15 Bean & Ham Soup

  This was the first time I have made this soup and pressure canned it as well...it has a wonderful flavor - i wish I had made MORE to can!!  It's a great use of leftover Easter ham...save your Ham-bone to make the Homemade Ham Stock (recipe here)  ~Enjoy! Diane 

15 Bean & Ham Soup 
(with Pressure Canning Instructions) 

Ingredients: 
1 bag Hurst's 15 Bean Mix, (20 oz. bag) 
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced 
1 Tbs lemon juice
1-2 Cups Ham, diced
2 Quarts of your Homemade Ham Stock**
2 Cups water
kosher or sea salt, to taste (I add 2 tsp sea salt) 

Directions:
Soak 15-bean mixture for 8 hours or overnight in 9 cups water.
Drain & rinse beans and place in large stock pot.
Cover beans with 2 quarts of Homemade Ham Stock, and 2 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, uncovered.  Lower heat, cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours; add the diced tomatoes, onion, garlic lemon juice and ham.  Continue to simmer 30 more minutes, covered, Taste soup and add any salt, if preferred. Serve while hot or pressure can, if desired.

Pressure Canning:  (makes approx 7 pints) 
Using a slotted spoon, fill canning jars half full with hot 'solids' from the soup mixture. Using a ladle add enough hot stock/liquid from soup to fill jars to 1" head space.  Wipe rims with vinegar to clean rims before applying a new, sterile lid,  Add screw bands on to finger-tip tightness.  Vent Pressure Canner 10 minutes. 
Process pint jars 1 hour and 15 minutes or quarts 1 hour 30 minutes; at your canners proper pressure (psi)

I am at 5280 ft. altitude and use a dial-guage canner so, my psi is 13 lbs. Always check to ensure you are processing for your canners needs. 

Recipe Adapted from: Hurst's Bean Mix 
Canning Instr Adapted from: Ball's Bean Soup in 'Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving'
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home