Abbey Verigin

This home canned chicken taco soup is an easy pressure canning recipe to stock the pantry with. Packed with veggies, beans, chicken and broth this is the perfect shelf stable meal in a jar recipe to have on hand.

Soups have become one of my favorite things to have on the pantry shelf. They are cheap to make, hearty, and the perfect shelf stable meal in a jar. I have been canning up plenty of soup outside of preserving season and it is so convenient to have on hand for when I haven’t prepared ahead.

This chicken taco soup is packed full of protein from our homegrown chicken and black beans, and filled with veggies like tomatoes, onions, pepper, corn and garlic. Just open a jar, dump it in a pot, heat and serve for a quick and easy meal with a much cleaner ingredient list than store bought options. I love this soup topped with a big of shredded cheese, greek yogurt or sour cream, and fresh or pickled onions.

Is It Safe To Can Chicken Taco Soup

It is safe to can soup at home if it is pressure canned as soups contain low acid ingredients. Soup should not be water bath canned. Be sure to avoid including ingredients like dairy, thickeners, flour and grains which are not considered safe for pressure canning.

There are guidelines for canning your own soup recipes. They call for a shorter processing time and filling the canning jars no more than half way with solids. This recipe calls for the full length processing time for meat and beans with this soup recipe as I fill the jars more than half way with solids.

How Long Does Home Canned Soup Last

For best flavor, consume home canned soup within a year of canning, however it is safe to consume beyond this with a good seal.

Ingredients Needed For Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken. You can use partially cooked or raw chicken. I typically use partially cooked chicken that I have shredded. We raise our own meat and I find it faster and less effort to partially cook a whole chicken versus using breasts from a parted chicken.

Black Beans. Use dried black beans that have been soaked. It’s important that beans be simmered or long soaked prior to canning.

Tomatoes. I used some of our home canned diced tomatoes, but feel free to use fresh.

Onion. White, yellow or red onion work.

Corn Kernels. Fresh or frozen can be used. If frozen, be sure to thaw prior to adding to your canning jars.

Peppers. I used some of our frozen peppers I had diced from the garden and thawed before adding to my canning jars.

Garlic. No soup is complete without garlic – I use a clove per pint.

Salt. Essential to enhance the flavor.

Black Pepper. Feel free to reduce the amount based on preference.

Chili Powder. If using a store bought chili powder, be sure to check the ingredients to make sure they are safe for canning.

Broth. I use homemade chicken broth. I do not salt my broth, if using salted broth I would recommend reducing the amount of salt called for in this recipe.

Tools Needed For Pressure Canning Soup

Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner

Pressure Canning Rack

Jar Lifter

Canning Lids Use code ABBEY10 to save 10%

How To Pressure Can Chicken Taco Soup

12 hours before canning, add dried black beans to a bowl and cover completely with water. Alternatively, the quick soak method can be used.

Clean canning jars, lids and rings.

To each jar, add soaked black beans, chicken, diced tomatoes, diced onion, corn kernels, diced peppers, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and chili powder.

Fill jars to 1 inch of headspace with chicken broth.

Use a chopstick or debubbling tool to remove bubbles. Adjust headspace as needed.

Clean the rims of canning jars well with a cloth or paper towel and white vinegar.

Apply lids and rings to fingertip tight.

Add water to the pressure canner per the manual, my presto 23 quart requires 3 quarts of water.

Place a canning rack at the bottom of the pressure canner and add jars.

Close lid and begin to heat the canner. When a steady stream of steam is coming out of the vent pipe, allow the canner to vent 10 minutes.

Add the regulator after venting and bring the canner up to pressure. Using a dial gauge pressure canner, process at 11 pounds of pressure if below 1000 feet elevation. Using a weighted gauge pressure canner, process at 10 pounds of pressure if below 1000 feet elevation. Adjust as needed based on elevation.

For pints, process jars for 75 minutes. If using quarts, process jars for 90 minutes.

Once the processing time is up, turn off heat and allow the pressure to come down to zero.

Crack the lid for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and allow the jars to continue cooling in the canner an additional 5 minutes. This will slow down the cooling process and help to prevent siphoning.

