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I got a lottaaa pie pumpkins from my garden this year and have no need for gallons of canned pumpkin puree, so I’ve been looking for pumpkin recipes that creatively use them for some meals in a jar on the shelf. My family really enjoys squash of all kinds, and toss squash WITH BACON soup, sign me the heck up. Add in some white beans and you I’ve got a nutrient-rich stew with allll the fall flavors to slap on the shelf. The savory-sweet blend of the squash with the salty bacon, oh my gosh this is the perfect combination that is sustaining for a cold day. Serve with cornbread or some grilled cheese and you got yourself a meal. Boy do I love canning soup, especially ones with simple ingredients I already have on hand.

This recipe is based off of that I found in The Canning Diva’s Book ‘The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning’ by Diane Devereaux. Her recipes in that book are amazing and this one sounded so good I had to make it my own! I made this recipe, filled 4 quarts for my Nesco electric pressure canner and then saved the rest to slow cook until dinner. This recipe is NOT rebel canning because according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) you can make your own soup using approved ingredients and it be considered safe and approved. That’s in the principles of home canning. So eat it. Even if it wasn’t, I do NOT care one bit about the USDA stamp of approval because if we’ve learned anything in the last couple weeks as I’ve dove deep into commercial canning and home canning histories, it ain’t that serious. But, if you’re not comfortable canning this, don’t. And if you don’t like pumpkin, really don’t because WHY would you can something you don’t like. That’s goofy as all get out! You should always be canning food to your own satisfaction and at your own risk, cause at the end of the day, you is the one makin’ the decisions my dude. I encourage everyone, especially new canners, to do their own research on canning practices to learn how and why things are done the way they are to really get a good grasp of canning and understanding how to do it. It’s not just a guessing game and a good enough thing…. if we’ve learned anything from botulism cases from home canned food, most if not all of them are from blatant disregard of canning technique and safety. I have been canning basically my whole life so I am firm in how I do things and confident in the safety of my practices in my own home. I unfortunately cannot do that work for you.

If you find yourself without a surplus of pie pumpkins like me, other squash would substitute well in this recipe such as butternut squash, acorn squash, and such. You could also even consider sweet potatoes but they will be rather soft after the canning process but the flavor would be spot on.

In This Post You'll Find...

Equipment You Might Want:

Large bowl
Large stockpot
Quart Canning Jars
Canning Lids & Screw Bands
Jar Funnel
Jar Lifter

Ingredients:

16 ounces white beans (I used large limas, but navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans work as well)
1 lb bacon
2 pie pumpkins
2 Tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider
1 Tbs red wine vinegar

Step 1: Prep

Place a large stockpot on medium-low heat to preheat while you prep the ingredients.

Wash pie pumpkin, slice off top stem. Peel outside off until you see pumpkin flesh.

Cut peeled pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy middle.

Cut into 1 inch strips and then cut into about 1 inch chunks.

Chop up the shoulder bacon.

Weigh out the beans and rinse well, sort out any disfigured beans or rocks. Set aside to drain.

Step 2: Cook

Add chopped shoulder bacon to preheated stock pot. Cook until browned and beginning to crisp up. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot.

Add the cubed pumpkin to the pot with the saved bacon grease.

Stir to coat well. Add in oregano, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir.

Cook pumpkin, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. This took about 10 minutes.

Once pumpkin is browned lightly, add the bacon back to the pot. Add in chicken broth & rinsed beans.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add in water, apple cider and red wine vinegar. Stir. Return mixture to a simmer and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Step 3: Canning

Ladle hot soup into prepared quart jar to 1-inch headspace. Hot liquids can go into room temperature jars so don’t fret about heating them up.

Remove any air bubbles and add more liquid if needed to maintain headspace.

Wipe jar rims well and add lids and screw bands.

Process quart jars in a pressure canner at your elevations recommended weight for 90 minutes for quarts and 75 minutes for pints.

Once processing time is complete, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars to cool on a heat proof surface lined with a towel. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.

Step 4: Storing

After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures, ideally 70F or less.

Shelf life is ’til you eat it. Aim to rotate canned goods out every 2 years for maximum nutritional benefit and palatability, but they’ll last far longer than that if needed.

Step 5: Serving

Dump jar into a sauce pan and heat thoroughly before consuming. This is really nice with some cream or coconut milk to make a creamy finished soup. Add a little maple syrup for some extra sweetness if it needs it. This soup is also great with some freshly chopped sage (sage doesn’t can well so don’t add it before).

Notes:

Feel free to season this soup however you like, just verify what you are adding cans well. Some herbs, like sage, do not and get a very off bitter flavor.

You can also add a garlic clove or two or even some onions, but I left them out in favor of being more conservative with my ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this easy pumpkin soup recipe with beans and bacon! It’s good and SO fall.

Pumpkin Bean and Bacon Soup Pressure Canning Recipe

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Canning Time: 1 30

Servings: quarts

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

Large bowl
Large stockpot
Quart Canning Jars
Canning lids & screw bands
jar funnel
jar lifter

Ingredients

16 ounces white beans I used large limas, but navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans work as well
1 lb bacon
2 pie pumpkins
2 Tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider
1 Tbs red wine vinegar

Instructions

Place a large stockpot on medium-low heat to preheat while you prep the ingredients.
Wash pie pumpkin, slice off top stem. Peel outside off until you see pumpkin flesh. Cut peeled pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy middle. Cut into 1 inch strips and then cut into about 1 inch chunks.
Chop up the shoulder bacon.
Weigh out the beans and rinse well, sort out any disfigured beans or rocks. Set aside to drain.
Add chopped shoulder bacon to preheated stock pot. Cook until browned and beginning to crisp up. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot.
Add the cubed pumpkin to the pot with the saved bacon grease.
Stir to coat well. Add in oregano, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir.
Cook pumpkin, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. This took about 10 minutes.
Once pumpkin is browned lightly, add the bacon back to the pot. Add in chicken broth & rinsed beans.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add in water, apple cider and red wine vinegar. Stir. Return mixture to a simmer and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Ladle hot soup into prepared quart jar to 1-inch headspace. Hot liquids can go into room temperature jars so don't fret about heating them up.
Remove any air bubbles and add more liquid if needed to maintain headspace.
Wipe jar rims well and add lids and screw bands.
Process quart jars in a pressure canner at your elevations recommended weight for 90 minutes for quarts and 75 minutes for pints.
Once processing time is complete, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars to cool on a heat proof surface lined with a towel. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures, ideally 70F or less.
Shelf life is 'til you eat it. Aim to rotate canned goods out every 2 years for maximum nutritional benefit and palatability, but they'll last far longer than that if needed.

To Serve

Dump jar into a sauce pan and heat thoroughly before consuming. This is really nice with some cream or coconut milk to make a creamy finished soup. Add a little maple syrup for some extra sweetness if it needs it. This soup is also great with some freshly chopped sage (sage doesn't can well so don't add it before).

Notes