Pressure Canning Soup for Dummies (me)

[PoorMusician]

Ok, so I've got my pressure canner and a massive amount of chicken broth. I would love to can some soups for us because we're addicts over the winter. But this will be my first time pressure canning, so I'm nervous!

 

My understanding is that I put 1/2 can solids (will be mixed veggies) in the jar, fill with broth to 1 in headspace. And then process.

 

So far, so good? Second, all the recipes I've seen have meat in the soup. I won't - so how long should I process?

 

Third, I'd be doing this outside over a propane stove. I'm not dooming myself to an early death am I?

 

Love you guys!

[Jeepers]

Woo-hooo! I've got soup on my canning agenda too.

 

I fill my jars about 2/3 of veggies to 1/3 of broth/juice.

 

You can according to the veggie (in the soup) that takes the longest time to process.

Example: If your veggie soup has green beans (20 min) and potatoes (35 min) and corn (55 min) you would can the soup for 55 min per pint.

 

I've never canned outside so I'll pass on that.

 

Love ya right back!

[WormGuy]

What Jeepers said. Try to make a wind break to keep the wind away from the stove so the temperature doesn't fluctuate.

 

 

 

John

[Canned Nerd]

Recommend this be read before starting: Canning Homemade Soups

[Violet]

That guideline is old and incorrect. Soup or any other food canned that way will be considered unsafe.

You also need to only use 1/2 of the jar of solids, half broth. Both must be boiling, in other words, no raw pack on the veggies. You make the soup, then can, filling the jars half and half.

 

Then, if your outdoor burner is more than 12,000 BTU's your food will be underprocessed, also. The time it takes to come up to pressure and to cool down naturally is part of the safe processing time. It can come up to pressure too fast, so the soup will be considered unsafe.

Pints are 60 min, qt. 75 min. If it has seafood, then 100 minutes.

Adjust for altitude, if you need to, if you live over 2,000 ft. elevation.

[Jeepers]

The new canner I just bought said to not use it outside?

[Violet]

I suppose so.... too many people warping the canners or having them weld to the stove. I just talked to another client today that warped her canner.

We do say the only brand we know of for a stove safe to use outdoors is Camp Chef. You turn it down as low as it will go. Get the 2 burner one. It has a wind shield on it. The burners are adjustable more than other stoves.

 

I know Presto shows a diagram of their canner on a propane turkey fryer with a big X through it.

[PoorMusician]

woohoo! Thank you Violet for giving me hard numbers to work with! I doublechecked the manual and my burners can adjust well below 12K BTU.

And I've done a waterbath canning batch out there with my stockpot, so I'm pretty sure it won't destroy my pressure canner. Cant pressure can at all on my glass top stove, so I guess it's time to be brave and just do it.

Here's hoping for a casualty free canning season!