"Can This Be Canned" Question

[jomoncon]

I make a simple sweet potato & chopped pork soup that my DH just loves. I usually freeze it, but would love to can it for the convenience. The soup is mashed baked sweet potatoes, finely chopped smoked pork, onions, celery, & chicken broth. When finished, it has the consistency of a light bisque.

I know you can't can mashed sweet potatoes because of the density issues, but because this is in a soup, I'm not sure if that restriction applies. Since there's meat in it, I'd use the pressure & time for that ingredient: for quarts 90 minutes at 10 pounds for my elevation.

What do you think? My DH can sometimes get on my nerves, but I don't want to kill him with botulism!

 

[OnlyOrps]

I make a simple sweet potato & chopped pork soup that my DH just loves. I usually freeze it, but would love to can it for the convenience. The soup is mashed baked sweet potatoes, finely chopped smoked pork, onions, celery, & chicken broth. When finished, it has the consistency of a light bisque.

I know you can't can mashed sweet potatoes because of the density issues, but because this is in a soup, I'm not sure if that restriction applies. Since there's meat in it, I'd use the pressure & time for that ingredient: for quarts 90 minutes at 10 pounds for my elevation.

What do you think? My DH can sometimes get on my nerves, but I don't want to kill him with botulism!

I know nothing about canning. Trying to learn myself... but I just have to say that last part was hilarious!

 

[wyoDreamer]

As long as you don't use flour to thicken it, it should be OK. Flour thickened stuff will break down during storage.
The issue is to get it hot all the way through the jar and hold that temp long enough to kill the bad stuff. I am thinking that texture would be thin enough for the heat transfer. How does it compare to applesauce, tomato sauce, chutneys, and all the fruit butters out there for texture. Those are all canned and stored successfully. My peach butter is pretty thick and it canned up nice.
It sounds yummy!
Good luck!

 

[jomoncon]

wyodreamer, there's no flour in the soup - the mashed sweet potatoes and the amount of broth controls the thickness. I's say the final soup is a lot thinner than applesauce. The next time I make I'll give canning a try. The original soup recipe called for butternut squash, but we're southern & believe in sweet potatoes, I thought I's give them a try. It also called for rice to be added, but I didn't need the extra carbs. I just bake up however many sweet potatoes I have, peel & mash them. Add whatever kind of meat I have hanging around - usually smoked pork, but I've also used cooked sausage. I just add enough chicken broth to the texture I like. Sometimes, my DH adds cheese to the reheated soup, sometimes a dollup of heavy cream or sour cream. It's just a soup that he's crazy about and I like also.

 

[wyoDreamer]

It sounds like it would can up OK. I guess you will just have to try it and see.
I didn't think there was any flour in it from your description, but I just wanted to mention it just in case. I canned my chicken stew recipe and it turned out great. I just waited to thicken it until after I opened the jar and heated it to eat.
It sounds like a good way to eat sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes.

 

[jomoncon]

Yesterday, I made a big pot of this soup & canned up 12 quart jars of it. 1 jar broke during processing, but that was an older jar & probably had a crack in it. Opened one of the jars this morning to check the taste & it's delicious!

 

[animalsRawesome]

Yesterday, I made a big pot of this soup & canned up 12 quart jars of it. 1 jar broke during processing, but that was an older jar & probably had a crack in it. Opened one of the jars this morning to check the taste & it's delicious!

You know that you can't taste Botulism, right? If it's not in the Ball Blue book, or the NCHFP website then I personally don't can it...