Canning your own vegetable beef soup at home is a great way to ensure you have a delicious and nutritious meal ready to go at a moment’s notice. Not only is it cost-effective, but it also allows you to customize the ingredients to suit your taste preferences. With the right tools and instructions, canning vegetable beef soup is a straightforward process that can be enjoyed all year round.

Before attempting to can your own vegetable beef soup, it’s essential to have the proper equipment and follow the necessary safety guidelines. You will need a pressure canner, canning jars, lids, and rings, as well as the ingredients for your soup. It’s important to use a pressure canner rather than a boiling water canner, as vegetables and meats have low acidity levels and need to be processed at a higher temperature to be properly preserved.

Now that you have everything you need, let’s get started with the vegetable beef soup recipe:

Ingredients:
– 1 pound of beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
– 1 onion, chopped
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– 4 cups of beef broth
– 1 can of diced tomatoes
– 2 cups of chopped carrots
– 2 cups of diced potatoes
– 1 cup of green beans
– 1 cup of corn kernels
– 1 cup of peas
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 1 teaspoon of thyme
– 1 teaspoon of rosemary

Instructions:
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the beef stew meat over medium heat. Once browned, remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.

2. In the same pot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.

3. Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the browned beef back to the pot, along with the carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn, and peas.

5. Season the soup with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, and bring it to a boil.

6. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together.

Now that your vegetable beef soup is ready, it’s time to can it for later use. Follow these steps to safely preserve your soup:

1. Carefully ladle the hot soup into clean, sterilized canning jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.

2. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue.

3. Place the lids and rings on the jars and tighten them just until they are snug.

4. Process the jars in a pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically for 75 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure for pint-sized jars, or 90 minutes for quart-sized jars.

5. Once the processing time is complete, carefully remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a clean, dry towel for 12-24 hours.

6. Check that the jars are properly sealed by pressing down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t flex, the jar is sealed. If it does flex, refrigerate and use the soup within a few days.

With these simple steps, you can preserve your homemade vegetable beef soup for up to a year, allowing you to enjoy a bowl of hearty, flavorful soup whenever you please. Just be sure to label the jars with the date they were canned to keep track of their shelf life. Whether you’re looking to stock your pantry or gift a jar to a friend, this delicious and nutritious soup is a must-try for any home cook.