Mid-winter is usually thought of as “soup season,” but soup’s great in the shoulder seasons, too, and we love it just as much in spring and autumn. Right now is the perfect time for canning soup, before you get too busy in the garden later on in the season.
Home-canned soup is a great way to save time on busy weeknights, and there’s always room for a warm, comforting bowl of nourishment.
There’s nothing like a bowl of homemade chicken soup when you’re under the weather…but try making yourself chicken soup when you’re sick and see how well that goes. If you plan ahead, though, you can have any soup you want at a moment’s notice right from your pantry shelf.
(Yes, even home-canned chicken soup).
And, of course, without all the salt and additives you find in commercially canned soup. Just fresh veggies, high-quality protein, and a lotta love in a jar.
Read More: 30+ Soup Canning Recipes
Shown above, you’ll see Cream of Mushroom Soup Base, White Bean and Kale Soup, Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup, and French Onion Soup.
Those are all wintertime staples in my pantry, and I particularly love having white bean and kale soup for lunch with a bit of crusty bread and fresh parmesan grated on top. Just heat and serve, and you’ve got a satisfying meal between bouts of outdoor chores.
Beyond that, these recipes are keepers:
Thai Coconut Squash Soup (Ball Canning Tested Recipe)
Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup (Olive Garden Copy Cat)
Things You Might Need This Week
27 Trees You Can Tap for Syrup - Maple syrup is just the beginning, and there are plenty of other trees you can tap for syrup. I particularly love Beech syrup, but Birch and Walnut are also popular around these parts.
100 Best Books for Self-Reliant Living - All my favorite DIY books, organized by topic.
12 Best Egg Laying Chickens for Beginners - Now’s the time to order chicks for the season!
Seasonal Preserving
Recipes to keep your larder full all year round…in season now:
Canning Maple Syrup - Canned maple syrup lasts A LONG TIME
Dandelion Jelly - I know some of you have your first blooms already
Salt Cured Egg Yolks - Surprisingly delicious on both savory and sweet things
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Things I’m Loving
Porter Road - When I’m canning stew in the winter months, we’ll put in a bulk order with Porter Road for Beef Chuck (for beef stew, pot roast, etc.) and for Pork Shoulder (for Pork and Green Chili Stew, recipe coming soon).
Harvest Right Freeze Dryers ~ Garden season is fast approaching, and freeze drying is a great way to put up a lot of food without added sugar or salt.
What are you harvesting, preserving, building, or exploring on your homestead this week? I’d love to hear about it!
Leave me a note in the comments…
(Comments only, please. Emails tend to get lost in my inbox, and as much as I’d love to get back to each and every one, my screen time is very limited…and things fall through the cracks, and emails get buried in my inbox. If you comment here, they’re all in one place, and it’s much easier to get back to every single one.)
Until Next Time,
Ashley at Practical Self Reliance
What a great resource your posts are, and this one especially. Thank you for sharing your abundance of knowledge and experience.
Thank you for the recipes