We would have to see the entire recipe please. All soups need to be pressure canned and onions, as a low aicd vegetable, is no exception.

Here are the "general guidelines" for canning soups. Note: the 1/2 vegetables and 1/2 liquid guideline.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Canning Soups

ten_yr_plan, it is not safe to can onion soup in a BWB.

As for time and pressure, I can't find any directions for canning onions, but I don't know why. I know for a while there were no directions for canning rutabagas or turnips, because they got "strong". They were perfectly safe, and so now the directions are back, I guess there must have been complaints.

AT any rate I checked NCFHFP, and Preserving Food Safely from Michigan State University. Nothing. The current Ball Blue Book has instructions for dehydrating, freezing, pickling, but nothing else. Nothing in the 1994 version or the 1969 version either. My even older Farm Journal Canning and Freezing book doesn't have a recipe for canning onions, but does have one vegetable soup recipe with one chopped onion in it.

So, the pressure would depend on your altitude. Here vegetables get canned at 11 lbs. Time? I don't even know if it IS safe, and I'm only assuming that you are using beef broth as a base, which adds a whole 'nother element to the equation.

I do have this recipe, I think it's from a prior poster on this forum, but I can't make any guarantees about the accuracy because I don't remember where the heck I got it!

French Onion Soup

8 large onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tbls olive oil
2 1/2 quarts rich beef broth
1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (or 4, to taste)

Drizzle onions with olive oil. Caramelize the onions over low heat for a few hours until golden brown. You can also start the day before and throw them in a crockpot on low for at least 18 hours. Add broth, wine and worcestershire and simmer 5 minutes. ladle into hot clean mason jars, filling halfway with onions and then the rest of the way with broth, leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe rims and cap with two piece lid. Process pints 60 minutes and quarts 75 minutes at 11 lbs. of pressure (adjust pressure to your altitude).

Can at your own risk!!!

Annie

Why do I always want to do the difficult/impossible stuff?!

Thanks bunches to all who help share their knowledge and experience. I've only started canning the last couple years, so I'm a newbie. I really appreciate the info.

Here is the recipe and it also uses a slow cooker. we can most of our stuff with 10 lbs pressure here. Maybe leave the butter and flour out? How can one tell if it is 'safe'?! does one get it tested? or just hope not to get sick or die? now I'm more confused than ever.

3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter (butter tastes better than margarine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart beef broth (made with paste tastes better than made with cubes)
½ cup dry white wine (optional) (I use any wine I have available around the house)

ten, that recipe looks a lot like the one I have, but without the butter or the flour, and no worcestershire sauce. I think I got mine from KatieC.

If I were going to can it, I'd leave out the flour and the butter, use good beef stock, and can at the times listed in my recipe. Make sure you have half vegetables and half stock...

Annie

The problem is that you are trying to take a cooking recipe and use it as a canning recipe. Everyone here knows I always say " there are cooking recipes and there are canning recipes, and the two are not the same". That and "cooking is an art, canning is a science."
You need to get yourself some good canning books, from reliable sources, like the Ball Blue Book or So Easy to Preserve and follow them. You do not can your own recipes and keep safe. Please, do not use just any canning book or recipes you find online. Many well meaning people write books and post recipes, yet they have no training in food preservation safety. It may be a tasty recipe, but not meant for canning. You will be amazed at how many people make up their own canning times for recipes that are never meant to be canned.
You said "cooker". Do you mean cooker or canner ? You need to can in a canner.
You will not safely be able to use paste boullion for canning. It has fats and ingredients not safe for canning. You need the boullion cubes or fresh beef broth you make.
So, to answer your question about canning soup.
You can cook onions ( not in fat) then add to beef broth, add some Worchestershire if you want, and then process. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill the jars half full of the onions, then half full of broth.
Process according to the guidelines in the link posted for you by Dave.

The recipe Annie posted is from KatieC and would be safe for canning. Just be sure not to alter any of the ingredients or processing time.

The NCHFP does offer processing times for onions, but only for small whole onions 1-inch diameter or less, which would not apply to this request.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: French Onion Soup for Canning

The recipe Annie posted is Katie C's recipe. It is wonderful! I can it every year when Vidalia onions are in season and fairly cheap. It's usually one of my first big canning projects of the year. I do add the Worcesteshire, usually the suggested "4"...in my case "8". I double the recipe to get a full canner of quarts. I also use good white wine from a freshly opened bottle that I enjoy drinking.

Since we have a lot of new members who may not know KatieC, I wanted to clarify that she is a Master Preserver and Extension instructor. I know we stress not using un-approved recipes, so without knowing her background, it might seem contradictory to link to a personal webpage. The link below is for all KatieC's canning recipes. There are several favorites from Harvest that forum members will recognize.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: KatieC's Preserving Page

Thank again for all the valuable information. I will follow these guildlines as well as research in the Ball / Kerr canning books. This is my last canning project of the year and an expansion from the plain tomatoes & veggies I usually preserve. I started with tomatoes...then other veggies. Now I'm 'getting fancy'! I guess it kind of grows on you ;-)

Thanks Carol, for that link. I was pretty sure it was KatieC's recipe, but I copied it back in the "olden days", before I figured out that I should note on the recipe where I got it!

I didn't think to tell new members that she's a Master Preserver, she was kind enough to actually fly to Michigan and help me give some canning classes to members of the Cooking Forum a couple of years ago.

Maybe we can lure her back.....

Annie