10 Steps to Canning Split Pea Soup

Step 6, Heat the Jars

Because you will put boiling hot soup into the jars, you must preheat the jars. Jars will strenuously object to hot liquid put into them when cold. They object by cracking, making a mess to remind you. So preheat them in a shallow pan with an inch of water. We do this about the time the peas gets near to being soft. When the peas get soft enough Paul pours the soup into the jars, Bernice wipes the rim and attatches lids and rings and then Paul tightens the rings. During this time we have put water into the pressure canner, about 2 inches and started to heat it. As soon as a set has been filled and sealed Paul puts them into the canner and start pressuring the 7 quarts. We then continue to fill the remaining jars. When filling the jars leave an inch of head space. You must stir the pot as you fill each jar because of the peas will settle on the bottom.