Monday, October 29, 2012

Canning: Beef Vegetable Soup

I finally got time and the energy to do some more canning. I have been meaning to and promised that I would get my recipe for beef vegetable soup up on the blog. Today I cleaned out my refrigerator freezer and gathered some frozen vegetables to make some soup.

When making most soups for canning the preparation is super simple. For this recipe I grabbed 2 quarts of tomato juice from my pantry along with tid-bits from the freezer. You could easily use items from your pantry. I however like the method of cleaning my freezer out to make soups.


Ingredients:
2 quarts tomato juice
8 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups water
1 carton beef broth
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned, drained
3 small onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
4 carrots, chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen lima beans
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup dried kidney beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in large stock pot. Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering this is when I prepare my jars. Wash and sterilize them. Prep lids and rings. Also fill canner to the fill line and bring the water up to simmer. Until ready to add filled jars.

Using a slotted spoon fill jars half  full with beef and vegetables. Fill remaining space with soup juice leaving 1 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar with damp paper towel to remove any debris. Affix lids and rings, finger tight and put filled jars in canner.

Process in a pressure canner. Process pints 75 minutes @ 10 pounds pressure or quarts  90 minutes @ 10 pounds pressure. When complete turn off heat and remove canner from hot burner. Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 5 minutes longer and open vent. When cool enough remove lid. Wait 10 minutes then remove jars and place on dish towel in a place that they will sit on overnight to cool.

This recipe yeilded me 8 pints and 4 quarts soup and 1 quart of extra juice. Which I will probably use the extra quart the next time I make vegetable soup.

Now my husband has individual servings of soup for lunch.

~ Farm girl


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18 comments:

  1. Oh wow these look great and you make it sound soo easy!!!!!! Just dreaming of the day I can get a pressure canner .....;)

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    1. It's really easy. Have you looked on ebay for a used canner? That's where I got my first one.

      (If buying a used canner make sure you order or go to a hardware store and buy a new seal if it's that kind of canner and take your canner to an extension office to have it pressure tested.)

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  2. Have you ever had the Veg to be over cooked when using frozen veg. This is what I want to do is make my soup ahead of time for the winter months, using frozen veg. thank you Janie

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    1. I don't find them over cooked at all. You don't have to cook as long in the simmering process if your worried they may be too cooked for you. I'm fixing to make some up myself when I get a weekend off.

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  3. My question is, could you add dry pasta to this recipe, or would it be too starchy or make the soup cloudy.

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    1. You should never can pasta. I know some do but it's a no no in canning. It would be best if you add during the heating. I think it would yeild a better product.

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  4. If I make my Mums recipe for beef veggie soup, can I add some barley in it. P.S. I love yor blog.

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  5. I don't suggest adding barely. But, I have heard of people adding things like rice. It's not recommended but I've seen it done in very very small amounts.
    Thanks for checking out my blog

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  6. Can you make this with venison instead of beef?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you can use any kind of meat you like. Have fun and enjoy!

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  7. What's the shelf life for this soup after canning it?

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  8. It can last years and years on the shelf as long as it is stored properly. Mine never last more than a few months the kids eat it too fast.

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  9. Sweetheart, I cannot begin to thank you enough for posting!!! You are AWESOME! I sooo loved your meatballs!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! You're a God-send!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for checking out my page. Glad you have enjoyed the recipes. Hope your canning season went well this year.

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  10. I'm in a pressure canning mood. Inexperienced, though - I actually did 2 batches of BBQ beans in the pressure cooker with the water level above the tops of the jars, before I read about the only 2 inches of water required. I hope they are not ruined. Anyway, my question is, can I assemble this soup uncooked in the jars, and then pressure can? Wouldn't it cook enough in the processing?

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    1. Im sure you can, its very similar to the ham and navy bean soup i make.

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  11. Is it ok to add Cabbage and season with some sugar, and salt both? I am excited to give this a try.. :)

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  12. I have canned about 40 pints of this soup so far and absolutely love it. It is very easy to make and is one of my family's favorites. I typically add a 1/4 cup of pasta per pint while reheating (after the soup has been canned) for a finished product that is very much like a pasta fagioli. Thanks so much for the recipe!

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