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Home / Seasonal Winter / Canning homemade soups

Canning homemade soups

Filed Under: Meals, Seasonal Winter, Soup

Canned Homemade Soups 001

Home canned soups must be pressure canned.

There are two categories of recipes for home-canned soups.

There’s the “free-wheelin'” recipe guidelines from the USDA, which give a creative cook a set of safe guidelines inside which to create a limitless range of wonderful soups of varied flavours. We call this the “your choice” canned soup guidelines.”

And there are fixed soup recipes, which you need to pretty much follow to the letter.

Canned Homemade Soups 003

Contents hide
  • 1 Reputable sources for home canned soup recipes
  • 2 Fixed soup recipes
  • 3 Home-canned soups for water bathing
  • 4 What to avoid in home canned soups

Reputable sources for home canned soup recipes

Reputable sources for home canned soup recipes are:

  • USDA
  • Ball
  • Bernardin
  • University Extension Services

For the most part, university extensions will just repeat the USDA’s “your choice” soup guidelines.

There are no other reputable sources that we are aware of for safe, lab-tested soup recipes.

Three fixed soup recipes: split pea, zesty tomato, and carrot with fennel.

Three fixed soup recipes: split pea, zesty tomato, and carrot with fennel.

Fixed soup recipes

The USDA’s “your choice” guidelines require you to adhere to some rules. The USDA’s guidelines say, for instance, not to can thick, puréed soups, because density is normally a problem in ensuring the safety of home-canned soups.

Some soup recipes, though, from Bernardin and Ball break both the puréed and thick guidelines. For instance, they give a recipe for a split pea soup that turns out thick and dense, and a recipe for a puréed carrot soup.

That’s okay though: those particular recipes were lab-tested with jars that had been inoculated with bacteria and then heated with heat sensors in the jars to ensure all the bacteria were killed.

So, while puréeing is generally a no-no, if Ball or Bernardin say a soup should be puréed, then it’s safe to do so and you should. Again, the difference is, they had lab equipment to test.

Ball gives a few soup recipes in its Blue Book (such as its Beef Stew), and Bernardin gives a few soup recipes in its Bernardin guide. There’s not much advantage soup-wise to looking to the Ball / Bernardin Complete book, as that just repeats a subset of the same soup recipes in those two books.

The University of Georgia has released a recipe found nowhere else, “Spicy Tomato Vegetable Soup.”

Here’s a link to the fixed soup recipes for canning we have listed so far.

Home-canned soups for water bathing

Most soup recipes are for pressure canning. Here is a list of soup recipes from reputable sources that can be water-bathed.

Vine-fresh tomato soup

Canned Homemade Soups 004

What to avoid in home canned soups

Penn State says, “Creamed soups are not suitable for home canning because their ingredients interfere with the proper transfer of heat during the processing step.” [1] Making Soup Safely. Blog Entry. Penn State Extension. 22 October 2012. Accessed March 2015. Penn State should have added this proviso: unless it’s a lab-tested recipe from a reputable source.

Penn State also says, “Avoid canning pumpkin, winter squash, broccoli, or cauliflower soup. These pack together and contain ingredients that interfere with safe processing. There are no scientifically research tested recipes for these soups.” [2] Ibid.

Avoid canning tomato soup in a thickened or creamed state. Feel free to do what you will to it once you open the jar, though! Zap in microwave, and stir in a few dollops of thick, non-fat Greek yoghurt. Or stir in a bit of DIY SOS Mix. Delicious!

Canned Homemade Soups 005

References[+]

References
↑1 Making Soup Safely. Blog Entry. Penn State Extension. 22 October 2012. Accessed March 2015.
↑2 Ibid.

Filed Under: Meals, Seasonal Winter, Soup

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie Byler

    January 21, 2025 at 3:11 pm

    I recently purchased an electric pressure canner, as I had canned a ton of stuff when my children were at home, but then all the equipment sat untouched for many years. The stovetop pressure canner was no longer safe. So I have used the electric one for various things- green beans, broth, etc. However, I canned ham and bean soup and it was not delicious. It is a soup that freezes very well, but we did not enjoy eating the canned version, it tasted ‘overdone’. It took on a darker color while it was processings. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  2. Cindy R Dickey

    September 30, 2023 at 11:32 pm

    I am wanting to can some soups. My question is, can I use a base like Tones beef or chicken base??? I have seen that you can use bouillon. I do prefer the flavor of this base over other options.

    Reply
  3. Brandi

    June 07, 2022 at 9:11 pm

    I would love to pressure can some puréed soup recipes as I can not eat fruits and vegetables without pureeing or juicing them. I’m getting mixed information on this, though. Is it safe to pressure can puréed soups? If so, if I have both high and low acid ingredients, what processing time and weight do I use (like sweet potatoes, apples, & leeks puréed)
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      July 24, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      (1) Is it safe to pressure can puréed soups? As in all things, it is safe if you are using a research-tested recipe. Here for instance are recipes for pea soup https://www.healthycanning.com/home-canned-pea-soup and carrot soup https://www.healthycanning.com/carrot-and-fennel-soup

      Otherwise, can the separate ingredients such as sweet potatoes, squash, potatoes, beans, etc., separately in maybe pint jars, and then open each jar, add to a pot and puree with an immersion blender, and you’ll have a nearly-instant pureed soup base to build on.

