never used my pressure canner before. Made a BIG pot of soup,, and wish to can some for winter use. Can soup be water bathed,, or pressure canned only? How long and for what time? Thanks

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), August 23, 2001

Answers

Depends on what kind of soup it is. What are *all* the ingredients? Canning time is determined by the ingredient that requires the longest processing time.

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), August 23, 2001.

Everything that is not acid-based, like pickles and high acid tomatoe products should be pressure canned. You will need a copy of "The Ball Blue Book of Home-canning" to determine for how long to process, different ingredients require different times.

Before some folks take offense, let me add that folks have been water- bath canning things for generations, and most have lived to tell about it. It's like using/not using seat belts, if the technology exists to increase your chances of survival, why not use it???

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 23, 2001.

If the soup/stew is already cooked, wouldn't it only need a water bath to create a vacuum? This is what I would think but would like to know for sure cause I would like to try it with leftover stew. I have recently became a stay at home dad and I am doing most all the cooking. Sometimes you would think that I am trying to feed the army!

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), August 23, 2001.

The only thing we've tried to pressure-can as far as soups go, was split pea soup. I don't know what we did wrong but it came out brown! Not very appetizing to look at, so we dumped it all - any ideas what went wrong?

-- yancee in texas (rnanning@comwer.net), August 23, 2001.

Dear Stan, Heard about a family that ate soup that had been canned, and it had meat in it, and wasn"t pressure canned, they all got botalism, and almost died. When ever there is meat and lots of veg. You have got to pressure can it. Also meat takes 1 hr and 20 mins. You always fiqure the time by what ingredient takes the longest to pressure can, by itself. corn is 90 min. etc. Don"t endanger yourself, It isn"t worth it. Just take the time and do it right, and when you get ready to use it in the winter, besure you still have a good seal, and bring to boil, and simmer for 20 min. And you will be safe. the blue book is a good Idea. wall mart has it in canning dept. Love Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), August 23, 2001.

I agree with Irene. Don't play Russian Roulette with botulism...it only takes once!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), August 23, 2001.

I make "granny soup" every summer...(called that because I can remember my granny making big pots of it every summer!) anyway, it has whatever is ripe in the garden when I'm making it...tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, corn, squash, and anything else...

We pressure can it a 11 pounds pressure for 90 minutes, according to directions in my county extension canning book.

Since you have a pressure canner, it's just too dangerous to risk using the water bath for something like this. the rule is, can it as long as the maximum time for the longest-needed ingrediant!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), August 23, 2001.

why not just freeze it?

-- Grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), August 23, 2001.

Stan there is a neat chicken soup recipe in Gale Damerow's book on raising chickens. You put specified amounts of each ingredient into the canning jars, cover with hot broth or water, put on the lids and rings and pressure can it. No simmering, no trying to divide up the ingredients equally among the jars. I've used the same technique for other recipes, occasionally adjusting amounts, and then pressure canning according to the ingredient that requires the longest processing time. It's very convenient to have several kinds on hand. Heat the soup, break out the home made bread or make a quick bread and dinner is served.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), August 23, 2001.

I have been canning veg soup for years. (we call it stone soup. Remember the story of stone soup?) I use a soup bone for the broth or beef stock from roast beef. I put no meat in the soup. It is fully cooked, pour HOT soup into HOT jars and pressure according to Kerr book for tomato juice. 5# 15 min. Have had very good luck with it. Did some ham and beans once. Don't remember the # or time. It sealed but spoiled. Never tried it again.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 23, 2001.

The scientific reason that non-acid foods need pressure canning is in a water bath canner the temperature, no matter how long you process, will only go to 212 degrees, no matter what. Botulism bacteria need a higher temperature than 212 degrees to kill them, only possible to achieve with a pressure canner, water boiled under pressure, gets hotter than 212 degrees.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 23, 2001.

Belle, your bean soup spoiled because you didn't process long enough and did not use a high enough pressure setting, a minimum of 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes for meat/bean products is required.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 23, 2001.

Freezing is a good idea, Grant. I've frozen lots of soups over the years!! And the flavor is delicious. The advantage of canning the soup is the "shelf life" (lasts almost forever). Also, if the power goes out, frozen soup makes quite a mess :-)!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), August 23, 2001.

Stan,

Congrats on the stay at home daddy thing. It's good for the soul.

Since you have a pressure canner, I would stongly recommend using it for canning anything questionable. You'll be able to look up the Ball blue book receipe's online, if you run a search. I would absolutely can at the highest pressure for the highest time for the pickiest veggie you are canning. If you have beans, meat, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes, find the one (meat here) that needs the longest cooking time at the highest pressure, and can the entire lot according to those directions. Don't forget to take into consideration your altitude when choosing canning times.

Unless I'm remembering wrong, it only takes 10 minutes at a light boil to be sure any canned food is safe before eating. Food poisoning is a real risk that is always unplanned and unpleasent.

Best of luck.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), August 23, 2001.

I always make large pots of soup whenever I make it. I can my chili, beef vegetable soup and beef stew at 10# of pressure for 90 minutes. So far, knock on wood I have never had a batch that went bad. I have a brother and a father who live alone and they love getting those jars of homemade soup in the winter!

-- Barb (Barb43@countrylife.net), August 24, 2001.