: Cut into small pieces, bones can remain.
Beans: Fully rehydrate by soaking, boiling for 2 minutes, then resting for 1 hour. Fully rehydrate by soaking, boiling for 2 minutes, then resting for 1 hour.
Combine Soup: Add solid ingredients to a large pot. Pour in enough broth/water to cover, plus 2-3 inches of liquid above the solids. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Season with herbs and spices to taste.
Fill Jars: Use a slotted spoon to fill jars halfway with solids, then top with broth, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Stir gently to release air bubbles. Wipe jar rims clean and place lids securely.
Process Jars in a pressure canner for 60 minutes (for pints) or 75 minutes (for quarts). Increase time to 100 minutes if the recipe contains seafood, for both pints and quarts. Adjust pressure to altitude, see notes.
Cool and Store: After processing, allow jars to cool completely before checking seals. Store in a cool, dark place.

For Hearty Soups:

Prepare Ingredients as follows:
Vegetables & Meat: Follow the same steps as for brothy soups—cook and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Seafood: If using, cut into small pieces.
Combine Soup: Add all solid ingredients to a large pot and cover with hot broth or water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes to preheat the ingredients.
Fill Jars: Pack jars with solid ingredients, leaving 1-inch headspace. Pour in the hot broth until the 1-inch headspace is reached. Stir gently to release air bubbles.
Process jars in a pressure canner for 75 minutes for pints, and 90 minutes for quarts. Increase pint processing time to 100 minutes if recipe contains seafood. Do not pressure can hearty soups containing seafood. Adjust pressure to altitude, see notes.
Cool and Store: Let jars cool completely. Ensure all jars have sealed properly before storing in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Important Safety Considerations:

Jars for Brothy soups are only filled halfway with solids, and the remainder of the jar must be broth or liquid. When canning dry beans, the beans will absorb water and the jars will look more than half-filled when they come out of the canner. The “half-filled” is when loading into the canner.
Hearty soups have jars filled with solids, and the space in between is broth, but they have more ingredient restrictions than brothy soups. For hearty soups, do not add dry beans or legumes, leafy greens, winter squash, sweet potatoes, or creamed corn (regular corn is fine).
Do not include: Dairy (milk, cheese), thickening agents (flour, cornstarch), pasta, rice, dry beans, or any ingredient not specifically tested for canning.
Ensure ingredients are prepped according to canning guidelines for each individual item. Some veggies and meats require pre-cooking.
Hearty soups containing seafood can only be processed in pint jars, but brothy seafood soups can be made in either pint or quart jars. If the recipe contains seafood, the processing time is 100 minutes.
The minimum batch size is 2 quarts or 4 pints when pressure canning. This ensures that the canner has enough thermal mass for proper processing. The capacity of your pressure canner determines the maximum batch size.
Shelf Life: Properly sealed jars can last indefinitely in the pantry, though quality may decline after 12-18 months. Always check the seal before consuming. Refrigerate leftovers after opening.

Altitude Adjustments:

For both brothy and hearty soups:

Dial Gauge Canner:

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

Weighted Gauge Canner:

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

Reheating Instructions:

Stovetop: Pour soup into a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Microwave: Remove metal lid and ring, then microwave directly in the jar.

Nutrition