Canning Chicken Noodle-less Soup
Today was one of those busy days that it seemed I was moving from the time my feet hit the floor until this evening.. But, I got so much done and that is a great feeling! :) One of my accomplishments today was canning 14 jars of chicken noodle-less soup. I call it “noodle-less” because you can’t can noodles. They end up falling apart. So I canned the chicken, veggies and broth. When I go to use the soup I will bring it to a boil and then add a handful of noodles (any type of pasta will work) and cook it until the noodles are done. Because I plan to add the pasta after the fact I wanted to make sure there was enough chicken broth to do this. So I only filled my jars about half to two thirds with chicken and veggies and then filled with chicken broth. Here is how I did this….
I started off with 2 chickens that were a total weight of about 10lbs. I put them in my 14 quart stock pot…
I then added 2 gallons of water..
And 3 tablespoons salt..
I brought this to a boil and let is simmer all night, a total of about 12 hours.
I took the chicken out of the
stock this morning, let it cool and then took the meat off the bone. I chopped
up the meat and measured it. I had about 12 cups of chicken. I then peeled and
sliced 3 pounds of carrots, 2 large onions and 1 stock (is that what it is
called?) of celery…
Then I filled my quart size canning jars. I put a generous 3/4 cup of chicken meat in each jar, topped it with some carrots, onions and celery until the jar was 1/2 to 2/3 full.
I then filled the jar with hot, boiling, chicken broth (the liquid from cooking the chicken). I did not add any salt because I had salted the broth and it was just fine…
I filled 7 jars and canned it for 90 minutes at 10lbs of pressure. I had enough chicken, veggies and broth to then can another 7 jars (14 jars total)…
I know we will enjoy this chicken soup as a quick lunch or dinner.
Having my own
home canned convenience food is incredibly helpful!!
I love this post! Thank you so much for sharing, and I certainly look forward to more.
ReplyDelete--Dayna
You are amazing! The jars look so lovely and are just chock full of tasty nutritious goodness! Thanks for sharing - and inspiring!
ReplyDeleteDo you ever fear botulism? I would love to can like you do but I'm so scared I am going to do it wrong, and make everyone sick!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer, I have been canning for 25 years now and we have never gotten sick.. You must make sure your jars are clean and sterilized that you are following proper canning procedures.. which you can find in the Blue Ball Canning book.. Or as the commenter posted below.. the USDA has a great site with lots of canning information. You must use a pressure canner for meats and vegetables and you can use a boiling water bath canner for jams, fruits and pickled foods.. Crystal :)
DeleteHow do you sterilize the jars?
DeleteHi Anon, I wash the jars in my dishwasher and then set them in the sink and fill them with boiling water. Crystal :)
DeleteDo you wash your jars on regular cycle? My dishwasher has a sanitize cycle, would that be necessary
DeleteI always feel the dishwasher regular washing plus putting boiling water into the jars sanitizes them just fine.. but you could do that if you want too.
DeleteCrystal :)
The act of canning sterilizes jars. Nothing lives thru those temps.
DeleteYou are correct that pressure canning sterilizes the jars but boiling water bath does not.
Deleteok, first in order to sanitize your jars you have to hot bath them. You fill up a canning pot it's usually bigger then a stock pot and lay the rack it comes with in the bottom, the cans can't touch the bottom they will shatter. Fill the pot with water, bring it to a boil and set your jars lids and rings off in there snug because the bubbles will tip them if you don't. let it simmer until your done canning and then take them out with tongs one at a time, fill jars just under the first ring at the neck, quickly put a ring and lid (which should have been simmering in their own little pot while you canned) tighten the lid snug and turn it upside down. leave it for a few hours then turn them upside right and soon you'll be hearing popping sounds which is proof your jars set. Then write on them what they are and the date and your good to go! :0)
DeleteYou make canning sound so easy!!! I haven't taken the plunge as yet as I don't own a pressure cooker (YET!)
