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Easy Chicken Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"When cold and flu season hits, you'll be ready by preserving this cozy homemade favorite. A pint jar is the perfect single-serving size."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 quarts water (24 cups)
â—¦ 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (4 large), with rib meat
â—¦ 3 bay leaves
â—¦ 8 carrots, peeled and chopped (4 cups)
â—¦ 2 celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
â—¦ 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon garlic powder
â—¦ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
â—¦ 1 tablespoon salt (optional)
â—¦ 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

This recipe is hot packed, so have clean jars resting in hot water.

In a large stockpot, combine the water, chicken, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring often to avoid scorching the chicken. Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board to cool. Keep the broth at a simmer.

Using a knife or your fingers, cut or tear the chicken into bite-size pieces, removing and discarding the skin and bones, and return the meat to the stockpot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper to the stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then boil for 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using a funnel and a slotted spoon, fill each jar three-quarters full with chicken and vegetables. Be sure to balance the ratio of chicken and vegetables in each jar. Once the jars are three-quarters full, ladle hot broth over the mixture, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Gently tap each jar bottom on the cutting board to remove air bubbles and add additional broth if necessary to maintain the 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Fill the pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar. Place the jars in the pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and continue heating to achieve 11 (psi) for a dial gauge and 10 (psi) for a weighted gauge. Process quart jars for 90 minutes and pint jars for 75 minutes. After the processing time has been reached, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure in the canner to reach zero on its own, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Safely remove the canner lid and allow the jars to sit for 10 minutes inside the canner before removing.

Makes 6 quarts or 12 pints



• Try this instead:
Feel free to swap out the chicken for turkey. Or load up on vegetables and remove the meat altogether. For the veggie-only option, add 4 to 6 cups of additional vegetables, such as cubed squash, tomatoes, cabbage, and/or turnips.