Preparing Tomato Soup for Canning: A Cozy, Long-Lasting Winter Comfort Meal
In the heart of tomato season, canning your own homemade tomato soup is a delightful way to preserve fresh flavours for the colder months. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to can tomato soup safely and deliciously.
- Preparing the Soup: Simmer fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken broth, basil, and oregano together until well blended. Avoid thickening the soup with cream or flour before canning.
- Adding Acid: Since tomatoes are borderline acid, but adding broth reduces acidity, add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to each jar to ensure safe acidity levels.
- Filling Jars: Pack the hot soup into sterilized jars, leaving about 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims clean.
- Sealing Jars: Place lids and screw bands on, finger-tight.
- Pressure Canning Process: Load jars on the rack in your pressure canner without them touching. Vent steam for 10 minutes before placing the weighted gauge or pressure regulator. Process at 10-11 psi, adjusting for your altitude.
- Processing Time: For tomato soup, the recommended processing time is usually 20 minutes for quarts and 15 minutes for pints at 10-11 psi. Use specific guidelines for tomato mixtures with broth.
- Cooling and Storing: After processing, turn off heat, let pressure return to zero naturally, remove the weight, wait 10 minutes, then open the lid carefully. Remove jars and cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check seals before storage.
Important Notes:
- Do not attempt to can tomato soup with cream or other dairy added beforehand; add those after opening.
- Follow USDA or National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) guidelines strictly for pressure canning low-acid foods.
- Altering ingredients can affect acidity, so precise acidification and proper pressure processing are essential for safety.
Your pressure canner should be preheated to 180°F and the water level adjusted. Flour or thickeners should not be used during canning; they can be added when reheating. The soup also makes a beautiful gift.
After processing, the pressure should return to zero naturally, and the jars should be cooled for 12-24 hours before checking seals. Garlic packed in water should be used, not garlic packed in oil.
The ingredients for canning tomato soup include fresh ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken broth, fresh basil, dried oregano, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. A free starter guide, One Jar at a Time, is available for signing up, which provides real-world tips, simple recipes, and the tools needed to preserve with confidence.
The recommended processing pressure is 10 PSI (weighted gauge) or per your altitude and gauge type. The soup is not suitable for water bath canning. The soup is cooked by sautéing aromatics, simmering, and blending.
This year's tomato season has been abundant, and the homemade canned tomato soup is rich, smooth, and deeply flavorful, making it a good option for busy days, cozy fall lunches, and "oops I forgot to make dinner" nights.
- Instead of thickening the soup with cream or flour before canning, consider cooking the aromatics, simmering, and blending the ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken broth, fresh basil, dried oregano, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to achieve the desired consistency.
- To maintain safety during the canning process, add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to each jar to ensure adequate acidity levels, especially since tomatoes are borderline acid, and adding broth reduces acidity.
- During the pressure canning process, avoid using flour or thickeners, as they can cause safety issues, instead opting to add them when reheating the canned soup.
