Homemade Tomato Soup I
Submitted by jziler
Big-batch homemade tomato soup base for canning. Fresh tomatoes simmered with onion, celery, parsley, and warm spices, then jarred for shelf-stable winter pantry stock.
YIELD
70 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minThis is the home-canning recipe that lets you turn a bumper crop of summer tomatoes into a winter’s worth of tomato soup. Seventeen pounds of fresh tomatoes simmer with onions, celery, peppers, and parsley, then get pureed and seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, and clove for that warm, slightly sweet flavor profile that distinguishes good homemade tomato soup from supermarket cans. The base is jarred and processed in a hot water bath, ready to crack open and finish into actual soup any time over the next year.
The technique splits the work in two. First you cook the vegetables low and slow until everything breaks down, then put it through a food mill or sieve to remove skins and seeds and leave a smooth puree. The seasonings (brown sugar, flour for body, butter for richness) get whisked into the hot puree before canning. To serve, just heat a jar with cream of mushroom soup, milk, or water and dinner is done. The flour pre-thickens the base so it’s silky right out of the jar.
Pro Tips
- Use a hot water bath canner (or pressure canner) and follow USDA tested canning procedures. Improperly canned tomato products can harbor botulism. Don’t shortcut.
- Use ripe but firm summer tomatoes. Mushy or overripe tomatoes turn the base watery.
- Leave ½ inch headspace in pint jars and process for the full 15 minutes. Underprocessed jars don’t seal.
- Label and date jars before storing. Home-canned tomato base is best within a year.
Variations
- Add fresh basil leaves with the parsley for a more Italian flavor profile.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes (charred under a broiler first) for a smokier base.
- Reduce the brown sugar by half if you prefer a more savory, less sweet soup.
Ingredients
Directions
Core the tomatoes and chop them coarsely.
Chop the onions, peppers, celery, and parsley coarsely, and divide equally, along with the tomatoes, between 2 very large, deep kettles.
Divide the salt between the 2 kettles, too.
Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, or until all vegetables are very tender.
Stir frequently. Put mixture through a sieve or food mill.
Transfer the purée to a large kettle.
In a medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except butter.
Add the seasonings gradually to the hot purée, beating in with a whisk.
Add the butter and whisk smooth. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium low heat for 3 minutes.
Pour hot into 12 hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch head space.
Seal and process in hot- water bath for 15 min.
To serve, add one 11 ounce can cream of mushroom soup and 1 soup can of water to every pint of tomato soup base.
Heat and serve NOTE: You can also prepare the soup base by adding 1½ cups milk to it, or even using 1½ cups water.
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