ReplyDeleteWhat brand of canner do you own/recommend? if you don't mind me asking.... PS thanks for sharing:)
I get asked this question a lot.. and I should make a blog post on it.. I can tell you what I own.. it is a Presto canner that holds 7 quart jars. I bought this canner about 25 years ago and it has served me well. I have changed the seal several times throughout the years and had the gauge checked regularly. However I know in the last 25 years other canners have come out on the market and so I don't have enough information to actually recommend one.. If I was shopping for one today I would start reading reviews and seeing what has the most positive reviews. Crystal :)
DeleteI have a presto and an All American 921 which can hold 19 pints or 7 quarts. My favorite is the All American but having both comes in very handy sometimes. The All American has no rubber seal to wear out. I have been canning for 35 years and literally wore out my first presto. Watch for a sale or ebay as the All American is truly an investment. Hugs
DeleteWhat a wonderful idea to assemble the veggies in the jars and to cook them while they sterilized!!! I canned chicken soup before but it was an already made soup that add simmered a few hours and I found the results to be blahhh. I'll try your way of doing things.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to Jennifer, if you are very clean in your preparation and process your food in a pressure canner for the right amount of time, there is no danger. I'm afraid of botulism too, but if you follow the techniques precisely, you wont have any problem, nor endanger yourself or your family.
You can look at this website from the USDA and you'll have all the information that you need (http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html). It is important to use a pressure canner and not a pressure cooker. The pressure cookers are too small and don't provide enough pressure to attain the 250°F needed to kill the botulism bacteria.
Thank you for the USDA site.. that is a great site for canning information! Crystal :)
DeleteI do this too but use half-pint jar so it's the right size for one person to eat, since my kids prepare their own snacks and don't always want the same thing. I also use way less liquid because the broth is their least favorite part of soup and they can add water to their liking later. I also find that I like to mix the canned soup with dehydrated mashed potatoes and water for a savory sludge.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good quick meal. Thanks for sharing. God bless.
ReplyDeleteCrystal.. do you have a small pressure cooker to use for dinner preps like cooking small roasts or long cooking veggies? I've been thinking about getting one but not sure if I would actually use it.
ReplyDeleteIt is "stalk" of celery. Don't you hate it when you can't remember a word?
ReplyDeleteThat's it!! A stalk!! Thank you!! :D
DeleteCrystal :)
Can the celery be left out as I am allergic to it? Will that affect anything?
DeleteYes.. you can interchange any vegetable with any other veggies you would like to use.. Crystal :)
DeleteThank you very much. This is my plan for the coming weekend as I can only use my pressure canner when my mother is away as she is scared it will explode.
DeleteHere in Michigan, we call it a "rib" of celery.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing another wonderful creation!
I've heard the term rib as well.. Thank you!! Crystal :)
DeleteThanks for sharing this. I'll be trying this one soon.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, when I can my chicken soup, I also cook up a bunch of noodles separately, then freeze in portions that would be right to add to a quart of soup. When heating the soup, just drop in a portion of already cooked noodles. Works great! (and no waiting for the noodles to cook)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I love your newsletter.
Oh wow! I love this idea!! I will do this too.. that would make the whole meal even more simple! Thanks so much Judy for the tip!
DeleteCrystal :)
It all looks and sounds delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteGood morning.. I came back to see if you had a chance to answer my question yet? :-)
ReplyDeleteOh sorry!! :) I had a small pressure cooker that my mother had given me years ago and I never used it. I know some people just love them, but I never really could get into mine...
DeleteCrystal :)
Oh, I am just canning for the first time..I LOVE it! I decided on Chicken soup.... I just opened my canner and see that some of the sup has boiled out of the jars....also, I see the contents boiling inside the jars that are now cooling...Does this sound correct? I fear the "boiling" I see...might be air or a sign of a bad seal. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteTerri, the boiling inside the jars is perfectly normal. It can last for awhile. Jars that boiled over may mean you filled them too full. You may have a jar that did not seal. Remove the jars from the canner and let them sit in a draft free spot overnight.. check the jars in the morning. You don't want to mess with the seals as they are cooling.
Deletegreat idea! I did put up around 14 quarts of the beef stew like you had posted a couple of months ago. My husband really likes it.....:o) I had a couple of jars that did not seal because some of the liquid in the jars had boiled out durring processing. This flushed food particles between the seal and the glass rim so it couldn't seal.....the next batch I made sure I hadn't overfilled my jars and also made sure the heat under my cooker was not too high but I still got a few jars that didn't seal.....I am going to try some chicken soup too, I also like Judy's idea about cooking up some noodles and freezing them. I will have to give that a try too......Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea! I am so enjoying reading all of your recipes and tips on "putting up" food. Keep 'em coming :-)
ReplyDeleteYUM! I do have a question though...