      Reply
    • Rose Felton

      January 21, 2025 at 3:37 pm

      Since I see you did not get a reply to your question, I am going to answer you with what I read. They say it is not safe to can pureed soup. What they say to do is to can your soup, unpureed, and then when you open your jar of soup, dump it into a blender, puree it and then put it in your saucepan to heat.

      Reply
    • Joan Collins

      January 21, 2025 at 4:55 pm

      Puree after opening the jar.

      Reply
    • Lois

      April 04, 2025 at 5:36 pm

      Follow a safe tested recipe to make and can your soup and when you open your jar you can then puree the contents either by putting it into a blender or using a immersion blender.

      Reply
  4. Jane Lawson

    March 12, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    I have some simple soup recipes that I really like can I use these to pressure canning or do I have to use only special recipes for canning

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      July 26, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      You want to use research-tested recipes only for canning to ensure that the product will be safe when placed in a sealed environment inside jars. For your other soups, freeze them.

      Reply
    • NAOMI

      August 26, 2023 at 1:01 am

      I’m new to canning too, but read here for just 5 minutes and it is very clear that you need to use a tested recipe. Most thick soups cannot be canned. There are just a couple in the Ball book and another book. That’s all for your thicker soups.

      Reply
  5. Stevie

    November 21, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    I am wondering if there are guidelines for pressure canning the new 1.9litre jars for soup. Larger families make more senses two keep on larger batches of possible ! Please advise !

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      July 27, 2022 at 4:06 pm

      The 2 US quart / 1.9 litre jars are only meant for juices and dry storage. See here: https://www.healthycanning.com/bernardin-jars/#Bernardin_2_US_quart_jar_wide_mouth

      Reply
  6. Donna

    August 22, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Is it safe to can lentil soup? I don’t see a recipe for it.

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      September 22, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      There is no lab-tested recipe for canning lentil soup. Freeze it.

      Reply
  7. Lorna Areington

    October 25, 2019 at 11:47 am

    Hi there. I would like to pressure can Dhal. What are your recommendations. I am using half pint jars and would also like to know how long I must pressure can for? Am at sea level

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      January 02, 2020 at 3:18 am

      There are just no tested safe recipes for pressure canning Dhal at this time. You’ll have to freeze it, sorry.

      Reply
  8. Deborah Kilner

    October 20, 2019 at 1:57 pm

    Hi, I make a french onion soup using beef broth, red wine and of course onions. Can something like that be pressure canned?

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      October 22, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      We only work with recipes that have been lab-tested for safety. Freeze it.

      Reply
  9. Denise Roberts

    January 09, 2019 at 1:09 am

    I would like to can ham and bean soup. I have some cubed ham left from the ham we smoked for Christmas in the freezer. Can I add the ham to the bean soup when I can it?

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      September 11, 2019 at 3:17 pm

      There is a tested recipe for Bean and Ham soup here from Bernardin. Use that.

      Reply
  10. Yvette

    December 05, 2018 at 12:17 am

    Can u can pre cooked soups and stews in pressure canning pot?
    Having read these guidelines I am not confident in doing what my farmer neighbor has stated. Basically can everything for 1 hr and it is possible.
    My goal is to make my own soups, jelly etcto reduce store bought soup and stews concerns of nutrition value after canning pre fully cooked foods.
    Am I correct to use canning as a means to preserve basics needed for recipes instead of preparing “quickies” foods.
    Obviously I thought if it is canned in Store why canning at home should be possible?! Guess wrong

    Reply
  11. Karen Tharp

    November 30, 2018 at 12:08 am

    I want to can some homemade Turkey Noodle soup but read where you can’t pressure cook with pasta, why

    Reply
  12. Kathy Bell

    September 03, 2017 at 4:56 am

    I have lost my butternut squash and white bean soup recipe that I use to can for the last few years if someone has that recipe also using in it rosemary, I sure would be great full for . Thank you kat

    Reply
  13. Amgie

    September 18, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    I want to can my zucchini soup, already pureed. It has chicken stock, fresh basil, Greek yogurt, and coconut milk. No pressure canner, just boiling water. Is it safe like the pureed soups mentioned?

    Reply
    • Healthy Canning

      September 19, 2016 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Amgie,

      According to the research, that would absolutely be unsafe to home can via water bath because it is low-acid and it would need the high heat of a pressure canner, BUT they would say that a pressure canner either wouldn’t be safe for it because it’s pureed (density issues that were untested and zucchini is particularly mentioned in the literature for that) PLUS it contains dairy, so that is a double whammy against it. They would tell you to freeze that.

      Reply
      • Lori

        July 16, 2022 at 2:48 am

        I have a soup recipe that has squash and zucchini. Could I can the squash and zucchini in chunks or wedges and then when I open it add the other ingredients and puree?

        Reply
        • Healthy Canning

          July 20, 2022 at 11:45 am

          You can do that for the winter squash, for sure, following the directions for pressure canning winter squash. However, attempting to can zucchini or any *summer squash* is recommended against. https://www.healthycanning.com/canning-summer-squash

          Reply
If you need FAST or relatively immediate canning help or answers, please try one of these Master Food Preserver groups; they are more qualified than we are and have many hands to help you. Many of them even operate telephone hotlines in season.

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“If you got me started on the queer things some women do when they start canning, I’m likely to go on talking all night. The safe way to can is to get a reliable canning guide from your State College or from the Bureau of Home Economics at Washington, D. C. and follow that as though it were the laws of the Medes and Persians.”

— USDA, Radio service. Housekeeper’s Chat. 14 September 1933.
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