Canning Tomato Soup

1. Although you can strain them out later, it is easiest to deseed and peel the tomatoes first in a food mill.Chop tomatoes into pieces large enough to fit in your food mill or juicer.We use our Kitchenaid with the vegetable juicer attachment.After you run the tomato chunks through the first time, run the discarded seeds and skins through a couple more times.You’ll get a lot of extra juice.
2. Once the tomatoes are done, add them to a large stock pot.
3. Peel onion and cut into quarters. Rough chop carrots.
4. Rough chop celery.
5. Peel garlic.
6. Add all of the vegetables to the bowl of your food processor.
7. Process them until finely chopped.
8. Add the vegetables to the tomatoes in the stock pot with the sugar.Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a fast simmer, until the water content is reduced. Usually about 2 hours.
9. Chop the fresh herbs, if using.
10. Add the chopped herbs and spices. Cook for about 30 minutes more.

To can soup

1. Prepare lids and jars while the soup is cooking.Start your water bath canning pot or set up your pressure canner, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to pint jars and 2 tablespoons to quart jars.Do not skip the lemon juice, if you’d like the jars to be shelf-stable. Add salt to jar, unless you added it when making the soup.
3. Ladle hot soup into hot jars. leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove bubbles, if needed. Wipe rims with damp, clean kitchen cloth or paper towel.
4. Center warm lids on jars with the aid of your canning funnel. Screw on bands fingertip tight.
5. Either process jars in a water bath canning pot for 40 minutes for pints. Adjust time for altitude. See notes below.
6. Or process jars in a pressure canner for 20 minutes at 11 PSI (pounds per square inch) for pints. Again, you must adjust for altitude, see notes below.
7. Once processed, remove lid from canning pot. Allow jars to rest in hot water for about 5 minutes.
8. Remove the jars from the canning pot with a jar lifter and let them sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours until thoroughly cooled.
9. Check lids for seal. Press lid in the center, if it flexes up or down, the jar has not sealed and should be stored in the refrigerator and used first.