Home Soup Canning to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill

Home canning, as recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia-Athens, can be accomplished using practically any non-cream based soup you can make. This allows you to make larger, bulk amounts of soup, and preserve the excess for consumption later. This reduces the amount of space taken up in your freezer and provides you with a good way to avoid the waste of throwing out uneaten soup after it has been in the refrigerator for a few days.

There are a number of soups that can't, or shouldn't be canned at home. These are soups that are cream-based. Dairy products, because of their fatty composition, can't be home canned, even when using steam pressure canning. The reason is that the fats in dairy products form a protective barrier against botulism, the toxin that is usually destroyed during the canning process. Otherwise, you're pretty well good to go.

The best way to do home preserving of soup is to use a steam-pressure canner. While it isn't necessarily always required, depending on the vegetables in your soup, it is a good idea for 99% of soups because many vegetables, and soups with meats, are considered low-acid foods. These steam pressure canners are available in several different styles, but they basically function as a high-heat canner. They reach temperatures well in excess of 200 degrees, and can hold the same pressure and temperature for the periods of time necessary to destroy botulism contaminants.

Home Canning Processing Times

Normal processing time for soups is approximately one and one-half hours at between 10 and 15 pounds per square inch pressure, though this varies depending on the specific recipe that you are using. While the University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension lists a wide variety of processing times, if you're just starting out with canning, it's best to use a specific cookbook recipe until you're familiar with how the canning process works. An excellent publication to use is the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, a publication that covers all aspects of canning in an easy-to-follow format that doesn't go too far into the scientific reasons for specific canning methods.

Steam Pressure Canners

A steam pressure canner will generally cost you about $100, but you may occasionally find one in a yard sale or a flea market for much less. If you do, check the seal to make sure that the lid fits firmly against the base, and that the pressure release is present. The vessel should have no cracks or dents, but there are two parts of the canner that are replaceable. The first is the sealing band inside the lid, and the second is the pressure valve located in the center of the lid. Replacement parts are usually available online or in your local hardware store.

Jars for Home Preserving

The jars you will use are different from the jars that you find in the grocery store. Ball Mason jars are the standard, and are made with a high-temperature glass. You should never attempt to use jars that held food products you purchased in a grocery store. You can, however, purchase mason jars at garage sales and flea markets. Just make certain that before you buy, you check the rim to ensure that it is smooth and not cracked.

Canning your own soup helps to avoid excessive waste, and allows you to put back smaller quantities of food that make for quick meals that require little preparation. All this leads to lower grocery bills and greater self-sufficiency.

Sources:
National Center for Home Food Preservation: General Canning Information: nchfp.uga.edu