French Onion Soup
Here is the recipe for the French Onion soup base and then how to make the soup when you are ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 8 cups sliced 1/4" onions
- 1 T. olive oil - for sauting only
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 8 cups beef broth/stock
- 1/2 t. thyme
- 1/2 t. black pepper
Instructions
Preparation:
- Fill yourpressure canner with 2 to 3 inches of water and place the rack at the bottom.Please follow the instructions that came with your canner for adding the amountof water. Begin heating the water in the bottom of the canner with the lid off.
Food Preparation:
- In a largefrying pan sauté the onions in batches using the olive oil and adding justenough for them not to burn. Cook for about 15 minutes till they are cookeddown but not soft.
- The pressure canner will do the work of cooking them therest of the way but not enough for them to be mushy. Put the onions in a bowland set aside. Once all the onions aredone in a stainless steel pot or enameled dutch oven add broth/stock, water,wine, thyme and pepper.
- Bring to a boilover medium heat, turn down to low and add the onions. Leave in pot for 3-5minutes while you get the jars ready to fill. Remove from heat
Filling the jars:
- You will need 6pint jars. Put your canning funnel on the jar and using tongs pull out the onionand add some to each jar. I would say about 1/2 cup each if you are going tomeasure otherwise you can eyeball that each jar gets “a loose” half full in each pint.
- Now taking your ladle add broth/stock to eachof the pints filling them to 1” headspace. You will find that the herbs havesunk to the bottom of the pot. Using a spoon add some to each jar.
- There is nosalt in this recipe since the broth/stock has plenty naturally. Remove airbubbles with your rubber spatula or chopsticks and refill if necessary.
- Taking a clean damp papertowel, wipe the rims of the jars removing any foodparticles that would interfere with a good seal for your lids.
- Using your magicwand extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleanedrims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just"finger tight".
Processing:
- Make sureyour canning water has come to a simmer and place the jars in the pressurecanner. Lock the lid and turn up the heat bring the canner to a boil.
- Vent steam for 10 minutes and then close the vent by adding the weighted gaugeor pressure regulator (for dial gauge canner). Process pints for 60 minutes and quarts for 75 minutes at 10lbs of pressure (11 lbs for dial gauge canner).
- Adjust pressure for altitude. When completeturn off the heat and let pressure return to zero naturally.
- If you have a lidlock you will want to wait till the lock drops. Wait two minutes longer andremove the weighted gauge or pressure regulator. Remove canner lid.
- Wait 10minutes then remove jars and place on dishtowel in a place that they will sitovernight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.
Sealing:
- Some time inthe next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or"popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of thelids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may takeovernight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.Remove rings for storage.