Rinse ham, place in foil lined baking pan, pour over 3-4 cups of apple juice or apple cider. Mix a paste of mustard and brown sugar to coat ham. Bring foil up from sides and seal tightly all around, leaving room so foil does not touch ham. You want the apple cider to steam around the ham. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes per pound.
Remove ham from bone in sections. Place meaty bone in crock pot, cover with water. Cook on low overnight. Meanwhile place beans (18 varieties in 1 bag found at Wal-Mart for $1.18) in mixing bowl and add 6-8 cups of water. Soak beans overnight.
Day 2: Strain bone and broth into large bowl. Let cool. Place in fridge.
Drain beans, place in clean crock pot and fill with water. Cook beans on low overnight.
Day 3: Peel and dice 2 onions, 1/2 small cabbage, 8 carrots, 8 medium potatoes, 6 stalks celery.
Line sink with newspaper for easy cleanup.
Brown onions in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent. Add celery. Cook until soft.
Stir in 2 to 3 - 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
Add cooked beans, bean broth, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes. Blend well, add a pinch of baking soda to decrease acidity of tomatoes.
Skim fat from ham broth, pour remaining broth into pot. Simmer about 1 hour. Let cool. Carrots and potatoes will be partially cooked.
Fill clean crock pot with soup. Leave room for 2 cups of ham. Put remaining portions of soup in large containers for the freezer.
Stir in 2 to 3 - 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
Add cooked beans, bean broth, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes. Blend well, add a pinch of baking soda to decrease acidity of tomatoes.
Skim fat from ham broth, pour remaining broth into pot. Simmer about 1 hour. Let cool. Carrots and potatoes will be partially cooked.
Fill clean crock pot with soup. Leave room for 2 cups of ham. Put remaining portions of soup in large containers for the freezer.
Remove fat from ham with a fine sharp knife. This takes some work and has to be done in sections throughout the ham, not by slicing it, but by trimming fat from each portion.
Dice ham for each container of soup, about 2 cups per container.
Let crock pot cook on low overnight. Carrots and potatoes will finish cooking and flavors will blend nicely.
If you place the remaining soup in larger containers, it will be ready for the next crock pot meal freeing up more time for quilting.
The remainder of the ham can be diced and frozen for quiche, pizza topping, casseroles, etc.
From 1 ham and a few vegetables, I'll have enough for at least 30 meals, unless of course, like Joan, I invite the neighborhood for dinner.
Total cost between $20.00 and $25.00. How's that for budget stretching!
Note: My soup pot holds about 3 gallons. If you have a smaller pot, adjust portions accordingly.
Dice ham for each container of soup, about 2 cups per container.
Let crock pot cook on low overnight. Carrots and potatoes will finish cooking and flavors will blend nicely.
If you place the remaining soup in larger containers, it will be ready for the next crock pot meal freeing up more time for quilting.
The remainder of the ham can be diced and frozen for quiche, pizza topping, casseroles, etc.
From 1 ham and a few vegetables, I'll have enough for at least 30 meals, unless of course, like Joan, I invite the neighborhood for dinner.
Total cost between $20.00 and $25.00. How's that for budget stretching!
Note: My soup pot holds about 3 gallons. If you have a smaller pot, adjust portions accordingly.
6 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving!! I know I am behind the times a bit here :))
The soup sounds very good. We have been eating a lot more soup here lately. I made a big batch of Ox tail soup last night and we have a bunch for a few more meals. I think I have a ham in the freezer that has been there for quite a while.
Embarrassing confession time ~ that preserving pan you're using, I have 1 just like it &, umm, it's covered in mud & in with the ducklings. I found it left in my last house & I've used it for the poultry. In my defence, I have a bigger lidded version that does get used for preserving & big pot meals. 2nd embarrassing confession ~ I made a veggie soup (unfortunately pig is the very worst meat for me & I loved my pig...) & I killed it. The veggies are fine, but the stock is so vinegary for some reason that it's inedible. I put no vinegar in it at all or any acid that I was aware of. I cooked it in a cast iron lidded pot on the range top & that's always worked in the past. I can't lift the full pot, so using it in the oven can only happen when I have a strong other person around
The soup sounds delictable, my mouth is watering. It is rewarding to make something that we can freeze and stretch budgets with little cost in the long run. Thanks for sharing. I will be making this soon.
I make mine very much the same as yours with the exception of the tomatoes. I'm going to throw some in next time. Sounds great!
MMMMMmmmmmm! Looks sooo yummy...I could almost smell the perfume of this soup. Definitely a must - as so many treasures on your blog ! ;>)
(((HUGS))) & smiles to you, dear !
XOXOXOXOXO
NADINE
I'm going to have to remember this yummy recipe when we have all that leftover ham at Christmas.
Thanks San :)
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