Allow jars to cool overnight on the counter. Remove rings, clean jars and label before storing.

Yield: 14 pints

Home Canned Chicken Taco Soup

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This home canned chicken taco soup is an easy pressure canning recipe to stock the pantry with. Packed with veggies, beans, chicken and broth this is the perfect shelf stable meal in a jar recipe to have on hand.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (approx 1 cup) dried black beans
• 1 1/2 lbs partially cooked or raw chicken, shredded or cubed
• 14 cups chicken broth
• 3 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 4 cups onion, diced
• 3 cups corn kernels
• 1 3/4 cups bell peppers, diced
• 14 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 7 tsp chili powder

Instructions

1. Cover dried black beans with water and soak 12 hours. Alternatively, use the quick soak method and add dried black beans to a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Boil 2 minutes, cover and allow to sit for 1 hour.
2. Drain and rinse black beans.
3. Prepare canning jars, lids and rings.
4. To each pint jar, add 3 tbsp soaked black beans, 1/2 cup chicken, 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup corn kernels, 2 tbsp diced pepper, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp chili powder.
5. Top jars with broth to 1 inch head space. Debubble jars, adjust headspace, clean rims and add lids and rings to finger tip tight.
6. Fill pressure canner with water per manual, matching the water temperature to the jars. Add canning rack and jars.
7. Close lid, heat canner, and allow the canner to vent 10 minutes once a steady stream of steam is visible.
8. Add regulator or weight and bring canner up to pressure. Process at 11 pounds of pressure if using a dial gauge pressure canner, or 10 pounds of pressure if using a weighted gauge pressure canner, adjusting if above 1000 feet elevation.
9. Process 75 minutes.
10. After processing time is up, turn off heat and allow canner to come down from pressure completely. Crack lid for 5 minutes, and remove lid for an additional 5 minutes before removing jar from canner to prevent siphoning.
11. Allow jars to cool on the counter overnight. Check seals, remove rings and clean jars before labelling for storage.

Notes

For quarts, to each jar add 6 tbsp soaked black beans, 1 cup chicken, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 2/3 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1/4 cup diced pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp chili powder. Process 90 minutes.

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Fresh homegrown blackberries are one of the best parts of summer, and homemade jam is the perfect way to preserve their flavor to enjoy throughout the cooler months.

Come August, we are swimming in blackberries. They grow in abundance here on our property and I am always looking for new ways to preserve them. Freezing for winter smoothies and desserts along with water bath canning homemade jam are some of my favorite ways to use them up.

Blackberries are naturally high in pectin, so they are a great jam to make without additional store bought pectin. Most jam recipes use equal parts fruit and sugar, and in my opinion the result is an overly sweet jam. Any time I can jam I use low sugar recipes. All you need to make homemade blackberry jam is blackberries, some sugar, and I like to add in some fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

We have both seedless and rather seedy blackberries here on our property and this jam recipe works with both. If I am using particularly seedy blackberries I like to process through a food mill or push through a fine mesh strainer for a smoother result.

How To Make Blackberry Jam Without Pectin

Add blackberries to a heavy bottom pot with sugar. Stir together and, optionally, allow to macerate for an hour until the sugar begins to dissolve.

Heat the blackberries and sugar over medium until the mixture begins to simmer, the blackberries start to breakdown and the sugar is fully dissolved.

To make a seedless blackberry jam, push the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or food mill to remove the seeds. Make sure to remove all of the pulp and juice, then transfer the mixture back to the pot.

Continue to simmer the jam over medium low for about 15 minutes, or until the jam has reached the gel stage. This can be tested by spooning a small amount of jam onto a cold plate. If it sets to a jam like gel texture, it is ready to jar up. If it doesn’t, continue simmering. A temperature of 220 F (104 C) is considered the gel stage, so this can also be confirmed with a food thermometer.

Ladle the jam into clean, hot 1/2 pint sized canning jars to 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles, clean the rims, and apply lids and rings to finger tip tight.

Transfer jars to a canning pot with a rack at the bottom. Make sure the water is fully covering the jars by 1-2 inches. Cover the pot and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, process for 10 minutes, adjusting processing time as needed based on elevation.

