How to Can Cabbage Beef Soup (What to Know + Safe Alternative Method)

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Cabbage is one of those vegetables that you either love it or hate it. Me – love it! Raw, cooked, or however you want to fix it—cole slaw, sauerkraut, chow-chow, boiled, baked, stuffed, and of course, Cabbage Beef Soup. Yum!

But is it safe to can cabbage beef soup?

This is a question many people ask, and it’s important to be clear: there is no USDA- or NCHFP-tested recipe for canning cabbage soup. Because cabbage does not have an approved canning recommendation on its own, it cannot be included in a tested home-canned soup using today’s guidelines.

On our homestead, I make this Cabbage Beef Soup often—but I serve it fresh or freeze it, since freezing is the safest long-term option for this version. If you’d like jars on the shelf, I’ll share a tested-safe Vegetable Beef Soup (No Cabbage) version below that follows the NCHFP Soup Procedure and is approved for pressure canning.

Need help freezing soups and meals? Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Freezing Food at Home.

Canning Cabbage Safety Notes

Cabbage is a low-acid vegetable, and at this time, the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) do not have a tested or approved process for canning cabbage on its own or in soups. Their Soup Guidelines require that every ingredient added to a canned soup must have its own tested canning recommendation, and cabbage does not.

Because of this, cabbage-based soups are not considered safe for home canning using current USDA/NCHFP standards.

Cabbage itself can break down during canning, and without tested data on density, heat penetration, and pH changes, food-safety experts cannot confirm safe processing times or temperatures.

If you want to enjoy this recipe long-term, the safest options are:

• Make the full Cabbage Beef Soup as written and freeze it
• OR follow the Vegetable Beef Soup (No Cabbage) version below, which does meet current soup guidelines and is suitable for pressure canning

On our homestead, I make the cabbage version for fresh eating and freezer meals, and I use the tested vegetable beef variation when I want jars on the shelf.

So please use your own personal judgment with any home-canned recipe. If you’re unsure, the freezer version is always the safest option for cabbage.

Pressure canning tip

To safely preserve soup, a pressure canner is required. USDA and NCHFP guidelines make it clear that low-acid foods—like meat, broth, beans, and vegetables—must reach temperatures only achievable in a pressure canner.

When pressure canning the tested-safe Vegetable Beef Soup (No Cabbage) version below, be sure to:

• Fill jars only halfway with solids, then add broth to a 1-inch headspace
• Do not add thickeners of any kind
• Follow your altitude-adjusted pressure weights
• Use cabbage only for the fresh or freezer version

Supplies Needed:

• Canning Jars
• Jar lids and Rings
• 10-inch Iron Skillet
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Strainer or Colander
• Pressure Canner
• Jar Lifter

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 8 cups of water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 10 Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups fresh cabbage, shredded thin (remove thick white stalk pieces)
• 1 cup Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2- (16 oz) cans of Light Kidney Beans
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 quarts of whole canned tomatoes in juice
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 20 “Turns” of Fresh Pepper Corns (in a pepper corn grinder)
• 2 tsp Canning Salt
• 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Dried Basil
• 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Celery Seed

Cabbage Beef Soup – Stovetop + Freezer Version

How to Make The Best Cabbage Beef Soup

Cooking:

In a cast-iron skillet, brown 2 pounds of ground beef until no longer pink and completely done. With a colander, run fresh water over beef to help remove grease. Set aside.

Note: Save three tablespoons of grease for sauteing onions and garlic.

Prepping Vegetables:

While beef is cooking, mince, chop, shred all vegetables that will be used and set aside.

Making Beef Broth:

Place 8 cups of water into a large bowl or use 2 quart jars, and in each jar, add in Beef Bouillon cubes. Microwave for 5 minutes to dissolve. Set Aside.

Sautéing Onions & Garlic:

In a large stock pot, pour in beef grease. Add chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until tender.

Mixing Ingredients:

• Add cooked ground beef into the stockpot.
• Stir in the shredded cabbage, celery, green pepper, kidney beans, tomatoes with juice, and beef broth. Mix well.
• Add garlic powder, peppercorns, canning salt, parsley, basil, oregano, and celery seed.
• Cook on medium-low for 30 minutes to blend flavors.

At this point, the soup is ready to eat.

Freezing Instructions

• Let the soup cool completely.
• Ladle into freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
• Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
• To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.

RELATED: Use “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Home Canning” and get comfortable with home canning.

Safe Canning Version

How to Pressure Can Vegetable Soup (No Cabbage)

Prepping to Can Soup

Filling Jars:

• Brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Drain the fat well.
• Prepare vegetables (onions, celery, green pepper, tomatoes) by cutting them into pieces ½ inch or smaller.
• If using dried beans, rehydrate completely (soak overnight, then boil 30 minutes).
• Place beef, vegetables, beans, broth, and seasonings into a large stockpot.
• Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes only.
• Keep hot.

Prepping Jars

• Wash jars and keep hot.
• Warm lids and rings.
• Add 2–3 inches of hot water to your pressure canner and place the rack inside.

Filling Jars

• Fill each jar halfway with solids.
• Add hot broth to 1-inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles. Adjust headspace.
• Wipe rims clean.
• Add lids and tighten to finger-tight.
• Place jars in the canner.

Processing:

• Lock the canner lid.
• Turn heat to high and vent steam for 10 minutes.

Process jars:

• Pints: 60 minutes
• Quarts: 75 minutes
• (Adjust for altitude)

After Processing:

• Turn off heat.
• Allow pressure to return to zero naturally.
• Let jars rest inside the canner 5 minutes.
• Remove jars and set on a towel.
• Let sit 12–24 hours.
• Check seals, label, and store.

So, does your family love hot soup?  Mine does, especially during the winter.  Do you have any kind of soup that you like to can?  Please feel free to share.  

More Pressure Canning Recipes To Try

• Home Canning Carrots | The Safe Way
• Canning Green Beans
• Canning Tomato Juice in a Water Bath

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