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I never canned homemade stew. My pressure cooker manual gives a processing time for goulash, but not stew. I love making beef stew, chili, and homemade soup when the weather gets nippy.

I'm so sorry you went through all that time, energy and expense! Yes, you need to use a pressure canner even with broths.

Agree with Jan in VA that maybe the jostling during transit may have caused the seals to separate and most definitely agree that you should contact your home extension agent. They are a fount of information for these things. Good luck with your next batch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuilterMomma (Post 5540434)

I like to can up my soups and send with the college student so she has healthy meals and spends less eating out and at the college. I canned 14 jars of chicken soup and five jars of beef soup and they all came unsealed within two weeks. What in the world did I do wrong? I have vegetables I canned over 10 years ago and they are fine. I did a water bath with them and hot packed. Should I have used the pressure cooker? I made tomato soup and it is still sealed. Any suggestions would be great. Also, if I am to pressure cook, how do I do that? I have a pressure cooker but have never actually used it for pressure cooking. My mom bought it for me. Please let me know you experts out there.

I remember from canning at home, if your canning things with meat it takes longer than just veggies. You should have done your hot water bath with jars of chicken soup only, then beef soup only. We never mixed soups with meat and jars of just veggies only, because of the cooking times. I would call the company who's lids and jars you used, to see what they say about the cooking times.

That brings another thing to mind. How long will your canned goods last in the jars. Do I throw away the beets, syrup, and jelly I canned 10 years ago? Might not be quite that long, but just a ballpark number.

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuilterMomma (Post 5544656)

Quite honestly, I'm not sure. I've never had any of my jams, peaches, pears, or anything else I've canned go uneaten past the winter, much less 10 years. That's another thing you might ask your county extension office.

Definately use a pressure canner for your vegetable and meat soups. The 90 min. at 10 pounds pressure sound about right, but be sure to check your canner book to be sure. That is a lot of work to go through and have it spoil. Better luck next time. If I remember correctly, when I canned tomato soup it did not have to be pressure canned, but used the hot water bath.

All this talk reminds me of decades ago when I canned like that and why now I freeze everything.

It is not my place here but your local extension office most likely offers canning classes, they are worth taking if you intend to to can food. You can also contact them for advice or consider becoming a Master food Preserver. It is important to learn the proper way to can. The possible consequences of not canning properly are grim.

I understand that part of canning correctly. I have been canning for years, just not a lot of soups. Now to figure out where the county extension office is here in Spokane, WA. That should be an adventure. When I lived in Montana, I knew where it was because part of the 4-H office. I am sure I will find it. Thank you gals for the great input. I canned 10 quarts of tomatoe soup again last night, not sure if their right, going to watch them closely, and it was just tomato soup and not any meat in them. Then got 7 quarts of salsa done as well. Still have more tomatoes to go and then pears as well. And those beets, yikes, they produced this year.