Yesterday I was making tomato juice and had more than I needed. So I stirred up a batch of canned hamburger soup.
When I was in the middle of chopping up all those vegetables, I thought it was the craziest thing I had ever attempted.
But today, looking at the jars lined up on the counter, all I can think of is the winter days when I can open up a jar of hamburger soup and have an almost instant meal.
This recipe is a canned version of our favorite hamburger soup recipe. Canning soup requires a pressure canner. Please don't attempt to can meat or vegetables without a pressure canner.
8 lb ground beef
8 onions, chopped
4 cups chopped sweet peppers
8 garlic cloves, minced
8 quarts tomato juice
5 T salt
2 tsp pepper
2 qt diced carrots
4 qt diced potatoes
Brown ground beef with onions, peppers, and garlic. (I had to do several batches.) In a large stock pot, cook carrots and potatoes in two gallons of tomato juice. Boil for about five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. (If you pot is too small, you may need to divide the mixture into two pots to mix.) Ladle into jars, screw on lids and pressure can for 50 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. Makes about 18 quart.
To serve: Heat soup in pan. Mix 1/4 cup flour with one to two cups of milk. Stir milk into soup and heat. (Do not boil.) Add seasoning as desired. Serve.
This looks great! A pressure canner is on my list of things to get--hopefully by next summer!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing all that soup will be come this winter when you need a quick meal :) I really need to get a pressure canner!!
ReplyDeleteYes, you do!
DeleteGina
I canned your hambg soup and it was simply fantastic thank you for sharing.
DeleteYour soup sounds yummy...especially on a cold winter day.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me please what it is you use for your tomato juice? Is it watered down puree? I have been pressure canning my garden tomatoes in a puree form (after cooking it down for several hours to remove most of the water).
This last week, instead of cooking it down, I skimmed off the puree that had floated to the tops of my jars (I puree in a blender and then put the jars in the fridge and the puree floats and the "water" stays at the bottom)and canned the watery remains at the bottom of the jars as tomato juice.
Could I use this juice in your soup recipe?
You could use this juice for the soup but it may not be as rich. Which doesn't mean that it will be bad, just different!
DeleteTo make my tomato juice, I place my cored, halved tomatoes in a large pot and cook until soft. Then I use a food mill to remove the skins and seeds. So I guess you would say that I have the juice and most of the pulp left. Depending on the kind of tomato, it can be thick juice or not.
Hope that helps!
Gina
That sounds wonderful. We are having taco soup tonight using my home canned beans as the starting point. I love having things ready to use.
ReplyDeletelooks delicious! I've always been scared of a pressure cooker. My mom used one and preserved most of our food when i was growing up but how to use it wasn't something she taught me. :-(
ReplyDeleteThe pressure canners today are much safer then the old ones! So if you are really interested, go for it! I love my pressure canner!
DeleteGina
Off topic question. Just recently found your blog and am enjoying and being encouraged. I am a homeschooling mom to four and use Rod and Staff Curriculum. We also enjoy story books published by Rod and Staff. We have had a growing love and appreciation for the Mennonite Community. I have searched my area for a conservative Mennonite Church but cannot seem to locate one. Do you have any ideas as to how to locate one nearest me? i.e. a search site for conservative mennonite churches? Thanks. Rebecca
ReplyDeleteYou may be surprised how often I get this question!
DeleteChristian Light Publications sells a Mennonite church directory that you can purchase. Or give them a call and they can refer you to a church. Or you can email me privately and tell me your location and I can look up your area in my copy of the directory!
Blessings,
Gina
Good job! I love having homemade meals ready to use, especially for the newborn days.
ReplyDeleteJust wonder about the omission of seasoning salt in the canning recipe. I really like the flavor it adds! I love your hamburger soup and am really, really, interested in trying this. Also, my pressure canner has a "jiggler" release valve for 5, 10, and 15# pressure. So in other words, it won't let it go higher than 10#, or lower than 15. Can I just do it at 10#? thanks!
ReplyDeleteLaura -
DeleteYes, you can can it at 10 lb. I'm not sure why my canner specifies that soups should be canned at 11 lb, but one digit off should be fine! It is not that the canner stays exactly at one place during the heating process anyway!
Gina
And about seasoning salt...sometimes certain spices and seasonings lose their flavor after canning. I prefer to just can this soup with salt and pepper and add the seasoning salt when I heat it up to serve.
DeleteGina
Process at 11 pounds for gauge type pressure canners and 10 pounds for weight type pressure canners. Enjoy!
DeleteI have a question. My tomato juice spoiled and unsealed. A loss but only got 8 jars done so far. Do you have any ideas of why this would have happened? I have been canning for years, and don't remember this ever happening. Diane
ReplyDeleteDiane-
DeleteHow disappointing. I really have no idea, since I don't know how you canned your tomatoes. Maybe they didn't get hot enough. Or maybe your tomatoes this year are not as acid and need some additional lemon juice to keep them acid enough to can. I don't know but wish you better success the next time!
Gina
oh! I could do this! I got a pressure canner this spring. I did can tomato soup and baked beans - I'm so looking forward to the winter convenience of those.
ReplyDeleteWe can homemade soup every year. Makes life so much easier. We also can chili beans and a few other types of soups. I love to walk to my cellar and pick out food for a meal right from my own shelves. Enjoy your day and God bless.
ReplyDeleteThat soup looks delicious, and perfect for our upcoming fall days. I can't wait to try it! Thanks! :-D
ReplyDeleteI've been wishing for a canned version of this recipe, thanks! I also went to look at your canned cheeseburger soup and it said that page was not available on this blog. Just wondering... I canned cheeseburger soup twice from my recipe and the first time it all sealed and this last time 7 out of 20 sealed. I did 2 small things different that shouldn't have effected it. I still can soup but I don't have the greatest success on it sealing. When you homeschool you have to be able to still feed the hungry muchikins.....
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteCan you use canned greens beans and other veg, instead of all fresh veg? You can't always fine fresh veg around here. Thanks
Canned vegetables would get really soft - I would recommend frozen vegetables if you can't find fresh.
DeleteGina
PLEASE!!! The pressure canning time is too short. It should be 90 min per quart at 10 psi.
ReplyDeleteYes! I thought so as well. 90 minutes because of the meat.
DeleteI'm canning your soup recipe. Is the meat suppose to be completely done or can it be a little pink?
ReplyDeleteA little pink is fine since it will be cooked longer as it cans.
DeleteGina