I posted this on your other post of this question.

Do you just wait to fill the second batch of jars

Exactly. You never fill the jars until they are ready to go into the canner. When ready to fill the second set of jars, reheat the soup in the pot to boiling and then fill those jars and put them in the canner.

Pre-filling jars and letting them sit waiting on the counter voids the published processing times since too much of it would be required just to bring them back up to temp.

Dave

I checked that awhile ago and no one had posted on it so I thought I might need to do ask it on another post.
OK that does make sense! But I was worried about the soup spoiling sitting out that long. Thank you Dave!

I have a recipe that makes 23 quarts of soup, and that would mean 4 times at pressure canning it all.

That is an awfully large amount to make at one time. 3x the normal recipe of 7 quarts. Especially when you have to use the 1/2 and 1/2 rule for soups.

Next time I think I'd cut the recipe in half at least to make it easier to work with.

Dave

Good idea. Thanx again!

What do you mean 1/2 and 1/2 rule? This is my first time to can soup with meat in it. I checked the Ball site to see how long to pressure can it because I didn't think 50 minutes was long enough for quarts and it wasn't by what they said.

I can similar large batches but I often refrigerate half the batch overnight and then return to heat, prep jars and process the latter portion the next day. Two canner loads per night is all I want to deal with.

The half-and-half rule Dave is speaking of refers to the proportions of half solids and half liquids per jar in meat and vegetable soups. However, a tested recipe from Ball or the NCHFP may not follow that rule.

The link below from the NCHFP refers to that rule in putting together soups with vegetables and meats of your own choosing.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Can Soups

This may be a stupid question - but in regards to the half and half rule. Does that mean, in a quart jar, 2 cups of liquid, and the rest meat and vegetables? Or does that mean you fill the jar halfway with meat and veggies, and then fill the rest of the way with broth - in which case you have more than 2 cups of liquid since the liquid takes up space between the solids?

I make a lot of my own soups, and use the 2nd method I listed. But was thinking the other day that I may be mistaken.

Well the instruction reads: "Fill jars halfway with solid mixture. Add remaining liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace."

I have always interpreted it to mean what you call the 2nd method. I use a skimmer/strainer to fill the jar 1/2 full with solids and then pour in the liquid to fill to the headspace required, remove air bubbles and then add a bit more liquid if needed.

Dave

Thank you all! I think the next time I can this soup which is AWESOME by the way, I will put half in the fridge like someone said and do the other two the next day. Since I don't have two canners. I love this forum because you all are so helpful and I really appreciate your help! This is the first year I have ever canned meat before. I knew 50 minutes wasn't long enough to pressure can my soup so I checked with the Ball site.
I have another question if you don't mind. I bought the weight a couple years ago for my pressure canner and now I can't remember what it is actually called so don't get upset with me. I'm having some hormone problems that are effecting my memory. Anyway the weight didn't come with any instructions on how to use it. When it says to can it at 11 pounds pressure, do I take off some of this weight to do that? It has two pieces on it and they can be taken off. I can't get my pressure canner to go under 15 pounds to save my neck. So I am wondering if you take off one of the little rings on the weight to make it go down to 11 pounds pressure. Since my pressure canner has the gauge and the weight if that's what you call it, the gauge always reads 15 pounds when it is giggling.

The 3 piece weight set for the Presto is a 5-10-15 lb set. (the 11 lbs. is only for gauge canners, it is 10lbs for weight canners).

The center core of the set with the knob on it is 5 lb. Add 1 ring for 10 lbs and both rings for 15 lbs. So for the 10 lbs you need it is the handle core with 1 ring on it.

Dave

OK thanx! So that's WHY I can't get it under 15 pounds since it's all together.

I am going to copy and paste this so I can remember it! OR should I say refer back to it. :)

I realize this is an old post, but since you seem to be the only ones to answer the question about what to do with a "second batch" while you're waiting, I thought I would ask a question too. I boil my jars in a large (canner sized) pot before I start. I was wondering if once they are boiled sufficiently, can I take that pot off the stove and free up space or do I need to have them continue to boil until I do the "second batch"?

Any jar of anything that is going to be processed by either a BWB or pressure canning for 10 min or longer does not have to be sterilized/boiled. That is only required for jars that will receive less than 10 min. processing like some jellies. Old recipes often still say to boil the jars because they haven't been updated but that hasn't been necessary for many years now.

The jars just have to be clean and hot enough that when you fill them with hot foods and set them in the canner they don't break. Some just fill the jars with hot water and let them sit, some heat them up in the dishwasher, some fill up a sink of hot water to hold the jars and keep them hot.

So sure, if your jars have been sitting in boiling water in a pot then you can take that pot off the stove and just let them stay hot in that water.

NCHFP - Do I have to sterilize jars?

Dave

I am doing a large batch of chili how am I going to do the part solid part liquid rule.