Ham and Bean Soup is a classic belly-filling soup that can be made on the stove-top or in your slow cooker crockpot. I like to make a huge kettle of it on the stovetop and can it for later use. For this home canning recipe you’ll need a steam pressure canner along with your basic home canning supplies. It will make 5-6 quart-size jars. If you’re not into canning, you can let it cool to room temperature and freeze it for later use.

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Canning Tips: Get all of your canning supplies out ahead of time. Wash jars, seals and rings. Inspect all of your glass mason jars for chips and cracks. Toss any inferior jars. You can season the soup any way that you like…below is just the classic recipe. If you want to fully cook the soup (allow for 35-45 minutes of time…cool to room temperature and then freeze in freezer safe containers or eat. When it comes to canning with a steam pressure canner you don’t want to fully cook the soup. Just get it nice and hot following the instructions below.

Classic Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

3-4 cups cooked and cubed ham
8-10 cups of canned Northern Beans
4-5 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 carrots, sliced thin
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground black pepper
2-3 Tbsp. parsley flakes
4 cups of ham broth or ham concentrate

Note: I like to use the Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate that I purchase from Amazon. Follow the instructions on the box to make 4 cups of ham broth. This has been the best ham bouillion that I’ve found so far.

Use a large stock pot for this recipe. First pour in the ham broth. Then add-in the cooked and cubed ham. Follow the recipe listed above adding in all of the ingredients that are listed. The stove burner should be set on medium to medium high. Stir the soup after each addition.

Get everything to a simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes over medium to medium-high heat. It shouldn’t be at a full boil…just simmering hot.

Ladel the soup into your prepared mason jars. You’ll want to use glass quart-sized mason jars made for home canning. Leave a 1″ headspace at the top. Make sure you remove any air bubbles or air pockets when you’re filling up the jars. Wipe the rim with a clean cloth. Add the seal and then screw-on the metal ring until it’s fingertip tight.

If you run out of broth you can quickly make another batch of broth using a packet of the Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate. It takes less than 5 minutes to make. If you think you’ve added too much of a ham flavor you can water things down by adding hot water. Everyone has their own taste-buds!

Your pressure steam canner needs to have at least 2″ of simmering water in the bottom of it. Place the jars into the canner following the directions that came with the canner. Place the lid on top. You need to bring the pressure up to 10 lbs. Once you have reached the 10 lbs. you need to process the jars for 90 minutes. Set a timer!!! Turn off the heat and let the pressure naturally return down to 0. Once it hits 0 set a timer for 10 minutes before you remove the lid. You never want to remove the lid before that time.

Lay a dry kitchen towel out onto your counter. Carefully remove the hot jars from the canner and place onto the towel. Let them cool naturally (no drafts) until they reach room temperature. It will take a few hours. Once cool you want to check all of your seals to make sure each jar sealed. If not, place that jar into the refrigerator and eat it within 2-3 days. Label all of your jars with the contents and date that it was made. Store in a cool, dry place.

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These Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes are super easy-to-make! You use a pre-purchased cake mix along with a few basic ingredients to make them. They’re baked in glass mason jars in your oven. Perfect for individual portions and sweet dessert treats. One basic cake mix will make 4 pint jars. You’ll need to use wide mouth pint sized glass mason jars so that everything fits in there perfectly and will slide out when you’re ready to eat one.

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You’ll need a box of white cake mix and the ingredients called-for on the box. In this case…I had to add egg whites, vegetable oil and water. You’ll also need non-stick baking spray, a jar of red cherries, brown sugar and a can of sliced pineapples.

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

Add 2″ of water to the bottom of a roasting pan. Spray the inside of each wide-mouth pint size glass mason jar with a light mist of non-stick baking spray. I used one that is “butter flavored”. Place a pineapple ring (slice) in the bottom of each jar with a red cherry in the middle of the slice. Sprinkle a tad of brown sugar onto the top of the pineapple slice.

Mix up the white cake batter according to the box directions. Pour the cake batter into the jar filling it 75% of the way full. Continue this process until all 4 of the jars are completed.  Place the glass jars into the roasting pan that contains the water.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is done. It’s done when the center bounces back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven to let cool. Once cool you can place a new or used canning seal on top. Refrigerate the pineapple upside-down cakes for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to eat one…remove from the refrigerator. You might have to use a butterknife to losen the cake up from the sides of the jar…it should slide out onto the dessert plate. Serve with the pineapple side facing up.

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