Soup of the Day... Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup

A first rate soup is more creative than a second rate painting.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: Some folks don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they may live in another country where the standards are not the same, they may use heirloom methods passed down through the generations, they may choose other canning methods not recommended. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take NO responsibility for them.

Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup 

Found on Canning Only Recipes

2 lbs dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight 

2 quarts tomato juice (I used 2 qts of home canned tomato juice) 

2 cups carrots, diced 

4 cups potatoes, diced 

3 cups celery, chopped 

1 teaspoon canning salt and pepper (Black or White) 

1 bay leaf 

3 cups onions, diced

1-2 lbs. bulk sausage, browned and drained... or sausages in casing, cut in bite-sized pieces

2 lbs bacon, diced OR 1 cup of diced ham 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except sausage, bacon and onion in large pot. Cook over medium heat until soft (this took almost 45 mins on low). Cut bacon into small pieces and fry in skillet. Remove bacon and cook onion in bacon grease until soft, drain on papper towels. Add sausage, bacon and onion to bean mixture and heat until it simmers. Taste for salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf before putting in jars. 

Fill hot mixture into sterilized jars, filling to within 1" of tops of jars (I found that using the home canned tomato juice the juice in the soup was pretty thick and there was not enough of it. So I used hot water to finish filling the jars to 1" headspace). Pressure can 1 hour and 15 mins for pints and 1 hour and 30 mins for quarts at 10 lbs. 

I ended up with 14 pints 

NOTE: The National Center for Home Food Preservation has not done much testing on the safety of canning bacon. What little research they have done they have determined that 1 to 2 slices of bacon per jar is safe enough. Their concern is the fat content in bacon and the chance it can go rancid or harbor botulism that cannot be destroyed by temps reached in home canning. Some people have suggested that 2 pounds of bacon in this recipe is not safe. To be honest I didn't use the full two pounds ... more than 1 pound ... but not 2 pounds. If you decide to make this recipe just be aware that this is not an approved recipe from the NCHFP. But you can substitute ham in this recipe for the bacon.

Tomorrow's Soup of the Day... Chicken Booyah