ReplyDeleteYou say you let the chicken/water/salt mixture simmer overnight. Aren't you at all worried about leaving the stove unattended while you sleep? That would scare me to death!
Hi! No I'm not, I've done it countless times without problem.. the chicken is simmering on a very low temp and there is a huge amount of water in there so no worries of boiling the liquid away and due to the low temp there would be no concerns of the pot boiling over. Crystal :)
DeleteThis is late, but I use my crock pot when cooking chicken noodle soup stock overnight. It works great, and I don't have to worry about leaving my stove on all night.
DeleteAlice, my daughter uses her crockpot as well. If you need a large amount of chicken stock, as I do for this recipe, then a crockpot is not large enough for making the stock. Crystal :)
DeleteJust wanted to give you this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/soups.html
Just an FYI-- the soup looks amazing, but quarts only need to be pressured for 75 min at 10 lbs.
Also, only fill the jars 1/2 way full of solids; not anymore than that!
HTH!
the first batch is in the cooker as i type this :-). i used our electric turkey roaster to cook the birds instead. my hubby woke up at 2am, to a strong smell of chicken. he checked it, and it was falling off the bird. so...needless to say, i was deboning chicken at 230 am. also, when i do it again, i will deskin the birds, as the broth seemed awfully fatty. they were free range birds from a local farmer. either deskin, or cook one day, let the broth chill to skim the fat, then proceed...thank you for ALL your awesome ideas! you are a Blessing! lynne
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the wonderful recipes and ideas. To make my broth I purchase rotisserie chicken from Costco, de-bone, use all the bones, skin, backs, wings etc along with celery, yellow onion (leave the skin on for color), carrots, sufficient water to cover, salt, spices like bay leaves, thyme, rosemary etc to make my stock. Bring everything to a boil then simmer for about 4 hours; poor through a strainer (discard the veggies etc). Taste and if the broth is weak let simmer to reduce to desired flavor. I usually let sit in the frig overnight and skim off all the fat the next day. The broth is delicious, combine with the de-boned chicken and fresh veggies to make your soup.
ReplyDeleteI am trying this for the first time. The chicken is simmering as I type this. I look forward to what this does. I watched my mother does this years ago. I am 62 so it is time to start again.
ReplyDeleteyou can also use the outdoor turkey fryer stands that already run on propane. I LOVE my All American pressure canner. There is no gasket to worry about and it has a gauge and a weight! You just have to get the pressure close and the set weight keeps it at the right pressure. All you need to watch is your TIME! I'm still getting up the nerve to do things with meat. I did spaghetti sauce last week.
ReplyDeleteMy new Presto pressure canner directions say NOT to use a turkey fryer because the temp is too high and warps the pot. You might want to check with your manufacturer before trying this one, but older (heavier) models might be fine. I just don't want anyone ruining a pretty expensive pot.
DeleteBotulism is a risk with all canned foods. I have canned for years and the only time i actually got botulism was from a regular can from the store. We should always listen for the sound of air escaping from the seal of any canned good...homemade or store bought. Thank you for sharing your wonderful creations.
ReplyDeleteI have a 5-6 quart electric pressure cooker from Emeril. It is one of the best buys I have ever made. It has a recipe for beef stew that is outstanding. I make a double batch and then I canned it in pint size jars according to the pressure canner directions. It is wonderful for a quick meal and for packing my lunch for work. I was worried about stuff getting too mushy but it is great. I know there are different electric cookers out there. Sportsman's guide has them online.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time here on your site as I was looking for a recipe for canning chicken noodle soup. You say you put your vegies in the quart jar. Are these vegies cooked beforehand or do you put them in raw? You don't mention anything about cooking them. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Anon.. I put the veggies in raw..
DeleteCrystal :)
Great Recipe! I am planning on getting a pressure canner for this summers veggie garden harvest! Do you think adding rice would be ok?
ReplyDeleteHi Thrifty Handy Mommy... flour, pasta, rice and such is not recommended for canning. I am pretty sure the rice would turn to mush. You could have cooked rice in the freezer ready to add to the soup when you want to serve it.
DeleteCrystal :)
My Ball canning book says 75 min. at 10 lbs. pressure for pints and 90 min. for quarts, this is for cooking with meat.
ReplyDeleteYes Anon.. that would be correct.. I canned these quarts of soup for 90 min. at 10# pressure.
DeleteCrystal :)
I am new to canning also. I canned some chicken and it went bad. I asked a couple people and they asked if I had 14 lbs of pressure on my canner, I had done 10 like the recipes said .Why would I have to add more weights on it??
