Canning turkey soup is a great way to preserve and extend the flavors of Thanksgiving Making and canning a hearty turkey soup means you can enjoy delicious turkey soup all winter long In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about canning turkey soup at home.
Why Can Turkey Soup?
There are many benefits to canning your own turkey soup after Thanksgiving:
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Preserves Turkey Leftovers – Don’t let your turkey go to waste! Canning it makes turkey last for up to 2 years
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Save Money – Canned soup costs 3-4 times more than homemade. Canning your own is frugal.
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Quick Weeknight Meals – Just open a jar for fast soup ready in minutes. It’s so convenient.
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Control Ingredients – Make wholesome soup without preservatives or additives.
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Unique Holiday Gifts – Homemade canned soup makes thoughtful gifts for neighbors and family.
Tips for Canning Turkey Soup
Follow these tips for safely canning flavorful and shelf-stable turkey soup:
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Use a Pressure Canner – A pressure canner is required to safely can soup at home. The high heat kills bacteria.
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Use Homemade Turkey Stock – For the best flavor, make turkey stock from the bones and use it in the soup.
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Cut Turkey in Bite-Sized Pieces – Dice the turkey into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes so the meat is evenly distributed.
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Pack Jars Carefully – Fill jars halfway with turkey and vegetables, then pour in hot broth, leaving 1 inch headspace.
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Don’t Add Noodles – Only add dried pasta, rice or noodles when reheating as they soak up too much liquid.
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Adjust for Altitude – Increase canner pressure for higher elevations based on manufacturer guidelines.
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Don’t Change Recipe – Only make safe tested recipes from trusted sources like the USDA or Ball canning guides.
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Check Seals – Make sure jar lids sealed properly before storing. Refrigerate unsealed jars immediately.
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Label & Store – After cooling, label jars with contents and date. Store in a cool, dark place up to 2 years.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps for safely canning stellar turkey soup at home:
1. Prep the Turkey & Vegetables
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Cook turkey pieces until no longer pink and dice into bite-sized 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
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Chop onions, carrots, celery, and any other vegetables into small uniform pieces for even cooking.
2. Make the Turkey Broth
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Simmer turkey carcass and scraps in water with seasonings to extract flavor and make broth.
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Let cool and strain out bones. Skim off excess fat from the top before using.
3. Prepare Equipment & Jars
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Wash canning jars, rings, and new lids in hot soapy water. Rinse. Place jars in canner filled with 2-3 inches water.
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Add canner rack, fill with water based on manufacturer guidelines, and bring to a simmer. Keep jars hot until ready to fill.
4. Make the Soup
- Add diced turkey, prepared vegetables, and seasonings to broth in a pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender.
5. Pack the Jars
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Use a canning funnel to fill hot jars halfway with turkey and vegetables. Ladle in hot broth, leaving 1 inch headspace.
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Slide bubble releaser down jars to remove trapped air. Wipe rims. Apply lids and rings.
6. Pressure Can the Jars
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Place jars on canner rack. Lock canner lid. Vent steam 10 minutes. Close vent. Raise pressure to 11 PSI.
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Process quart jars for 75 minutes, pint jars for 60 minutes. Adjust for altitude over 1,000 ft if needed.
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When time is up, turn off heat. Allow canner to depressurize naturally. Wait 10 minutes then open lid away from you.
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Remove jars. Allow to cool untouched for 12-24 hours. Check seals, then store.
7. Enjoy Your Turkey Soup!
- To serve, pour into pan and simmer 10 minutes. Add rice, noodles or veggies. Season to taste. Enjoy your homemade soup!
Delicious Turkey Soup Recipe
This versatile recipe makes about 7 quarts of hearty turkey soup perfect for pressure canning:
Ingredients:
- 6 cups cooked, diced turkey
- 3 cups sliced carrots
- 3 cups chopped celery
- 2 cups diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp salt (optional)
- 8 cups turkey broth or stock
Directions:
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Prepare turkey and vegetables. Place in large pot. Add seasonings.
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Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
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Carefully ladle hot soup into jars leaving 1 inch of headspace. Wipe rims. Apply lids and rings.
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Pressure can quart jars for 75 mins, pint jars for 60 mins at 11 PSI.
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Cool jars completely undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check seals.
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Store sealed jars in cool, dark place up to 2 years.
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To serve, simmer soup 10 minutes. Add rice or noodles. Adjust seasonings.
Reheating & Serving Tips
Follow these tips for safely reheating and enhancing your homemade canned turkey soup:
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Simmer for 10 Minutes – Always heat canned soup for at least 10 minutes before eating to kill any bacteria.
