How to Can Soup Without a Pressure Canner? Guides & Tips

How to Can Soup Without a Pressure Canner

These days of pressure canning, it is necessary to can your soup into jars and seal it up. So, whenever you’re hungry, you can just pick a jar of soup, warm it and your meal is set. However, not everyone can afford a pressure canner. Of course, the pressure canner is the best for canning.

But if you can’t afford it or you’re trying to raise funds for it, you can still can your soup in two ways – with a water bath canner and with an oven. Here, we’ll talk briefly about both methods.

There are different types of delicious soups, but many people are too busy to prepare soup every day. If your daily routine is so tight, and you don’t have the time to cook soup for your family as often as you want, you could prepare the soup in large quantity and can it.

So, you only need to warm it whenever you want to prepare a meal. This idea saves time and effort. According to experts, the best method to can soup is canning it with a pressure canner.

Nobody can contest that. However, if you don’t have a pressure canner, this article will teach you how to can soup without a pressure canner. We have explained two effective canning methods below.

1. Using a Water Bath

2. Using an Oven

How to Can Soup with a Water Bath? 13 Steps

Step 1 – Prepare the soup you want to can according to the recipe.

Step 2 – When it’s done, allow it to cool down naturally.

Step 3 – You must sterilize your canning jars.

Step 4 – Clean the brims of the jars. When their brims are dirty, they may not seal tightly.

Step 5 – Fill the jars with the soup. Don’t forget to leave a space of 1 inch at the top.

Step 6 – Stir the soup with a spatula to remove air bubbles that may impact the canning result.

Step 7 – Fill the water bath with water but don’t let the jars get completely submerged in the water. In fact, the water level should not be higher than two-thirds of the height of the jars.

Step 8 – Place the jars inside the water bath one by one.

Step 9 – Cover the water bath and turn on the stove.

Step 10 – Wait until the water starts boiling before you start timing it. Let it boil for about 25 – 30 minutes.

Step 11 – Turn off the heat and wait for the water and the jars to cool off. Within an hour, everything should be cold.

Step 12 – Remove the jars and wipe their body with a towel. Check their seal to be sure it is intact.

Step 13 – You can now label and store them. If there’s any jar whose seal is damaged, eat the soup in the jar within a couple of days. That one cannot last for more than a few days.

How to Can Soup in an Oven? 7 Steps

Steps 1 – to 6 remain the same as above.

Step 2 – Place the jars inside your oven.

Step 3 – Set the temperature of the oven to 250 degrees F.

Step 4 –Leave the jars there for up to 10 minutes.

Step 5 –Turn off the oven and allow the jars to cool off.

Step 6 – Remove them and check their seal.

Step 7 – Label and store the jars of soup.

That’s all.

Precautions

Remember that the methods described above are only alternatives. They are not as effective as the use of pressure canner. Never try to remove the jars when they are still hot. And if you must remove them, don’t use your hands.

You could get your hands burned, and you could drop the jars. Always sterilize the jars and clean their brim. Finally, it is important to check their seal after canning.

Can you can soup without a pressure cooker?

Yes, you can. It is possible to can your soup without a pressure canner, but you must cook it first. As mentioned above, it is possible to can it with an oven and with a water bath canner. To can your soup with an oven, you have to cook it first. After that, give it some time to cool before you scoop it into the jars.

Don’t forget to sterilize the jars as well. While filling the jars with the soup, you need to leave a headspace of 1 inch at the top. Dip a spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles. Now, you can place the jars inside your oven and set the oven to 250 degrees F. It takes only 10 minutes for your soup to get canned in an oven.

After 10 minutes, turn off the oven, remove the jars, and allow them to cool off before labeling and storing them.

Can you can homemade soup with a water bath canner?

Yes, it is possible to can your homemade soup with a water bath canner, and we’ll explain how. First off, you must cook the soup. When it’s done, let it cool off before you scoop it into your sterilized canning jars. Fill the jars with the soup and leave a headspace of an inch at the top.

Don’t forget to remove air bubbles from the jars of soup with a spatula. Dip your spatula into the jars and stir the soup. Fill the water bath with water but don’t let the water cover the jars. Cover the water bath, and you can turn on the stove.

Let the water boil for about 30 minutes, and the job is done. Turn off the stove and wait for the water bath and its content to cool off naturally. Remove the jars and wipe them dry with a towel. Check their seal before you label them for storage.

If you find out that there’s a jar with a broken seal, put it inside a refrigerator and eat it within a couple of days or consume it immediately.

Do you cook soup before canning?

Yes, it is necessary to cook the soup before canning it. That way, your soup will be ready to eat anytime. You’ll only need to warm it anytime you want to eat. Besides, if you’re using a water bath, you must cook it to kill off all the bacteria spores that the water bath canner may not be able to kill.

Conclusion

We have explained how to can your soup with an oven and with a water bath. Choose the one that is suitable for you and stick with it until you’re able to afford a pressure canner. None of the methods are as safe and effective as using a pressure canner.

June Brandt
Latest posts by June Brandt (see all)