Easy French Onion Soup Pressure Canning Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click HERE to read my policies & disclaimers if you're interested. I will only link products I use and personally recommend. Thank you for your support, friends!
This super easy French onion soup recipe is sure to be one that you need on your pantry shelves year around. Whether you enjoy a simple bowl of soup over some crusty bread and topped with bubbly melted cheese or need it for recipes and casseroles, this canning recipe is a must have. You can use discounted onions from the grocery store or use up onions that are starting to soften in storage from your garden, it all works, and it is so delicious. You’ll find out I despise putting dry white wine in my soups. I can’t stand the flavor.
Yes, I’m probably weird, but I also want my homemade French onion soup to taste beefy and oniony and don’t like the flavor wine imparts and have come to prefer the flavor balsamic vinegar provides, instead. If you like it, add up to a couple cups of the white wine! That’s the beauty of homemade and home canning.. you get to choose how YOU do it and make things to your taste. If you’re new to canning, the pressure canning process renders this soup shelf stable, meaning after you can it, you can store properly sealed jars of delicious soup on the shelf. No more taking up freezer space or having massive amounts of leftovers in the refrigerator.
Why can French Onion Soup?
Because it tastes better! The store bought cans just aren’t it. When I can use homegrown onions and some delicious beef broth I made from our own farm raised beef, nothing compares to that great flavor. Also, I control the ingredients going into my jars. Did you know that the store brand cans of soup contain unnecessary stuff like:
- Yeast Extract
- Vegetable Oil
- Sugar
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Caramel Color
- Natural Flavoring
- Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese
- Disodium Phosphate
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten
- Citric Acid
- Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
While you may think it tastes good, all those additives are to increase palatability and shelf stability. Food on the store shelves is literally engineered to be hyper-flavored and hit every taste bud just right so it’s addictive and we choose that. There’s literal food scientists to figure this out for companies. Look into that! When you make it homemade, of course it’s going to taste different than the store brands. THAT’S THE POINT.
That’s one of the most common things I hear from folks starting out with homemade and homegrown food and cooking: “it doesn’t taste like the store bought.” Sometimes you gotta retrain that brain and learn what REAL FOOD actually tastes like. Detox from the processed foods and start eating wholesome foods with less crap. You’ll begin to prefer the flavor and be appalled by processed food, I promise. It’s more nourishing, satisfying, and fuels your body instead of dragging it down. Using store bought broth will absolutely work for this recipe, but I gotta say, homemade broth is the best and if you save all your beef bones from cooking, it’s pretty darn cheap to make!
What is the Best Way to Caramelize Onions?
OUTSIDE. Do it outside! I have found when I make this inside in my kitchen everything smells like onions. Our coats. Our shoes. The dogs. Our souls. EVERYTHANG. The last time I caramelized onions inside, I swear well all smelled like onions for 6 months. It was so bad. I use 2 different methods to caramelize onions that work well and keep the onion smell outside.
- I have a propane burner outside for when I can outdoors that works great for cooking too. I slap my biggest stock pot on it, melt butter, and then add the sliced onions; this method works especially well if you want to can a very large batch. On medium-low heat, I cook and stir the onions until they’re lightly caramelized and ready for canning. Work low and slow to get the best flavor; you definitely don’t want to burn them. This method requires quite a bit of baby sitting as you can’t really walk away from it.
- Add butter and sliced onions to a slow cooker. I put my slow cooker on my porch on a small table, cock the lid a bit to release steam, place in on LOW, and let it go. Onions = outside! If you start it in the morning, it’s usually ready that afternoon. Sometimes I put the slow cooker on HIGH heat to get the onions working faster and then turn it down. It just matters on your level of forgetfulness and what you’re willing to do here. Give it a stir every once in a while, but past that, set it and forget it. I use this method the most since it’s nice to be able to do something else while the onions cook rather than having to watch them.
This recipe for French onion soup is a quick and easy one to fill jars and can once the onions are ready. I choose to add extra seasonings afterward so I can make the soup work for me, as I use it for a bunch of different recipes, like rice bakes, egg strata, drinking directly out of the jar, casseroles, and so much more!
Equipment You Will Need:
- Pressure Canner
- Cannings Jars, Lids, and Bands
- A large stock pot (stainless steel) or slow cooker
- Wooden spoon
- Jar funnel
- Jar lifter
- Clean towels
Ingredients:
- White onions
- Yellow onions
- Red onions
- Butter
- Beef stock
- Dried thyme or fresh thyme
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt & black pepper
Let’s get to cannin’!
This recipe makes approximately 5 quarts of French onion soup.
