1. To begin, soak beans overnight if necessary, or use the quick-soak method, allowing them to soften and become tender.
2. Rinse the beans thoroughly and place them in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Cover them with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If you don’t mind the extra cooking time, you can use a stock pot, instant pot, or pressure cooker.
4. Remove the soup pot from the heat, cover it, and let the beans sit for one hour. Drain the beans.
5. Sauté the onions and garlic.
6. Return the beans to the soup pot and add 1½ quarts of fresh water or chicken broth. Also, add the ham pieces, chopped parsley, minced garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
7. Simmer the soup on the stovetop, covered, for 45 minutes.
8. Add the carrots, celery, and onions, and cook for an extra 15 minutes until it thickens.
9. If you’re not canning the soup, add salt as desired and serve it hot.
10. If you’re canning the ham soup, prepare the canning jars and lids following general canning guidelines.
11. Add 3 quarts of water to a pressure canner and bring to a simmer.
12. Fill the sanitized canning jars two-thirds full with ham and veggie pieces using a slotted spoon and canning funnel.
13. Ladle the hot canning liquid into the jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
14. Remove any air bubbles by running a soft kitchen utensil like a spatula around the inside of the jar.
15. Wipe the jar rims clean with a damp paper towel.
16. Place the lids and screw bands on the jars, tightening them to fingertip tightness.
17. Put the covered and sealed jars into the pressure canner, setting them on the canning rack inside using canning tongs.
18. Cover the pressure canner and vent the steam for 10 minutes before placing the weight on and building pressure to the recommended level per canner type and altitude:

Dial Gauge Pressure Canners:

• 0-4,000 ft: 11 lbs
• 4,001-6,000 ft: 12 lbs
• 6,001-8,000 ft: 13 lbs
• 8,001-10,000 ft: 14 lbs

Weighted Gauge Pressure Canners:

• 0 – 2,000ft: 10 lbs
• 2,001ft and up: 15 lbs

Post Processing

1. Process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes.
2. After the processing time, remove the canner from the heat, allowing the pressure to drop completely. Carefully open the lid and use canning tongs to remove the hot jars. Let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
3. Check that all the jars have been sealed properly, remove the screw band rings, wipe the jars clean, label them, and store them in a pantry away from direct sunlight.