Remove jars from canning pot and allow to set at room temperature overnight. Remove rings, confirm jars sealed, clean and label. Home canned jam will last for years with a good seal, for best quality consume within 1 year.

Is It Safe To Can Jam At Home

Yes! Jam contains two high acid ingredients – fruit or berries and sugar. Blackberries actually do not need any additional sugar and can be water bath canned at home in just water. If you are new to canning you can test the PH of your home canned items with PH strips for peace of mind. A PH of below 4.6 is safe for water bath canning.

This recipe calls for fresh lemon juice. In this case the lemon juice is for flavor, not for safety so fresh can be used.

Tools & Ingredients Needed For Blackberry Jam

Dutch Oven

Fine Mesh Strainer

Food Mill

Canning Lids & Rings (Save 10% with code ABBEY10)

Water Bath Canner

Best Jar Lifter

Yield: 4-5 half pint jars

Blackberry Jam Without Pectin

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Homemade blackberry jam is simple to make without pectin and the perfect way to enjoy blackberry flavor throughout the cooler months.

Ingredients

• 12 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 2 1/2 cups cane sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Add blackberries and sugar to a large pot and allow to macerate. This is optional but speeds up the cooking process.

2. Add lemon juice and heat over medium until berries have softened.

3. To make seedless jam, press through a fine mesh strainer or food mill.

4. Add berry mixture back to the pot and bring to a low boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until jam gels. This is at a temperature of 220 F or when a small amount spooned onto a cold plate gels up.

5. Fill 1/2 pint jars to 1/4 inch headspace. Clean rims, apply lids and rings to finger tip tight. Process in a waterbath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting as needed based on elevation.

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Not much is better than having dinner ready to go in the freezer for busy days. These 7 dump and go slow cooker just require pulling a bag from the freezer, thawing and transferring to a crockpot. Dinner will slow cook all day for a flavorful meal with very little hands on time.

Admittedly my crockpot has been under utilized as of late, and whenever I do up a recipe in it I wonder why I don’t use it more often. Slow cooking meat makes for a tender, flavorful meal that can cook as you go about your day.

I love to have some meals ready to go in the freezer. Having some ready to eat meals or slow cooker recipes tucked away in the freezer means that we can still have a home cooked meal on nights we don’t feel like cooking.

These dump and go slow cooker meals require very little prep and even less hands on time when you’re ready to make the them. Pull one out of the fridge the night before, add it into your crockpot in the morning and dinner will be ready to go when you need it. 

All these recipes are dairy free and gluten free. Just be sure to use gluten free soy sauce when called for, if needed!

Tips For Dump and Go Slow Cooker Meals

Use bone in meat. While you absolutely can use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts and I often do, for dishes where you’d like the meat to hold its shape use bone in meat. I find it doesn’t shred apart quite as much as boneless meat does.

Parboil potatoes. Yes this is an extra step, however potatoes often will discolor if frozen raw. I highly recommend par boiling potatoes for 2 minutes before freezing. Especially if you’re using large potato varieties like russets where you will need to cube them. If you really want to avoid par boiling, I would use red baby potatoes as they’re least likely to discolor.

Add vegetables that are prone to overcooking at the end. Green beans are a staple in our house because we grow a ton of them in our garden. I freeze and pressure can many pints of green beans each year. I prefer to add vegetables like fresh or frozen green beans when there is 30 minutes left in the cook time. I typically add canned green beans when there is 15 minutes left. This way you get cooked green beans without them turning to mush. Depending what you are making in the crockpot, sometimes I don’t mind the vegetables to be softer in texture, for example if I’m making a soup or the vegetable is part of a sauce. Carrots, parsnips and potatoes all hold up well to a long slow cooking time in my experience.

Thaw the night before. It is not recommended to slow cook food from frozen because frozen food takes longer to heat to a safe temperature so risk of food borne illness becomes more likely. As a bonus, thawing crockpot meals before cooking allows the meat to marinate and take on so much good flavour.