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Add Noodles or Rice – For a heartier soup, cook noodles, rice, or pasta separately and add to your bowl before ladling in hot soup.
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Toss in Veggies – Customize your soup by adding fresh or frozen vegetables like spinach, kale, peas, corn or beans while reheating.
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Garnish with Herbs – Brighten up your soup with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary or sage.
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Swirl in Cream – Stir in a spoonful of heavy cream or milk just before serving for a creamy richness.
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Season to Taste – Tailor the flavor with a little salt, pepper, hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Make it a Meal – Round out your soup into a complete meal by serving it with a salad, bread and a glass of wine or cider.
Storage Tips
Follow proper storage methods to keep your homemade canned turkey soup safe and shelf-stable:
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Test Seals Before Storing – Make sure jar lids are sealed correctly by pressing down on centers. If they pop or flex, they didn’t seal. Refrigerate these immediately.
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Remove Rings – Take off the screw bands before storing sealed jars. This allows you to easily check seals and see if any rust or food discoloration occurs over time.
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Label Jars – Identify contents and date each jar before putting it away. Store jars without screw bands.
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Store in Cool, Dark Place – For best quality and safety, store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place between 50°F to 70°F for up to 2 years.
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Use Oldest Jars First – Be sure to use oldest canned soup jars first to avoid any quality or safety issues. Discard any jars with mold, rust or food discoloration.
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Refrigerate After Opening – Once opened, refrigerate leftover soup and use within 3 to 5 days. Never re-can opened soup. Simply freeze leftovers in airtight containers.
Troubleshooting Guide
Use this troubleshooting guide if you run into any issues with your pressure canned turkey soup:
Problem: Floating Food
Cause: Too much headspace in jars
Solution: Carefully pack jars tighter before canning
Problem: Cloudy Broth
Cause: Starch from pasta/rice added before canning
Solution: Only add noodles, rice or pasta when reheating soup
Problem: Discolored Soup
Cause: Iron and sulfur compounds in water
Solution: Use soft or distilled water for clearer canned soup
Problem: Moldy Soup
Cause: Food particles left on sealing surface
Solution: Carefully clean rims and use new lids each time
Problem: Unsealed Lids
Cause: Food debris on rims or lids put on incorrectly
Solution: Thoroughly clean rims and seal lids properly
Problem: Flat-Sour Spoiled Soup
Cause: Pressure canner failure
Solution: Use tested safe recipes and functioning dial/weighted pressure canner
Enjoy Homemade Turkey Soup All Season
Preserving turkey soup through pressure canning lets you enjoy scratch-made soup conveniently for months after Thanksgiving. With proper methods, equipment, and tested recipes, you can stock your pantry with nourishing homemade soup to savor all winter long.
Is it recommended to blanch vegetables before freezing?
Yes. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes which cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. Blanching also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.
Can Splenda® (sucralose) be used in preserving food?
Granular Splenda® does not provide preservative properties like sugar.
Canning Fruits: Whereas we do not have published research work with using sucralose in the canning of fruits at home available to us, it is possible to use it for sweetening the water used to cover fruits when canning. The texture and color preserving aspects of a sugar syrup will not be provided. The result would be like canning in water except for the additional sweetness contributed by the Splenda®. The USDA fruit canning directions do allow for canning in water (i.e., without a sugar syrup), as there is adequate preservation for safety from the heat of proper canning. Some people do notice an aftertaste in other products and canned fruits, and it is possible some little changes in natural flavors may occur over storage time, since sugar can mask some of these. For people used to sucralose sweetening and flavors, the aftertaste may not be an issue. Based on some of our experiences in canning peaches and pickled foods, we suggest you start seeing what you like by trying less than a full substitution for the sugar in canning syrups. For example, if you use a medium sugar syrup that is 5-/14 cups water to 2-1/4 cups sugar, try 1 to 1-1/4 cups Splenda® the first time. You can always sweeten more when you serve the finished product if it is not quite sweet enough; then you can increase the canning liquid amount the next time you can.
Preserves and Pickled Fruits: In other cases, where sugar is important, like some preserves or pickled fruits, it is not recommended that substitution of Splenda® be used for sugar if the product is to be canned for shelf stability. Splenda® cannot be used in several traditional Southern preserves we have on this website or in the University of Georgia Extension publications. These are whole or uniform pieces of fruit in a very thick sugar syrup, usually made with figs, peaches or pears. (These preserves are not jam or pectin gel products.) Sugar is required for the preservation of these syrupy fruit preserves as published, with very short boiling water canner processes. Without that heavy amount of sugar, these products become fruit pieces canned in water or lighter sugar syrups, and the usual (and longer) fruit canning process times and preparation directions would need to be used.
