Ask Tess: Can I raw pack and can homemade soup?

Tess,

Would/could you can the raw ingredients for soup and let the cooking happen while canning?

Tony

Answer:

Hi Tony,

Yes, you can add raw ingredients to jars for canning. This is called the raw pack canning method and many canners prefer this method because it takes up less time. For those that don’t know, raw pack normally refers to placing uncooked meat or fish into a canning jar with the intention of cooking the contents during processing in a pressure canner, sometimes referred to as a pressure cooker.

Tips for raw packing

1. Those that are canning meat or low acidic foods should always use a pressure cooker to ensure a proper canning environment.
2. Ingredients used in recipes that combine both low-acid and acidic foods should be cut in uniform pieces to allow for even heat penetration during processing.
3. You will need large quantities of ingredients to make soup. For instance, to make 7 quarts of vegetable beef soup, you will need : 6 lbs. sliced or cubed beef, 2 lbs. potatoes, 2 lbs. carrots, 2 onions, 3 celery.
4. Because broth has a tendency to have a gelatinous texture to it when it has been refrigerated, many experienced canners heat their broth before they pour them into the jars to ensure the broth is evenly distributed.

To raw pack soup:

1. Sterilize jars, lids and rings.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each jar.
3. Evenly add amounts of vegetables and beef to each jar.
4. Add stock or water to fill to the jar.
5. Add more broth if needed, still leaving 1-1/4” headspace. Wipe jar rims well and cap with lid and ring. Tighten rings to finger-tip tight.
6. Place jars in pressure canner (as you fill each one) that contains water heated to approximately the same temperature as the filled jars.
7. When all jars are filled, capped and placed in the canner, put the lid on the canner as the manufacturer recommends.
8. Process 75 minutes for pints, or 90 minutes for quarts, at 10 lbs. pressure (adjust for your altitude).