Preserve It . . . Canning Corner - Soup Starts!

You're probably about ready to be done with canning,

but don't put your canning stuff away just yet.

Soup Starts are a great way to save time on busy days, and

who doesn't LOVE a warm bowl of soup

on a cold day!?!

Soup Starts are just the broth and veggies

you would add to your soups and stews.

For my Soup Starts I use:

Carrots

Celery

Onions

Chicken Broth or Beef Broth

Potatoes

Green Beans

(Fresh from the garden is best . . . but Costco frozen beans work very well.)

and

Sometimes I add Tomatoes.

(Not all my boys like tomatoes . . . so I make a few jars without them.)

You can also add cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers,

fresh basil or fresh cilantro.

When I make my soup, I add:

2 quart Jars of Soup Starts to 1 quart of Meat

I use chicken or beef broth so that I can use my

Canned Chicken Chunks or Canned Stew Beef.

You can also add pasta or rice to your soup to make it even more hardy.

(I pre-cook these items before I add them to the soup.)

To Make the Soup Starts:

Prepare Vegetables

Select, wash, and prepare vegetables.

You will need to cook vegetables until almost soft.

Caution:

Do not add noodles or other pasta, rice, flour, starch,

cream, milk or other thickening agents to home canned soups.

These items can be added

when you are ready to serve the soup, but not as a part of the soup start.

If dried beans or peas are used, they must be fully rehydrated first.

Note:

You will need a PRESSURE CANNER to process the

Soup Starts.

Prepare the pressure canner and the jars.

Fill jars halfway with the solids mixture.

Add the remaining liquid (broth) leaving a 1-inch headspace.

Add new lids that have been simmered and tighten with rings.

Process pint jars for 60 minutes at 15 psi pressure.

Process quart jars for 75 minutes at 15 psi pressure.

(Follow the instructions on your pressure canner.)

Remember to wait until the pressure has come back down

before trying to open your canner.

Refrigerate any unsealed cans.

For those of you who are still afraid of canning meats,

this is a great place to start and the process is very simple!

Give it a try!