Split pea soup & pressure canning

Split pea soup... It's like comfort in a bowl. If you've never tried making it from scratch... It's definitely worth the effort. It's also simple enough to confidently make. I use the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook when I make mine from scratch... Using the slow cooker method. However, when it comes to long term storage- I pressure can. Pressure canning is a safe way to store low acid food for a long time... 18 months or more! 

I recently tried pressure canning split pea soup for the first time- using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It's a well used book here, with the binding actually falling apart. Ball, I'm ready for my sponsorship and new free Cookbook to be sent... lol. 

The recipe from the book turned out pretty well. Next time I'd definitely double the batch. I also question if it can't be made with smoked turkey instead of pork- for my kosher friends. I know you could skip the pork altogether and just add in a little extra salt for flavoring. 

I do like being able to know what's going into my soup- like where the meat came from, veggies, etc. In fact, this time I used my own homegrown onions. I started these onions in February in a little greenhouse (it's snowy and cold in Minnesota at that time, but it feels like Florida in there on a sunny day. Ok, ok- you DO have to imagine the snow is ocean... and that's a pretty far stretch of the imagination!). I would say this- DON'T be afraid to try pressure canning though! It's not a scary thing at all, if done correctly. Even if you don't do it perfectly correct- there are failsafe mechanisms in modern pressure canners now. Also- directions are always pretty darn precise... And if you still have questions, feel free to post them below! I will definitely try to help. I've been pressure canning for years and years. 

Handy Tip: I like to remove the rings before storage. 

1) you can clean them to prevent rust forming and get longer use from them

2) you can check the jars for correct seal

3) drives hubby nuts lol, and isn't that what marriage is about? Learning to appreciate each other's idiocentricities?

Just as a heads up, you don't put the band back on with this method until you use them. You don't ever want to tighten a band on an already sealed jar- or you may break that good seal.