Step 1: Prep onions
It really doesn’t matter what kind of onion you use, but I’ve found that a menagerie of different types adds so much more flavor than just sticking to one, although using sweet onions are my favorite. So, if you’re like me and you can’t commit to just one onion color or variety, you’re in luck, it works in your favor for this onion soup! You will need about 10 large onions. I honestly just cut up as many that fill my slow cooker to the brim which is probably more than 10, but for the sake of recipes I have to put some kind of number.
Start by removing the skins, halving, and slicing somewhat thin. If you’re wild, save and freeze the skins for broth making in the future. Onion skins impart a gorgeous color to broths.
There’s all kinds of tricks out there to try and cut down the tears when working with onions due to the allium compounds, but I’ve found a good cleansing onion cry actually leaves me feeling refreshed, so I just stand in the kitchen with my onions and cry, ok!? Work fast and you’ll be done in no time. I figure the good Lord made onions make us cry for a reason, so who am I to stop it LOL!
Step 2: Caramelize the onions
Decide on which method of caramelizing onions works best for you. If you missed it, I talked about this above. I prefer the slow cooker method unless I’m doing a crazy giant pile of onions, meaning a double or triple batch. Add the onions into your slow cooker, top with 8 Tbs butter, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 1/2 tsp dried oregano. You can absolutely add fresh herbs in place of dried, just double the amount. Add the lid on top, cocked a bit to release steam, and allow to cook slow and low ’til caramelized. This is a slow and steady process, so be patient. Stir the onions from time to time. When the onions are almost done, I aim for a nice golden brown, add in 4 cloves of minced garlic and let it cook for about 1-2 more hours.
Step 3: Prep Jars for Canning
While the onions are caramelizing, wash your jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water and set aside on a clean towel so they’re ready for canning. There is no need to sterilize jars being used for pressure canning, as the canning process sterilizes them for you. That is information directly from the NCHFP, so write that down and stop wasting your time.
Step 4: Filling Jars
Before you start working on filling the jars, place 3 quarts beef bone broth, 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a stock pot and heat to a boil.
While that heats, fill your jars about 1/2-3/4 of the way full with caramelized onions or evenly distribute between 5 quart jars. Don’t pack tightly; simply place your jar funnel on your jar and spoon in the onions gently.
Once the broth mixture is boiling, ladle over the onions into each jar to 1-inch headspace.
Step 5: Pressure Canning
Wipe rims of jars with a vinegar soaked cloth thoroughly.
Add canning lids and bands. Tighten according to manufacturer’s specifications.
Place jars in your pressure canner, vent steam, and pressure can at your elevations recommended weight and process pint jars for 60 minutes and quart jars for 75 minutes.
Once processing time is complete, allow canner to completely depressurize before removing jars. Remove jars to a heat proof surface covered with a towel and allow to cool 12-18 hours before removing bands, testing seals, washing jars, labeling and storing. Store the canned French onion soup in a cool, dark area away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.
Shelf life: Aim to use these jars within 18 months to 2 years for best nutritional benefit, but they will last much longer than that.
Equipment
- Canning jars, lids, and bands
- large stock pot or slow cooker
- wooden spoon
- jar lifter
- clean towels
Ingredients
- 10 onions any mixture of white, yellow, and red
- 8 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 quarts beef broth
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Start by removing skins, halving, and slicing onions thin. Place in a slow cooker and top with 1/2 cup of butter, thyme, and oregano. Add lid, cocked a bit to release steam, and cook on low til golden brown and starting to caramelize. You can also add butter to a stock pot, melt, then add onions and cook on medium-low heat.
- Once onions are beginning to caramelize, add in minced garlic, and cook until onions are finished.
- While the onions cook, prepare canning jars, lids and bands by washing in hot, soapy water and setting aside on a clean towel.
- To a stock pot, add 3 quarts of beef broth, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- While the broth mixture heats, place a jar funnel on top of your canning jar and spoon in caramelized onions, filling the jar 1/2-3/4 of the way full. Do not pack onions into jars, spoon gently. Aim to spread the onions evenly between 4-5 quart jars.
- When the broth mixture is boiling, ladle over onions to 1-ince headspace.
- Wipe rims of jars with a vinegar dampened cloth or paper towel, being very thorough.
- Add lids and secure with bands to tightness of manufacturer's instructions.
- Pressure canner and pressure can at your elevation's recommended weight for 60 minutes pints and 75 minutes for quart jars.
- Once canning time is up, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and setting aside on a heat proof surface covered with a towel to cool for 12-18 hours.
- After cooling, remove bands and test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark area away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Aim to use canned food within 18 months to 2 years for best nutritional content, but they will store longer if need be.
- Any jars that did not seal with 24 hours may be reprocessed, or you can dump jars and freeze the contents or place in the fridge to use soon.
