Many people think once autumn's apples and pears are canned, canning season is over. But the truth is, you can can food at home all year long! If you have a pressure canner, you're smart to save the canning of seafood, poultry, and meat until the rush of produce disappears from the garden or farmer's market. Fall and winter are also an excellent time to can staples like chili, stew, and soup.

In my house, chicken soup is on the agenda. We've just about used up the chicken soup I canned last year. This staple food is far superior to anything you can buy in a store and is especially popular when we get winter colds. Chicken soup is also easy to can - you may even already have all the ingredients on hand.

By the way, you may notice there are no noodles or rice in this recipe. This is because it's not safe to can grains at home. We eat the chicken soup exactly as is, with no additions upon opening a jar, but if you prefer, you may certainly add rice or noodles upon opening the jar and warming up the soup. (FYI, this recipe was originally published by Ball.)

16 cups chicken or beef stock (store bought, or make your own)
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I use chicken breasts, but dark meat is fine, too)
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced onion
salt
pepper

1. Begin by reviewing the general procedure for pressure canning.

2. Fill the pressure canner with water, according to the manufacturer's directions.

3. Place the canner on a large burner, under medium high heat. Keep the canning jars hot by placing them inside the canner.

4. In a large stainless steel pot, combine stock, chicken, celery, carrots, and onions. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

5. Reduce heat and gently boil for about half an hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. One pint jar at a time, ladle the hot soup into a hot canning jar, doing your best to evenly distribute the solids between jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch of head space. Bubble the jar, wipe the rim clean, and put a lid on it. Place the jar in the pressure canner.

7. Repeat step 6 until all the jars are filled.

8. Adjust the water level of the canner, if needed, so it meets the manufacturer's mark on the inside. Lock the lid in place. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When steam begins coming from the vent, wait 10 minutes. Then process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes.*

9. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure on the canner to return to zero. Wait 3 more minutes, then carefully remove the pressure canner lid so it opens away from you. Let the jars sit in the canner with the lid off for 10 minutes, then remove and place jars on a cooling rack. Allow to cool overnight before moving or touching.

* NOTE: If you live at a high altitude, read this important information about adjusting canning times.