Canning vegetable beef soup: my beef and veggie soup in pints

There's something so comforting about a shelf full of soup when the weather turns. On my last big soup day I canned eight pints of this vegetable beef soup, or beef and veggie soup as it says on my labels ;)

It's chunks of tender beef with carrots, onions, tomatoes, peas and green beans in beef and veggie stock. Simple, hearty and ready to heat on a busy night.

If you're new to canning soup, start with my canning soups for beginners guide. It explains why soup always goes in a pressure canner and what should never go in the jar.

Ingredients

• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) beef, trimmed of fat, in 1-inch (2–3 cm) cubes

• 4 large carrots, peeled, in 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices or dice

• 2 onions, chopped

• 3 tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup peas

• 1 cup chopped green beans

• 1 liter (about 4 cups) beef stock

• 1 liter (about 4 cups) veggie stock

How I make it

1. Get the pressure canner, 8 clean pint jars and new lids ready. Keep the jars hot.

2. Put the beef in a pot, cover with water or stock and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Skim off the fat. Keep the cooking liquid and use it as part of your stock.

3. Put the beef, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peas and green beans in a large pot. Add the beef and veggie stock to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.

4. With a slotted spoon, fill each hot jar halfway with solids.

5. Top up with hot liquid, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace.

6. Remove air bubbles and add more liquid if you need to. Wipe the rims clean.

7. Put on the lids and screw bands, fingertip tight.

8. Process pints for 75 minutes. We're at about 2,273 feet, so I use 15 pounds on my weighted gauge.

How I keep it safe

I follow the USDA soup method from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and soup always goes in the pressure canner, never a water bath. I process pints for 75 minutes at 15 pounds on my weighted gauge (we're at about 2,273 feet), so check the USDA tables for your altitude ;) These are the guides I use:

• Canning soups

• Meat strips, cubes or chunks

• Green peas, shelled

• Snap and Italian beans

When I open a jar

When I open a jar, I pour it into a pot and bring it to a boil. This is the moment to make it a full meal: I add a handful of pasta and let it cook right in the soup until it's tender. Pasta, rice and noodles never go into the jars before canning, so I always add them on the day I serve it ;) A slice of crusty bread on the side and dinner is done.

Here's to cozy dinners straight from the pantry shelf ;)