Italian Balsamic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Italian Balsamic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

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Simple italian inspired chicken recipe that can be made ahead and frozen to thaw for an easy crockpot dinner.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lb fresh, frozen or canned green beans
• 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except green beans and mushrooms to a gallon sized freezer bag. Lay flat and freeze.
2. To cook, thaw the night before. In the morning add to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.
3. If desired, add fresh or frozen green beans and fresh sliced mushrooms when there is 30 minutes left of cooking time. If using canned green beans, drain and add when there is 15 minutes left of cooking time.

Notes

You can add the green beans and mushrooms to the freezer bag, however for best texture I like to add them towards the end of cooking.

Pesto Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Pesto Chicken Crockpot Recipe

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This easy and delicious pesto chicken recipe can be prepped ahead of time, so all that's needed is to thaw, add to the slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 cup pesto (dairy free if needed)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 lb baby potatoes, par boiled for 2 minutes
• 1 lb fresh, frozen or canned green beans
• balsamic reduction, parmesan cheese, or bruschetta for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except green beans to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and store in the freezer.
3. To cook, thaw the night before and add to the crockpot in the morning. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. When there is 30 minutes left, stir in fresh or frozen green beans. If using canned, drain and stir in when there is 15 minutes left of cooking time.

Notes

You can add the green beans directly to the freezer bag, however for best texture I recommend adding towards the end of cooking

Honey Garlic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Honey Garlic Chicken Crockpot Recipe

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Honey garlic chicken can be frozen for a full meal ready to go in the freezer, just thaw, add to the crockpot and dinner is ready with little effort.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs bone in chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten free if needed)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 lb baby potatoes, par boiled for 2 minutes
• 1 lb fresh, frozen or canned green beans
• 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except green beans, arrowroot powder or cornstarch and water to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and freeze.
3. To cook, thaw overnight then transfer to a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Add fresh or frozen green beans in last 30 minutes of cooking time, or drain and add canned green beans in the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
5. To thicken the sauce, whisk together cold water and arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Add mixture to the crockpot in last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Notes

Carrots can be used in place of green beans and added to the freezer bag. Boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast also work, however they will shred. Bone in meat tends to hold it's shape better when slow cooking.

Thai Chicken Curry Slow Cooker Recipe

Thai Chicken Curry Crockpot Recipe

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Slow cooker thai chicken curry is a freezer friendly crockpot recipe that can easily be made vegetarian by substituting chickpeas in place of the chicken.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk
• 4 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten free if needed)
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 6 cloves garlic, honey
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen spinach

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except spinach to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and freeze.
3. To cook, thaw overnight in the fridge. Add to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.
4. In final 15 minutes, stir in fresh or frozen spinach.
5. Serve over rice.

Notes

To make this curry vegetarian, substitute canned chickpeas for the chicken. Sliced carrots can be added to the freezer bag as well.

Green Chicken Chili Slow Cooker Recipe

Green Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe

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Green chicken chili is the perfect freezer friendly crockpot recipe. No additional ingredients needed, just dump and go with this simple slow cooker recipe.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups salsa verde
• 1 14 oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• cilantro, jalapeños, or sour cream to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and freeze.
3. To cook, thaw overnight and add to a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Use a fork to shred the chicken.
5. Serve with cilantro, jalapenos and sour cream if desired.

Honey Mustard Pork Chops Slow Cooker Recipe

Honey Mustard Pork Chops Crockpot Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs pork chops
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb baby potatoes, par boiled for 2 minutes
• 1 lb fresh, frozen or canned green beans

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except green beans to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and freeze.
3. To cook, thaw overnight and transfer to a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. If using fresh or frozen green beans, stir in at the last 30 minutes of cooking time. If using canned green beans, drain and add to the crockpot in last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Notes

I use bone in pork chops because that is what we receive from our butcher. Boneless pork chops will also work. Instead of green beans, carrots can be used and added to the freezer bag.

Pineapple Pork Chops Slow Cooker Recipe

Pineapple Pork Chops Crockpot Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs pork chops
• 2 cups fresh, frozen or canned pineapple
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten free if needed)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp cold water

Instructions

1. Add all ingredeints except arrowroot and water to a gallon sized freezer bag.
2. Lay flat and freeze.
3. To cook, that overnight then add to a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Serve with rice.

Notes

If using canned pineapple, feel free to use the leftover pineapple juice in place of the honey.

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