Vegetable Beef Soup

We enjoyed the canned chicken soup so well, I decided to also can beef

 vegetable soup. It turned out delicious!

Canned in pints--perfect for hubby's lunches

For the broth:  I started with some beef short ribs that I had in the freezer.  Short ribs have so much fat on them (and so little meat) that I usually reserve them for a rich broth. I always roast them first before making broth, as that gives the broth better flavor.  Any leftover bones & scraps from a beef roast will do as well.  Set any leftover meat scraps aside for the soup, as you don't want to boil the flavor out of them.  Put beef bones (or roasted shortribs) in a pot, cover with water--about four inches above the bones, and bring to a boil. Take the bones out to cool and then pick all the meat off. This method makes getting all the meat from the bones much easier. Chop the meat and put in refrigerator until ready to use. Put the beef bones (and fat) back into the water and simmer for a few hours. Remove from heat, strain broth, cool a bit, then refrigerate until ready to use--preferrably several hours or overnight so fat turns solid.
The Veggies and Beef
Retrieve the broth from the fridge, take the fat off the top and measure the broth.  Add one beef boullion cube (or 1 tsp beef granules) for each cup of broth.  Put the broth and boullion in a pot with lots of cut-up raw or frozen veggies.  You will need one to one-and-one-half cups of veggies for each cup of broth you have.  Suggestions for veggies include green beans, onion, green pepper, corn, carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, a little garlic.  Cook the veggies in the broth just until they start to soften. Add the cut up beef and continue cooking until the meat is heated through.
--Fill hot jars half to three-fourths full with the meat and veggies. Use a slotted spoon to retrieve it from the broth.  Ladle broth to fill rest of jar to within 1/2" from top. If you need more broth, make beef boullion.  You can add whatever herbs and spice you'd like, up to a tablespoon total per quart, but here is my favorite for beef soup in quart jars:  1 tsp paprika,  1/2 tsp dill weed, pinch of nutmeg.  Don't add salt as you're boullion cubes are the salt. 
--Pressure can at 10 pounds of pressure: pints 60 min, quarts 75 min.