There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of vegetable beef soup on a cold winter day. The combination of tender vegetables and hearty beef in a flavorful broth is both comforting and satisfying. And if you have a surplus of fresh vegetables from your garden or local market, canning vegetable beef soup is a great way to preserve that seasonal bounty for later enjoyment.

Canning your own vegetable beef soup is not only a great way to stock your pantry with homemade convenience food, but it also allows you to control the quality of the ingredients and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Plus, knowing exactly what’s in your canned soup means you can avoid the added preservatives and other less-desirable ingredients often found in store-bought options.

If you’ve never canned vegetable beef soup before, fear not! It’s a relatively simple process that just requires a bit of time and attention to detail. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

Before you can begin canning your vegetable beef soup, you’ll need to gather all the necessary ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe:

– 2 pounds of stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
– 6 cups of beef broth
– 1 can (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes
– 1 cup of chopped onions
– 1 cup of chopped carrots
– 1 cup of chopped celery
– 1 cup of diced potatoes
– 1 cup of green beans
– 1 cup of corn kernels
– 1 cup of peas
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
– 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
– Salt and pepper to taste

Step 2: Prepare Your Soup

In a large pot, brown the stew beef over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent. Then, add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Step 3: Sterilize Your Canning Jars

While your soup is simmering, wash your canning jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water and rinse them well. Place the jars on a rack in a boiling water canner or a large pot, and fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least one inch. Bring the water to a simmer (180°F) and keep the jars hot until you’re ready to fill them.

Step 4: Fill Your Jars and Process Your Soup

Once your soup is ready, use a ladle to carefully fill each hot jar with the hot soup, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue, then center the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until they’re just fingertip-tight. Place the filled jars back in the canner, ensuring that they are covered by at least one inch of water. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 75 minutes (adjusting for altitude if necessary).

Step 5: Let Your Jars Cool and Store Your Soup

After processing, turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel or rack to cool completely. Once the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t flex, the jar is sealed and can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

And there you have it! With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time and effort, you can enjoy the delicious taste of homemade vegetable beef soup all year long. So why not give canning vegetable beef soup a try and see for yourself just how easy and rewarding it can be? Your taste buds will thank you!

Recipe for Canning Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:

– 2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
– 6 cups beef broth
– 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
– 1 cup chopped onions
– 1 cup chopped carrots
– 1 cup chopped celery
– 1 cup diced potatoes
– 1 cup green beans
– 1 cup corn kernels
– 1 cup peas
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 teaspoon dried thyme
– 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
– Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Brown stew beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
2. Add onions and garlic; cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. While soup is simmering, wash canning jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water and rinse well.
6. Place jars on a rack in a boiling water canner or large pot and fill with enough water to cover jars by at least one inch.
7. Bring water to a simmer (180°F) and keep jars hot until ready to fill.
8. Use a ladle to carefully fill each hot jar with hot soup, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
9. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue.
10. Center lids on jars and screw on rings until fingertip-tight.
11. Place filled jars back in canner, ensuring they are covered by at least one inch of water.
12. Bring water to a boil and process jars for 75 minutes (adjusting for altitude if necessary).
13. Turn off heat and allow canner to cool for 5 minutes.
14. Carefully remove jars from canner and place on towel or rack to cool completely.
15. Check seals by pressing center of each lid. If lid doesn’t flex, jar is sealed and can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year.