‘Tis the cold and flu season….  So be sure to have your pantry stocked with the age-old home remedy!

Chicken Soup Canning Recipe

Makes about eight (8) Quarts or sixteen (16) Pints

I grew up eating this soup, it truly was a staple in our home. And, you will still find my elderly mom whipping up a large stockpot full every fall season. She called this soup, nature’s penicillin, because of its anti-inflammatory properties used to ward of cold and flu germs and boost the immune system. Having this on the ready in your pantry makes things so much easier, especially if you are feeling under the weather.

Ingredients

8 Quarts of Water (32 cups)
1 Whole chicken cut in pieces – keep skin on chicken
3 Bay Leaves
5 Garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil or 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil chopped fine
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt – optional
Black Pepper to taste – about 2 teaspoons
2 cups Onion, diced
6 cups Carrots, chopped
2 cups of Celery – including the leaves, chopped
2 cups Idaho Potatoes, diced
1 Pint jar of Diane’s Basil Diced Tomatoes or 1 Pint jar Diane’s Salsa

Instructions

1. Place water and all chicken pieces in a large stock pot and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and boil chicken until cooked through – approximately 30 minutes.  Remove chicken pieces and skim foam off top of water.
2. Keeping the water at a nice boil, add all seasonings.  Boil for 5 minutes.
3. Chicken Prep:  Remove all skin and bones from the cooled chicken.  Using either a knife or your fingers, cut/tear chicken into bite size pieces until all meat (both light and dark) has been removed from the carcass.  Add remaining ingredients and cut chicken to the stock pot and boil an additional 5 minutes.
4. Adding a jar of your home-canned salsa gives your soup the kick it needs to rid yourself of a nasty cold/flu bug – and clear away any congestion so you can breath easy!  The secret is in the Jalapenos.
5. Hot pack soup into prepared jars being sure to leave a 1” headspace.  Wipe each rim with a warm wash cloth dipped in vinegar.  (The vinegar cuts through the grease from the chicken.)  Place lid and rings on each jar and hand tighten.
6. If you have remaining soup broth in your stockpot, be sure to ladle it into jars as well. Process it right alongside the jars filled with soup so you have chicken stock to use later in meal creations.
7. Pressure at 10 pounds of pressure or according to your canner type and elevation; process quart jars for 90 minutes and pint jars for 75 minutes.

When a cold/flu bug hits – grab a jar off your pantry shelf, heat soup through and serve over cooked egg noodles or with a side of fresh baked corn bread!  Yum!!

Happy Canning!
xo
Diane, The Canning Diva®
www.canningdiva.com