Canning Potato & Tomato Garden Soup: Garden to Canner

 

We have had an abundant harvest in our garden this year. We have been able to can and preserve a lot of that harvest and one of those food products is our Potato & Tomato Garden Soup. This is a great soup recipe that can be used as a stand alone soup or as a soup base. The soup base is perfect to add other garden vegetables and or a meat protein there are so many delicious possibilities. At one time  I canned this soup in quarts because all the kids were still home, but today I can it in the pints for just the two of us. If I need more I just use two jars instead of one. This recipe is for a big batch, but you can sure cut it in half if you need to. We love this soup and is delicious any time of the year!

How To Can Potato & Tomato Garden Soup

Garden to Canner

The Growing Process

Potatoes

We started the growing process for our potatoes in early March this year and we had some beautiful potato vines.

We began to harvest the potatoes in late June and early July and have had a great harvest of potatoes this year.

After we dig the potatoes from the ground, we take them to the outdoor kitchen area where they are washed and laid out to dry. 

After the potatoes are completely dry they are moved to a holding container in the kitchen or moved to a cold bin in the barn.

Tomatoes

We planted our tomatoes in March and they have

truly been the gift that keeps on giving!

We have an assortment of 

Roma's and Celebrity Tomatoes in this basket.

The Canning Process

We wash and scrub the potatoes just one more time. Put them into a large stew pot and cover with water. Boil the potatoes until the are tender when a toothpick is inserted.

Chop the boiled potatoes into bite size pieces, leaving the jackets on.

To start the tomatoes, we boil the tomatoes in boiling water about 2 minutes then plunge them into an ice bath and the skin comes right off.

After the tomatoes have been skinned, chop them into bite size pieces. Making sure to chop over a large bowl to preserve the juices.

Pour the chopped potatoes and chopped tomatoes into a large stew pot for mixing.

Mix the chopped potatoes and chopped tomatoes together and set aside.

Thank goodness we get to use the food processor to chop all the onions. I remember a time just some years ago when we had to chop them by hand and cry a lot!

Pour the onions on top of the chopped potatoes and tomatoes.

Mix the chopped potatoes, tomatoes and onions very well. We will now begin to pack the jars and prepare them for the pressure cooker.

Our jars are ready for the pressure cooker. I will give you the recipe that I use for my pressure cooker, however I urge you to always follow the directions for your pressure cooker!

After the right amount of water was added to the cooker the lid was secured. After the cooker reached a certain point to release steam, the steam cap was placed on and the cooker set the steam. Then the pressure gage begins to climb, DO NOT LEAVE THE COOKER UNATTENDED DURING THIS PROCESS! The pressure required for the soup is 11 pounds for 25 minutes, this requires regulating the temperature of the burner to maintain the pressure.

After the cooker has reduced all the steam naturally, very carefully remove the pressure gage and very carefully open the lid. Very carefully using a jar tool, remove the hot jars from the cooker and place on a soft towel to cool for 24 hours without moving.

The Recipe

Yield: 18 Pints

Author: Miz Helen's Kitchen

Canning Potato & Tomato Garden Soup

A garden to canner recipe for a simple but delicious garden soup that can have more vegetables or meat protein added to become your family favorite.

Ingredients

• 18 cups fresh potatoes, (about 6 pounds), chopped
• 12 cups chopped tomatoes with juice.
• 10 cups onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, per pint jar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup boiling water for each jar

Instructions

1. Scrub and wash all the potatoes, then chop into bite size pieces.
2. Drop the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to an ice bath, and skin the tomatoes.
4. Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces over a large mixing bowl to preserve the juice along with the tomatoes.
5. Mix the chopped potatoes and chopped tomatoes in a large stew pot.
6. Chop the onions in a food processor, then add them to the potatoes and tomatoes. Mix all the ingredients well.
7. Sterilize the jars, lids and lid screws.
8. Pack the jars with the soup mixture to within 1/2 inch of the top.
9. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt on top of the soup mixture in every jar.
10. Fill the jar with 1/4 to 1/2 cup boiling water to bring the level to within 1/2 inch of the top.
11. Seal the jars.
12. Proceed according to the directions for your pressure cooker.
13. I fill the cooker with hot water to a certain place in my cooker.
14. I process this recipe at 11 pounds for 25 minutes, letting the pressure reduce naturally.
15. Remove the jars from the cooker and place on a soft towel and do not disturb for 24 hours. 

Pin For Later

I Love Stacking Some Of My Jars In The Window

Just To See The Light Shine Through

Reminds Me Of Everything I Am Grateful For Today!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and spending some time with us here at the cottage. Canning day is a very special time here and it is always more fun with a friend! Hope you will be able to can some of the summer goodness where you are this year. Have a wonderful week and come back to see us real soon!

Peace and Joy

Miz Helen

This Post Will Be Shared With

These Great Linky Parties