French Onion Soup (can be pressure canned)

Completely homemade french onion soup is definitely a labor of love.  This recipe is adapted from the Ball Canning Recipe.

French Onion Soup (makes 4 quarts or 8 pints) 

1 tablespoons butter

~15-20 medium onions/4 pounds, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 head of garlic

2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar if needed to balance the flavor

1 cup wine or sherry - I used a combination of sweet sherry and pinot grigio

1 gallon (4 quarts) beef bone broth purchased or homemade 

Directions:

1. Make or gather your beef broth
2. Peel and thinly slice the onions (save peels in the freezer for your next broth)
3. Melt the butter in a large dutch oven or soup pot, then add the onions, salt and pepper - caramelize the onions  
1. Optional:  First cook overnight in a slow cooker then caramelize in a dutch oven or saute pan the next day.  This saves on active management time.
4. Mince and add the garlic (save peels for future broth)
5. Add the rest of the spices and saute for another minute
6. Add the wine/sherry and deglaze the pan
7. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil - reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Enjoy immediately, freeze or pressure can for a shelf stable product.  Pressure canning instructions blow.  Stop here is you are going to can the soup and assemble when ready to eat.
9. Serving:  Ladle the hot soup into a bowl and put a toasted crouton, slice of toasted baguette, or slice of toasted bread on top of the soup.  Place a slice of your favorite cheese on top of the bread.  Grueyer is best but provolone, cheddar and swiss are also good.  Place the bowl under the broiler on top of a cookie sheet until the cheese is bubbly.  Garnish with fresh cracked pepper, a pinch of salt, some red pepper flakes or parsley.  

1. Pressure canning directions
1. Heat your jars in your pressure canner
2. Ladle hot soup into a hot jar, leaving 1-inch head space
3. Remove air bubbles
4. Wipe jar rim
5. Apply band and tighten fingertip tight
6. Place jar on rack in a pressure canner containing 2 inches of simmering water (or follow your canner manual). Repeat until all jars are filled
7. Place lid on canner and turn to locked position
8. Vent steam for 10 minutes. Place the counter weight or weighted gauge on vent; bring pressure to 10 pounds
9. Process pint jars for 60 minutes or quart jars for 1 hour 15 minutes
10. Turn off heat, let canner return to zero pressure, then let cool another 5 minutes.  Remove the lid
11. Cool jars in canner 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool
12. Test lids for seal after 24 hours.  Remove bands for storage
13. Sealed jars should be shelf stable for 12-18 months
14. When serving, heat the soup and follow the serving instructions above.

Mmmmm!!!!  Onions!!!!

Triple recipe - that's a lot of onions!  

 

The top onions are just browned from slow cooking for 10 hours.

The bottom onions are caramelized.  

Caramelizing the onions and adding sherry to deglaze.

Yummy French Onion Soup ready to heat and assemble!!!