Jams and Jellies, or Fruit Spreads: You could use Splenda® as the optional sweetener in a jam or jelly made with a no-sugar needed pectin, such as Mrs. Wages™ Lite Home Jell® Fruit Pectin, Ball® No-Sugar Needed Pectin or Sure-Jell® for Less or No-Sugar-Needed Recipes. With these low-methoxyl pectins, no sugar is required at all. Sugar substitutes can be added as desired simply for flavor. The package inserts with these pectins give instructions on when to add the sugar substitutes (usually after all the cooking, right before filling the jars). Do not try to substitute Splenda® for the required sugar in recipes calling for “regular” liquid and powdered pectins.
And do not try to substitute Splenda® in long-boil or no-pectin-added jams and jellies intended for room temperature storage as a canned product. You might get some thickened fruit spreads with just fruit and Splenda®, but they may not have enough water control for processing like a gelled, high sugar-containing jam or jelly. They might require longer processing to avoid spoilage at room temperature. If you want to experiment with making these kind of fruit spreads we recommend freezing or refrigeration for storage.
We have developed three recipes using Splenda® and they are on our website, www.homefoodpreservation.com. They are quick pickled sweet cucumber slices, pickled beets and pickled cantaloupe. They are under the How do I….Pickle category, as well as National Center factsheets, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets.html.
There is also a Peach-Pineapple Reduced Sugar Fruit Spread from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning that does not require added sugar. Some other fruit substitutions are provided in the text. The suggested sugar for sweetening can be left out, or you can add some Splenda® as desired for sweetness. The process time is longer than regular jams and jellies, and is like that for a fruit puree. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/peach_pineapple_spread.html
Pressure Canning Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers into Turkey Soup/casserole Starter.
FAQ
How long does homemade canned turkey soup last?
Home canned foods should be used within 1 year.
Can turkey broth be canned?
Canning turkey stock is one of the easiest ways to “save-for-later” the flavor and nutrients of your home-cooked turkey dinner. Warm up those winter nights with recipes using your homemade turkey stock. It’s great for making soups, cooking noodles or rice, or enhancing any poultry dish.
Can homemade soup be water bath canned?
Soups need to be pressure canned. They can’t be water bath canned.
Can you jar soup with meat in it?
Answer: Vegetable, dried bean or pea, meat, poultry or seafood soups can be canned. USDA does not recommend adding noodles, other pastas, rice, flour, cream, milk or other thickening agents to home canned soups.
How do you cook a turkey carcass for Soup?
When canning turkey broth for soup, add about 1/4 cup of vinegar (white or apple cider) to the water . This helps the bones to release collagen and calcium. Cover the carcass with filtered water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add salt, pepper, onion, celery, carrots and any other herbs you want. Rosemary or thyme are nice additions as well.
How do you make canning Turkey vegetable soup?
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this canning turkey vegetable soup: Here are the instructions for making this canning turkey vegetable soup: Combine the turkey stock, turkey, celery, carrots, and onion in a large stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
How do you can a Turkey for Soup?
Canning Turkey Soup When canning turkey broth for soup, add about 1/4 cup of vinegar (white or apple cider) to the water . This helps the bones to release collagen and calcium. Cover the carcass with filtered water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add salt, pepper, onion, celery, carrots and any other herbs you want.
Can you make canned turkey soup at home?
We will also provide you with a delicious recipe for turkey soup that you can can at home. So if you’re looking for a way to warm up on a cold winter day, give canned turkey soup a try! Cut the turkey breast into 1-inch cubes. Chop the onion. Chop the celery. Chop the carrots. Chop the parsnips. Peel and cube the potatoes.
How do you make Turkey Soup with a pressure canning jar?
Canning turkey soup requires a pressure canner, canning jars, lids and bands. Be sure to use new lids each time you can. Follow these steps: Prepare the turkey – Cook fresh turkey or use roasted turkey leftovers. Remove skin, bones, and fat then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Prepare the aromatics – Chop onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
How long do you cook Turkey Soup in a canner?
Cover the canner, bring it to a simmer (180°F), and allow it to simmer for at least 10 minutes. Keep the jars warm until you are ready to fill them. You can get the soup ingredients ready while the canner is warming. This recipe calls for cooked turkey and raw vegetables.