Yesterday I was determined to can soup. A friend has been canning soup and tells me about it all and, since we love soup in the winter, having canned homemade soup is perfect. I have dreams of sitting and cross stitching all day, opening a jar of soup and making a sandwich for dinner, and getting back to stitching.
I had planned to make vegetable soup but it seems not a store in this county has frozen lima beans and I really want lima beans in my soup. I hate to use canned beans because they’re going to cook to pieces in the canner.
I had everything I needed to make split pea soup so I used 2 pounds of split peas and made a batch of split pea and ham soup. Nicole loves it and Chad doesn’t like it. Addie would starve before she would eat it. So I made two pints for Nicole. If she likes it canned, I’ll make more for her. I made 5 quarts for us. Then I decided to make another 2 pound batch so that gave me 6 quarts.
Now we have beef stew and split pea soup that’s canned. As soon as I can find lima beans, I’ll make the vegetable soup. It doesn’t have meat in it but I cut up and canned a bunch of roast beef recently, I put it in pints for sandwiches, enchiladas, etc. so it will be perfect to add to a jar of soup.
I think this Chicken and Corn Chowder recipe looks good. There are several soup recipes I love that aren’t great for canning . . Pioneer Woman’s Tomato Soup and Iowa Chowder to name a few. Of course, there’s gumbo and we’ll have that plenty during the winter.
Tee says
I have been using boxed chicken broth, organic from Costco when it was on sale, in my soup, but would love to make my own to get the added flavor from my own herbs. Where do you get stewing chickens? I don’t see any in my grocery stores. It seems a waste to use regular whole chickens to make broth. I just watched a vlog where they took all their extra roosters and a few old hens and turned them into broth. Oh my goodness, it looked so good!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I boil a whole chicken, remove the chicken when it’s done, pick the meat off the bones and safe the meat. Then I roast all the bones with onions, then put the roasted bones and ones back in the broth and simmer it all for a few hours.
It’s always best to do 6 or 8 chickens at a time. I’ll chop the chicken and freeze the meat to use in dog food or even in soups or gumbo, chicken salad, etc.
justquiltin says
I was just eyeing up the split peas in my cupboard yesterday but no ham and no carrots so I’ll have to add those to an upcoming grocery order before I can make soup. I was like Addie – absolutely hate split pea soup, even the smell of it – but it’s probably my favorite now.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Me too! I love lots of soup but split pea may be my favorite.
Rebecca says
If you have any desire for more soup recipes, the “quilty architect” is having a soup-along (except that just means he’s posting submitted recipes). That’s at https://www.thequiltyarchitect.com/the-quilty-soupalong
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Thanks! I ALWAYS need more recipes. I’m heading over there now.
Teri says
Can you use dried lima beans? I’m going to check out that soup-a-long link!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I would have to adjust the amount of liquid because dry beans absorb so much liquid. I prefer to use frozen. I do have dry ones here but I’m sure eventually I’ll find some in the stores.
Ginny says
My mom made pea soup without the ham replacing it with small meatballs made with breakfast sausage she sautéed until cooked and added to the soup. It was good for a changed when she didn’t have leftover ham.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
That’s a great idea. I’m going to try that! Thanks!