Soup of the Day... Ham and White Bean Soup

Soup Idiom

everything from soup to nuts

and everything from A to Z and everything but the kitchen sink
n. everything imaginable. (Colloquial.)

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.

Ham and White Bean Soup

Found on Canning Only Recipes

2 lbs dried great northern beans, soaked overnight 

3 pounds of baked ham, diced in uniform pieces. 

2 quarts of homemade chicken broth or 5 cans store bought 

2 cups carrots, diced 

1 cup diced onion 

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes 

1 cup celery, chopped 

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen (optional) I didn't add them in this batch 

4 bay leaves 

6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 tablespoons of dried parsley 

1 teaspoon canning salt per quart or 1/2 tsp per pints (If you use store bought chicken broth you can omit) 

1/2 teaspoon pepper (Black or White) per quart or 1/4 tsp for pints

Procedure: 

1. Clean and soak beans overnight 

2. Rinse beans and return to large stockpot 

3. Add all ingredients except salt and pepper 

4. Cover with chicken broth and bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for about 30 mins up to 45 mins to 1 hour if you want your beans mushier. 

5. Remove Bay Leaves 

6. Using a ladle and canning funnel, fill your hot jars leaving a 1″ head space. (I used a slotted spoon and filled my jars a little more then halfway with beans, ham, and veggies, and found there was not enough juice in the soup to fill each jar completely up to a 1" headspace so I only added enough to cover the beans and other veggies and finished topping it off with hot water to 1" headspace, this broth is very rich and can handle it). 

7. Pressure can 1 hour and 15 mins for pints and 1 hour and 30 mins for quarts at 10 lbs. To Prepare - I like my soup thick and creamy so I add 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups of milk, and 2 tbsps of butter for 2 quarts of soup when I fix it), heat until hot and serve. Or you can eat as is.

This is what it looks like when you add the butter, milk, and flour/cornstarch.

Tomorrow's Soup of the Day... Ham and Vegetable Soup Base to make Ham Vegetable Chowder