Deletewhat is your elevation and what is theirs. at sea level its 10lbs but at other elevations its adjusted. there are charts to indicate it.. i could be that the people you talked to were higher elevation than you are.. also how long did you pc it.. meat MUST be at the longer times -- even a tiny amount of meat - otherwise its unsafe..
DeleteHi Crystal, my husband bought me a presto canner 3 days ago. I canned for the first time and the beans and ham turned out very good. I then found your website and decided to try your chicken soup. We had a jar of it today and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you! I am now searching for a spaghetti recipe to can. I think I am already addicted to canning. bcdianamarie
ReplyDeleteWell we ate up the 7 quarts I canned in November! I have 7 more jars in the canner. My family loves this recipe! BCDIANAMARIE@YAHOO.COM
ReplyDeletehow long are these canned soups good for after they are canned
ReplyDeleteHow long will these jars of soup stay good? Just trying to see if I want to make a small batch or bigger one. Just dont want them to go bad.
ReplyDeleteCanned foods will last a long time.. a year no problem... I've used food 2 years old.. it has been just fine. Crystal :)
DeleteDo you think it would be OK to put a clove of garlic in each jar before canning?
ReplyDeleteYes!! Sounds delish!! Crystal
DeleteMade this soup yesterday. I couldn't wait to try it so I opened a jar for dinner added some star shaped noodles. It was really good.
ReplyDeleteI did add salt and pepper by thats because I like it. 14 jars won't last long already planning my next batch. Thank you for the great recipe. I can't wait to try it with dumplings.
So glad you liked it!! Dumplings sound amazing with this!! :D
DeleteCrystal :)
I have a water bath canning system that I was planning on using can't I use that instead of the pressure cooker type? I have been canning tomatoes this wy for years, & wanted to venture in the realm of chicken soup............which is wyhy I found your site :-) So is a water bath canning system ok?
ReplyDeletePS please reply asap as I was planning on making this today :-)
ReplyDeleteHi again, Never mind, I found my answer. It must be high acidic items for the water bath design. :-(
ReplyDeleteChicken MUST be processed in a pressure canner! Always! You need to get the Ball Blue Book of Preserving so you will have the guidelines. A hot water bath is only for high-acid foods. Vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood are low-acid. Combinations of these foods with high-acid foods in soups and stews doesn’t change the overall classification as low-acid, so they must be canned in a pressure canner.
http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/how-to-can-hot-water-bath-method/
Hope this helps anyone else with the same question. :-)
YEs, that is correct... you MUST use a pressure canner for this recipe and any recipe that has meat or veggies (other than pickled veggies)...
DeleteThank you for the chicken noodless recipe. I can't wait to try this. I do have a question though. Can you can vegetable soup with already canned vegetables and then reprocess?
ReplyDeleteGina, I'm pretty sure you could.. however by the time the veggies are cooked and canned a second time you most likely have very little nutritional value left. For best flavor and nutritional value I would recommend fresh veggies. Crystal
DeleteThanks so much for this recipe! I've been thinking about canning soups and just borrowed a pressure canner from a friend so I could try it out before investing in one myself. I do have one question, adding herbs? I know that with the pressure canner using fresh herbs could over power the soup, but what about dried?
ReplyDeleteThat is one issue with herbs.. fresh or dried.. after they are canned some can have a much stronger flavor. I tend to add them after I open them up and heat them. Crystal :)
DeleteThanks! I can make a little seasoning packet to go with them and store it all together. :)
DeleteI just tried your chicken soup. I thought I had posted a question here, but don't see it. Just a couple questions please. My pressure cooker holds 4 quart jars. Can I run it with just 3 jars? My first 4 jars came out perfect. The second 4 jars I could smell the chix soup, but all 4 jars sealed. One of the jars was not boiling like the rest were when I removed it from the canner. Do you think they are safe to eat?
ReplyDeleteHi Bev.. yes you can run your canner with only 3 jars.. You asked the other questions on a different blog post and I answered them for you.. http://homesteadinghomemaker.blogspot.com/2012/07/canning-navy-bean-ham-soup.html
DeleteCrystal :)
HI Crystal,
ReplyDeleteJust finished my first batch of beef stew using your recipe. It looks wonderful and was so very easy. I was so timid when the canner arrived, but now after a few batches, feel confident using it. I am new to your website, but now check it daily. Thank you. You made me want to try canning.
