The Ultimate Guide to Canning Vegetable Soup
Canning vegetable soup is not only a fantastic way to extend its shelf life, but also lock in nutrients and flavors. Explore our step-by-step canning tutorial and keep your pantry stocked with nutritious soup.
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Are you tired of wasting the abundance of vegetables from your garden or local farmers market? Look no further than canning, a time-honored preservation method that ensures your favorite seasonal produce stays fresh and delicious all year round. In this article, we will guide you through the process of canning vegetable soup, a versatile and nutritious option that allows you to enjoy the vibrant flavors of summer even during the colder months. Whether you’re an experienced home canner or new to this traditional practice, get ready to stock your pantry with home canned goodness that is as convenient as it is satisfying.
Benefits of Canning Vegetable Soup
- Convenient and Time-Saving:
Canned vegetable soup is undeniably convenient; it requires minimal preparation and can be heated up in mere minutes. Whether you’re running short on time or simply don’t have the energy to cook an elaborate meal from scratch, having a can of vegetable soup readily available allows you to enjoy a wholesome dish without compromising your schedule or resorting to unhealthy fast food alternatives. - Abundance of Vegetables:
One of the primary benefits of canned vegetable soup is its generous portion of various vegetables. These soups often contain nutrient-rich options such as carrots, peas, corn, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and more. Consuming a diverse range of vegetables helps ensure that you receive an array of vitamins (A, C), minerals (potassium), fiber content for digestive health, antioxidants for immune support – all while adding vibrant flavors to your diet. - Preserved Nutrient Content:
Contrary to popular belief about preserved foods losing nutritional value during processing/storage, many studies have found that certain nutrients remain intact in canned goods like vegetable soup due to their preservation techniques. This means that essential vitamins and minerals are preserved within the cans until they reach your table – allowing you access to nutrients even during off-seasons when fresh produce may be limited or expensive. - Versatile and Customizable:
Canned vegetable soup provides a versatile base that can be easily customized according to personal preferences or dietary restrictions.
Canned Vegetable Soup Recipe
If you are cooking for a picky eater then this is the vegetable soup recipe for you. I like to keep it extremely simple but it is also fully customizable to you and your family. Since I like to can in big batches so I don’t have to can the same food frequently this recipe makes alot! You can totally cut down the recipe to fit whatever size batch you want to make. I used a 20 quart stock pot and ended up getting a little more than 18 quarts.
It is also important to note that in this recipe I did not include the meat. We usually use ground beef but I opted to omit the beef when canning. When we open a jar of soup this winter or whenever I will simply brown a pound of ground beef and add it to the soup.
If you do not have fresh garden vegetables for this recipe canning vegetable soup with frozen vegetables is totally an option. You can also use canned vegetables from the store or vegetables that you have previously canned. Canning soup at home is incredibly easy so if you are new to pressure canning try not to get overwhelemed with the process and just take it one step at a time. By the end of this article you will know the ends and outs of canning homemade vegetable soup.
Equipment
- Large stockpot for cooking soup – I used a 20 quart stockpot.
- Mason jars with lids – I chose to use quarts. Pints aren’t large enough for what we plan on using the soup for. I would love to can in half gallon jars but there isn’t sufficient testing on whether it is a safe option or not so overall I stick with quarts.
- Canning funnel
- Ladle or large spoon
- Magnetic lid wand
- Jar lifter
- Clean kitchen rag
- Clean kitchen towel
- Vinegar
Ingredients
- 12 Cups Diced Tomatoes
- 10 Cups Green Beans
- 10 Cups Corn
- 10 Cups Carrots
- 10 Cups Diced Potatoes
- 1 Large Onion
- 12 Oz Tomato Paste
- 92 Oz Tomato Juice
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
How to Can Vegetable Soup: Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare Vegetables
Wash all the vegetables thoroughly under running water and remove any bruised or bas spots, dirt, or debris on them.
Step 2: Chop Vegetables
Dice or chop the vegetables into small uniform pieces according to your preference and add them to your stockpot including the tomatoes. When dicing up your tomatoes make sure you remove the core first.
Step 3: Cook Soup
To your stockpot of diced vegetables add in the tomato juice as well as tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. You can also add in whatever additional seasonings you desire. Stir until it is all thoroughly combined. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally before reducing heat to simmer for about 20-30 minutes until all the flavors meld together.
Step 4: Fill Jars
Using a canning funnel, carefully ladle the hot soup into clean mason jars, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top. This will allow for proper sealing and expansion during processing.
Step 5: Remove Air Bubbles
Using a debubbler remove any bubbles.
Step 6: Wipe Rim, Add Lids, and Rings
Using a clean kitchen rag and vinegar wipe the rims of each jar to remove any food or water that may be on the rims that could prevent the jars from sealing. Using a magnetic lid wand place your clean lids on each jar and add a ring to each jar.
Step 7: Process Jars
Place your filled jars into your pressure canner and process for 90 minutes for quarts or 60 minutes for pints at 10 pounds of pressure. You will have to research your elevation to know what poundage you need to process your jars at. After processing turn the heat off and allow the canner to cool to zero pounds of pressure. Remove the canner lid but allow the jars to cool in the canner 10 minutes. Remove jars and place on a clean kitchen towel and let cool. Check each lid for a proper seal after 24 hours.
FAQ’s
Yes, since the vegetables have a low acidic value, except the tomatoes, the soup does need to be pressure canned to kill any potential bacteria that may be present such as botulism. This goes for any soup including potato soup.
Vegetable soup without meat needs to be pressure canned for 90 minutes for quarts and 60 minutes for pints.
Water bath canning soup unfortunately isn’t an option. Since the vegetables in the vegetable soup are low acidic foods you cannot water bath can it. Water bathing isn’t an option because it simply does not process the food at a high enough temperature to kill potential bacteria in low acidic foods.
Vegetable beef soup would be pressure canned for the same times as vegetable soup without meat. Meat processes for 90 minutes which is the same time as vegetable soup without meat so with or without the process time would be the same.
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation it will last up to one year canned. From my findings as long as it is canned and stored properly it will last much longer than this. I would recommend that it be eaten within 5 years. Each year that passes the food may begin to lose color as well as nutritional value.
In conclusion, canning vegetable soup is a rewarding and practical way to preserve the flavors of fresh ingredients for future enjoyment. With proper preparation and storage techniques, homemade canned vegetable soup can provide a convenient and nutritious meal option throughout the year. By following safety guidelines and experimenting with different combinations of vegetables, herbs, and spices, individuals can create their own signature soups that suit their taste preferences. So why not try your hand at canning vegetable soup? It’s an excellent way to savor the goodness of homegrown produce while ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
If you try the recipe and enjoy it I would love to hear your thoughts on the recipe and for you to leave a recipe rating.
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