Canning Split Pea Soup

If you’re interested in having good, homemade food on hand for quick meals, canning split pea soup is the perfect recipe to get started!

Growing up, I always loved split pea soup. It wasn’t something we had often, so it was a treat.

Unfortunately, I’m alone in my opinion on split pea soup now – my husband and kids don’t care for it. So making a batch just for me – well, that’s crazy, because they don’t sell split peas by the half cup, and ham bones aren’t tiny.

But I finally realized I could enjoy my split pea soup anyway – by canning it!

I don’t know why it took so long to finally realize this, but that’s what I do now.

Occasionally – very occasionally – I buy a pound of split peas, load all the ingredients into small pint or half pint jars, and can it have when I want it.

It is that easy. Like the ham and bean soup recipe I shared recently, it’s just a matter of gathering your ingredients, filling your jars, and pressure canning them.

Does split pea soup have to be pressure-canned?

Yes. As with other low-acid foods, this is not a recipe you want to risk using a water bath canner on. The pressure canner reaches much higher temperatures, heating to the core of the jars and killing any harmful bacteria that might cause your food to spoil. A water bath canner cannot do this as effectively.

I have quite a bit of “rebel canning” experience. Water bath canning low-acid food is something I do not recommend based on both my experiences and the experiences of those around me – specifically the sect of Amish in my former community that do not use pressure canners and the number of jars they lose to spoilage, not to mention the number of cases of food poisoning I’ve seen.

If you don’t have a pressure canner already, they’re very simple to use, and you’ll get the hang of it quickly. I highly recommend getting a simple one and getting familiar with it.

Can I can leftover split pea soup?

Yes. Similar to this 15-bean ham soup, you can make the soup and then can the leftovers. This is a really good strategy for canning.

However, this recipe is specifically for making canned soup rather than making and then canning soup, so the instructions are going to be a little bit different.

Do I have to use ham in this recipe?

No. I like ham, but smoked sausage, or another sausage will work just as well, with a different flavor. Be sure to cook and drain whatever meat you use first, though.

Where do you buy canning jars and lids?

I buy my jars wherever I can get the best deal. Sometimes, that’s Walmart, and sometimes it’s flea markets or Facebook marketplace. I’m not picky about the brand as long as the rim is flawless and the jar is thick.

As for lids, new jars usually come with lids, which you can use once, and then you need to get new lids. I buy mine in bulk from Denali canning. They have a seal guarantee, and honestly, I haven’t had one not seal yet – unless you count the time I had a jar break in the canner. That was a mess.

What other tools do you need for canning?

For this, I would mainly suggest a canning funnel to make filling the jars fast and easy – and mess-free. With pressure canning, I rarely find specific tools like a jar lifter necessary. Although I know some people submerge their jars in boiling water to sterilize them and then use the lifter to remove the jars before filling them with the ingredients to be canned. I usually use the oven or dishwasher to sterilize my jars, so I don’t have to deal with hot water soaking through towels or oven mitts. Just hot jars.

Pro tip: After washing and sterilizing used jars, seal them with also sterilized lids and rings before storing. This will make your job much easier when you use them the next time!

Ingredients for canning split pea soup

These ingredients can be changed and customized a bit depending on your taste preferences within reason. For instance, carrots, onions, ham, etc., can be changed. However, be sure to use salt at a rate of 1/2 teaspoon per pint for safety reasons.

• Dry split peas
• Carrots
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ham
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Salt
• Chicken broth or water

Recipe for canning split pea soup

Gather ingredients and prepare canning supplies (sterilizing jars, lids, etc.)

1. In each jar, divide split peas between 6-pint jars, adding about 1/3 cup of the dry peas to each jar.
   
   
2. Next, layer in 1/4-1/3 cup of cubed ham, and divide carrots, onions, and garlic between jars.
3. Sprinkle with roughly 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and paprika per jar
   
   
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each jar.
5. Fill jars with ham broth, chicken broth, vegetable stock, or water, leaving about 3/4 inch of headspace.
   
   
6. Wipe the jar rim clean with a soft, fuzz-free cloth or paper towel, place lids on top, and screw the band down firmly.
7. Prepare pressure canner according to your particular pressure canner’s needs. For a standard 16-quart pressure canner, this usually means adding 2 quarts of water
8. Be sure to add the pressure canner’s inner rack to separate the jars from the bottom of the canner for even heating.
9. Arrange jars in canner so that they do not touch each other or the canner walls. When the canner is full, they may be very close, but the best safeguard against jars breaking is that they don’t touch.
10. Lock the lid onto canner with vent open, and heat over medium-high heat until a steady stream of steam begins to escape
11. After ten minutes of steam, close the valve and heat to 10 pounds of pressure (for those under 1,000 above sea level. For those above this, see this USDA approved pressure conversion chart.)
12. Process pint jars for 75 minutes at pressure
13. When the processing time is complete, remove the canner from heat and let rit eturn to zero pressure naturally (a sudden release of pressure can cause jars to break, or even explode)
    
    It’s fine to let jars cool completely inside the canner, but if you need to take them out, let them cool as long as you can, and be sure to protect the jar from sudden temperature changes or drafts as you remove it, and yourself from the jar as well. I usually will cover the jar with a towel as I remove it, and place it on a towel-lined cupboard, covering it with a second towel until it is completely cooled, and have very rarely had one break, even when the jars are still boiling when I remove them. But remember, it never hurts to exercise more caution than necessary.
14. After the jars have cooled, test for seals.

After 24 hours, you may wash jars (mine always have hard water residue), remove rings, and store them out of direct light.

To use canned split pea soup

Open the jar and empty it into a pan. If the soup is really thick, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth or water and heat to boiling. Ladle into jars and serve.

Some people like to blend the soup in a food processor, or with an immersion blender before serving for a smooth soup, but I personally like some texture, so I serve as is. 

More recipes for you

• Canning ham and bean soup
• Canning chicken soup
•  How to can Tomato Soup
• Canning chili
• How to can butternut squash

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