What about adding raw diced potatoes?
ReplyDeleteYes.. it would be chicken potato soup.. ;)
DeleteHow long does the soup last for I have a family of three so I don't want it to go bad
ReplyDeleteThe soup will last for a long time.. I keep it for a year no problem, after that it is still good but the nutritional value can begin to decline some.. Crystal :)
DeleteHello I really enjoy your informative and helpful recipes and comments !
ReplyDeleteI just shifted from canning garden vegetables and fruits to putting up soups this year. well i added canning soups ha ha. What do you think about adding strips or diced raw chicken instead of processing cooked chicken? obviously the texture will be different. But I cant think of any other problem with using raw chicken if i already have fresh chicken stock to add.
Raw chicken would work just fine.. Crystal :)
DeleteThanks Crystal !
DeleteRebecca
I want to make this soup real bad but I;m wondering if I can add chopped canned tomatoes in each of the jars too, (just a little)?
ReplyDeleteYes, that would work fine too.. Crystal :)
Deletemade a batch of your soup this fall to try it and am now getting ready to make a bunch more my partner says it is the best chicken soup he has ever had,thank you for sharing your recipe,i am hooked and wanting to can different soups, this was first time i have ever even thought of canning soups, i can everything else so now i can add this to my fall canning line up
ReplyDeleteCan you can the chicken soup with rice?
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell me what is pressure canner, and do I stored the jars in the fridge or in the pantry
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how long the shelf life for this would be?
ReplyDeleteThanks
I have just retired from teaching wanted to try something new.Scared???? I started with pints of greenbeans and the turn out fine. NEEDED a little more salt. So I got brave and canned 7 quarts of chicken soup from this web site. The stock tasted wonderful but I think I added to much salt. If so, I when I use the soup I will figure someway to desalt some of it. My husband wants me to do jelly and I will next month. It is funny because he thinks my canning is awesome. I was one of those career persons and homemade was froma deli. TRYCANNING it is a little scary at first but if you follow the directions it wii turnout fine.
ReplyDeletemaybe a strange question, but I have the same pressure canner you have, when you do pints...can they be stacked or should they be single layer only?
ReplyDeleteYes.. I stack pint jars..
Deletethank you for posting such a great and simple recipe for this soup.. I have looked all over the internet for just the right one and this morning while my chicken was simmering I ran across this one. I believe that even I can't go wrong with this....I always seem not to have enough veggies, though. Would it be all right to add some green peas and mushrooms to the pot as well? Thanks again for caring enough to help us in our time of need. lol
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal,
ReplyDeleteYou motivated me to make some chicken soup. It's on my stove now. I wondered how you avoid the fat that is in the broth? I have a large pot like yours and put it in the fridge overnight so I could skim off the fat. I have gallbladder problems. But, the pot was very, very heavy and I also have back problems. (I'm getting OLD! LOL!!) Do you lift your pan off the stove with all that broth in it or have you found a way to save your back? Thanks for the great post!
Hi Georgene! Yes.. I have a few ideas.. the first one.. scoop out the broth with a smaller pan and pour into separate containers to put in the fridge.. the other.. don't worry about it.. when you can the soup and it sits in the jars the fat rises to the top. Before you use it you can skim the fat off before pouring the soup out into a pot to heat it up.. :)
DeleteDo the veggies turn mushy being sliced so thin?
ReplyDeleteNo they do not..
DeleteWhats the headspace?
ReplyDeleteThe empty space at the top of the jar. Usually you leave 1/2 to 1 inch of space from the food/liquid to the opening of the jar.
DeleteCan you use a cold pack canner if you don't have a pressure canner?
ReplyDeleteNO... you can not.. ALL meat and low acid vegetables MUST be canned in a pressure canner..
Deletehttp://www.simplycanning.com/canning-meat.html This is very important to insure against botulisim.. a bacteria that is odorless, tasteless and deadly. It is not worth risking the lives of family and friends. If you are going to can a lot, the investment of a pressure cooker will be well worth it.
Hello , I'm new to canning soups, and I would like to can my vegetables raw as I dont like soggy veggies in my soup. Can I put my veggies in raw and after pressure canning will it cook it and make it mushy? Ty!!:)
ReplyDeleteYou can add veggies to your soup when you heat it up (after canning when you're serving the soup).
Delete