How to Can Clam Chowder Base (Add the Milk Later!)

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Craving clam chowder in the middle of a busy week? A shelf full of chowder base means you’re about 10 minutes away from a creamy bowl any time you want it. I can mine in pints because that’s the perfect serving size. On long workdays, or when the kids want a “make it yourself” night, they just grab a jar and heat it up.

My sons and I have played with a few ways of canning chowder over the years, including the rebel way with milk right in the jar. These days I can just the base: the clams, potatoes, onions and broth. Then I add the milk or cream when I heat it up. It’s the safest way to do it, and it tastes every bit as good.

What You’ll Need

• Russet potatoes, washed and cubed (peel or not, your choice)
• Sweet onions, chopped (I love the flavor, and they were on sale!)
• Canned minced clams, with their juice
• Coarse canning salt
• Water or chicken broth
• Pint jars, new lids and bands
• A pressure canner (I use my Presto Digital Pressure Canner)

Step by Step: How I Can Clam Chowder Base

1. Prep the potatoes and onions

Wash and cube your potatoes into bite-size pieces and chop the onions.

2. Give the veggies a quick boil

Put the potatoes and onions in a big pot, cover them with water or broth, and boil for 5 minutes. They don’t need to be soft. They’ll finish cooking in the canner.

3. Fill the jars

Spoon the hot potatoes and onions into hot pint jars until they’re about half full. Add the minced clams and a splash of their juice to each jar, plus a little coarse salt. My boys and I just layer it all in.

4. Top with hot liquid

Pour the hot cooking liquid (or boiling water or broth) over everything, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims and add lids and bands. Remember: no milk, no cream, no flour in the jar.

5. Pressure can for 100 minutes

Soups that contain seafood need a longer time than other soups: 100 minutes for pints or quarts. Follow your canner’s directions for water and venting. (My Presto Digital takes 3 quarts of water no matter what size jars I use.)

Times and pressures follow the USDA / National Center for Home Food Preservation soup guidelines for soups containing seafood.

Let the canner come down to zero on its own, let the jars rest 12 to 24 hours, then check seals, label and store.

How to Turn It Into Chowder

• Pour a pint of chowder base into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
• Stir in about 1 cup of milk or half-and-half and a pat of butter.
• Thicken it the way you like: a little flour or cornstarch whisked into cold milk, or mash a few of the potatoes right in the pot.
• Season with pepper, a little thyme, and bacon if you have it. Serve hot with crackers.

It’s still a rich, creamy chowder, and it’s ready faster than you can drive to the store.

More meals in a jar: ham and 15-bean soup and soup in a jar. Find them all in the Canning section.