French Onion Soup, Revisited

 When I hit the grocery recently, I saw Vidalia onions again.  Usually you think of Vidalias in the spring, but here it is, officially autumn, and there they were, big as life.  So I bought myself five pounds of Oniony Goodness from Georgia and made another batch of French onion soup.

Those Other People in the house aren't as fond of it as I am, so I figured I'd have to preserve it.  Well, the darned freezer is packed completely full, so I had to find another way to save the pot of soup.  In one of my canning/preserving books, there it was - French onion soup.  The recipe was almost identical to the one I use, and at the end there were canning directions!  So, I got out the pressure canner and making sure the soup had been brought to a boil, I put 3 quarts of boiling water and the canner's rack into the canner and filled jars with hot soup.  The canning procedure is the same as for broth, except the times are longer - 60 minutes for pints, 65 minutes for quarts. 

Ladle soup into each jar to 1 inch below the rim (if you're using a canning funnel, that's just below the bottom of the funnel).  Wipe any drips or spills off the jar's rim to ensure the lids will seal.  Place a lid on each jar, and tighten the ring to just finger tight.  Place the jars on the rack in the canner, close the lid, and turn on the heat, about medium-high.  Vent the canner according to its instructions. 

After venting 10 minutes, place the weight on the vent (yes, even a canner with a dial regulator will have a weight to place on the vent).  Allow the pressure to build to 10 pounds (a weighted regulator - the weight will rock gently on its own) or 11 pounds (a dial regulator).  The pressure relief valve will rise and lock the lid.  Start timing when the correct pressure has been reached.  Adjust the heat to maintain pressure. 

Process the jars, 60 minutes for pints and 65 minutes for quarts.  When the correct time has elapsed, turn off the heat and let the pressure release.  You won't be able to open the lid until the lid lock has dropped.  When it has dropped, wait an additional 10 minutes before opening the lid. 

Remove the jars from the canner.  Place them on a towel to cool.  Don't tighten or remove the rings.  Drape another towel over the jars to keep them out of any drafts.  You'll hear the lids click as they cool.  Let them sit overnight.  Don't touch them until then!  Check the lids to be sure they've sealed - they should be concave and stay that way.  You can remove the rings at this point. Label the jars and store them.  If any of the jars don't seal, you can put those in the refrigerator and use them within a couple of weeks, or reprocess.