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karen_b_gw

PC Ham and Green bean soup

karen_b
14 years ago

I made a large pot of Ham and green bean soup last night and would like to pressure can some quarts for the winter. (Ingred: green beans, onions, cut up ham, water and thyme) I usually freeze my soups but because we have power outages most winters I bought a dial gauge pressure canner so I can can the soups, stews and chili instead. But I can't find instructions on how long to process quarts. I read where the solids should only fill the jars 1/2 way and fill the rest with the broth. And to process using the longest time for any one ingredient. So since the green beans and ham are cooked would I process the quarts for 25 min at 10 lbs?

Comments (7)

  • malna
    14 years ago

    The only things I could find were:

    NCHFP - Vegetable, dried bean or pea, meat, poultry, or seafood soups - PC quarts for 75 minutes at 10 lbs (seafood soup at 100 minutes).

    Ball Complete Home Preserving - Split Pea Soup with Ham (but the peas were pureed which would probably make a difference, density wise, but it did have ham in it) - PC quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds.

    Either way, it doesn't sound like 25 minutes is nearly enough.

  • digdirt2
    14 years ago

    You aren't going to be happy with this info but it is one of those "trying to can a cooking recipe" situations - and that seldom works.

    Your meat (pork ground, cubed, chunked, stripped, etc.) is your longest processing item at 90 mins. for quarts.

    A combined meat and vegetable soup like this requires PC for 75 mins. for quarts (60 mins. for pints) at 11 lbs. for a dial gauge depending on your altitude. See link below.

    After that period of time the rest of your ingredients will be mush since they have already been pre-cooked.

    And keep in mind that density becomes areal issue with this particular soup. It is vital that the jar be 1/2 and 1/2 and no more than that in solids.

    Honestly your best bet is to use the given recipe to make split pea soup using the guidelines for it, can it, and then add the ham just prior to serving.

    Dave

    Here is a link that might be useful: Meat and Vegetable Soup Processing

  • Linda_Lou
    14 years ago

    You don't follow the old guideline for canning the food with the longest time. That is what I have been told not long ago. Use a recipe instead. If it is a mixed veggie, for example, there are guidelines for that now.
    So, follow the guidelines Dave sent you, unless you added any thickener to your soup. Any kind of thickener would not allow it to be canned.
    Fill half the jar with solids, half with broth. Then process for the time in the guidelines. The reason soup is not as long as chunks of meat is the density, you are supposed to have half broth to make it thinner.

  • karen_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I didn't add any thickeners. I was wondering since in the guidelines from Dave the soups seem to take for granted they include dried beans that have been soaked and cooked...would the beans in this case be the densest item? Which would be why the processing time is so long? At any time I am canning a soup that has meat and any vegetable combination I would process them all the same?

    I haven't added the meat...yet. So I can start by filling the jars with the green beans, then add the ham to make the jars 1/2 full and cover with broth to 1" from the rim. And process at 11 lbs for 75 mins.??? Yeah you're right the green beans will most likely be very soft, but that doesn't matter. I want to give it a try. If anyone has a TT recipe to can ham and green beans soup I'd appreciate it.
    Karen

  • digdirt2
    14 years ago

    Sorry - I said split peas above but meant beans. ;)

    At any time I am canning a soup that has meat and any vegetable combination I would process them all the same?

    Yes. Use those same instructions I linked above.

    So I can start by filling the jars with the green beans, then add the ham to make the jars 1/2 full and cover with broth to 1" from the rim. And process at 11 lbs for 75 mins.?

    Yep, you got it. It wouldn't be as mushy if it hadn't been fully cooked already but who knows, it still be quite tasty. Good luck.

    Dave

  • karen_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks Dave...they just finished processing. I added 1 cup of green beans and 1 cup of diced ham to each quart jar (because a quart equals 4 cups) and then divided the broth equally among the 5 jars. I didn't have enough broth so I added water to make up the difference. It took a long time for the pressure to build but did eventually. Thanks for your encouragement. This is my first year using a pressure canner and I want to make sure I'm using it correctly.

    Karen

  • Linda_Lou
    14 years ago

    I had never heard of green bean soup before this.