Canning Chicken Soup for Health

12 Pints Chicken Soup, 1 quart & 5 Pints of Chicken Broth
canned and ready for the pressure-canner.

So flu season is here in Michigan and my go to for sick family members is chicken soup and broth. Making homemade chicken soup is really easy. Yes, I know I could easily just drive to the store to get some canned soup and throw it in a pan but there are some reasons I don't want to do that.

1. Healthy Ingredients. My number 1 reason for making my chicken soup & broth is I know exactly what is in it and I can pronounce all of the ingredients. Chicken, Celery, Onion, Carrot, Parsley, Turmeric, Sage, Black Pepper, Garlic, Kosher Salt, Water... you get the idea. I also know that my homemade soup is BPA free. 
1. I pulled a can of store bought chicken soup from the cupboard for comparison. Here are some of the ingredients in that... Mono-sodium Glutamate (MSG), Modified Food Starch, Sodium Phosphate, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Mono-nitrate, Niacin... and 890 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving! You be the judge, which is healthier and easier for your body to digest?
2. When you are tired because you have been up with a sick kido, or catching puke in whatever is nearest, and up during the night do you really WANT to get in the car and go anywhere? Um... No. And then there is the weather. I live in Michigan. So there are times of the year that "just jumping into the car" is really not a safe option. So having healthy chicken soup right on hand is really convenient.
3. Carrots, Onions & Celery help strengthen the immune system, fight off viruses, and speed recovery.  These vegetables contain vitamin A, C and other antioxidants that have been known to help build a strong immune system and fight off viruses. They may help the body recover from illness more quickly.
4. Chicken Broth provides hydration, stimulates nasal clearance. (Stuffy & Runny noses are my nemesis) Hearty broth contains vitamins, minerals, and some fat. The warm liquid can help to improve upper respiratory tract symptoms by providing hydration and stimulating nasal clearance. Its easy to digest. Chicken broth is plain and easy for your body to digest. If you are suffering from some kind of intestinal distress, such as diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome, chicken broth is mild and unlikely to irritate your digestive tract. Chicken broth is considered a "clear liquid," which simply means you can see through it and it won't leave any residue in your digestive tract.
5. Chicken – The star of the dish is packed with protein, which supports the immune system.
6. Chicken Broth is a base ingredient in a lot recipes. Its nice to know that I can just grab a jar of my homemade broth and it is naturally low in sodium. 
7. There have been some studies that show that chicken soup improves symptoms of: joint pain, common cold, some ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, food allergies, IBS, inflammation, muscle spasms, and many more...

For me these are reasons enough to take a little extra time to make my family some healthy chicken soup for whenever is needed.

Finished Product. Hearty Healthy Chicken Soup & Broth.

So... How to can Chicken Soup...

Gather your canning supplies

• pressure canner
• canning jars
• canning lids and rings
• jar lifter and canning funnel
• stock pot
• bowls
• large spoons
• sharp knife
• towels and dish cloth
• ladle

Ingredients

• 4 quarts chicken broth - homemade chicken broth is best.
• 4 cups chopped chicken - cooked
• 4 cups vegetables - I use 1 cup celery, 2 cups carrots, 1 cup onion, adjust this to taste.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic
• If you like other seasonings you can add them. Remember they will be stronger by being canned.

Canning Procedure

Chop all your vegetables. I use about 1 cup each celery and onion and 2 cups carrots. You can change the vegetables as long as you end up with about 4 cups total.  Place chicken broth and chopped chicken in a stock pot, bring to a boil.  Homemade broth makes superior homemade chicken soup.  (Sometimes I just add water and the chicken bones rather than broth to make the broth. When I have the broth where I want it, I pull out all of the bones and this is my broth base.)

Add vegetables to stock pot bring to a boil.

Add salt and pepper. I use about 1 T of Kosher salt. I don't really measure my pepper, just shake some in.

Add garlic. Add any seasonings that you prefer. You might like to add parsley, sage or other favorite spices. Remember that fresh seasonings may get stronger as they are canned. If you add bay leaves, let the soup simmer for a bit to get the flavor throughout but remove the bay leaves before filling jars. So with sage, less is more.  It can get very strong in the jars.  

Using a slotted spoon add your solid ingredients to the jars.  Aim for no  more than 1/2 filled with solids.  Then go back and top off each jar with the cooking broth.  

Leave 1 inch head space. 

Place your lids on and process according to pressure canning instructions. 

Process

Pints - 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Quarts - 1 hour 30 minutes. 

Please refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation for your pressure canning guidelines for your altitude.