Similar to my recipe but healthier...LOL! Less cream.
I love cold cucumber soup....here's my recipe!

2 large cucumbers
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tsp dry dill weed
1 cup lemon juice
2 8 oz cartons of sour cream
2 cups half and half
And milk to make it thin enough
Chopped chives and cucumber slices for garnish
Peel and seed the cucumber and puree in a blender.
Pour in the sour cream and 1/2 and 1/2 and mix well....add milk as needed to thin if desired.
Chill and serve garnished with chives and cuke slices.

Thanks so much, Linda - I think we have the same recipe. But my real question is whether or not I can can this soup.

Just a suggestion: Submit your concerns to the Harvest Forum here at Garden Web. The folks there are knowledgeable and will steer you in the right direction. You should only use recipes approved by the NCHP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) or from a reliable source like Ball. There's a big difference between cooking recipes and canning recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum

No....because then you would have curdled cooked cucumber soup. I don't know about safety but the final result wouldn't be tasty. You could can it without the cukes, but it would taste pretty much like pickles....with the lemon juice and garlic.
Curious where you got that recipe as it sure is identical to mine.

I'd suggest taking the Self-Study Coarse at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (see link below) if you are new to home-canning. I think you will find it very helpful.

When it comes to making soup, it requires a pressure canner due to the low-acid foods (vegetables and meat) commonly used in them. You can't add noodles or other pasta, rice, flour, cream, milk or other thickening agents to home-canned soups.

One of the first things you learn about home-canning is NOT to make up your own recipes. You can't be sure if there is proper heat penetration and can't be sure of the safety. To improve the safety, start with a TESTED recipe, and you will find those located at the National Center for Home Food Preservation web site, or in the Ball Blue Book (the only commercial book that goes by the USDA standards).

I have cucumbers coming out of my ears as well ;-)

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Here's a suggestion. (someone may point out the flaws in my thinking and that's all right)

Pour your hot soup mixture into canning jars. Place the lids and rings on, tighten ring and then back off 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Let cool on the counter and then freeze.

I have canning jars of homemade chicken stock in my freezer now so I know you can freeze the jars. I also buy several 1/2 gal cartons of milk and freeze all but one. I take one out 2 or 3 days before the previous carton is used up and thaw in the fridge. So I know you can freeze dairy. (well milk, anyway. This is where someone else may have input. I don't know about sour cream but 1/2 & 1/2 will freeze, too.) The trick is thawing slowly in the fridge. Thawing on the counter causes it seperate more. Even then, a light shake before use seems to help.

I thawed some sour cream that I had frozen because I had more than I needed. I thawed it yesterday thinking I would use it mixed with mayo in some chicken salad....but it was grainy and even mixed with mayo I was afraid you could detect the texture.
I think that recipe is best eaten fresh....and I know that even kept over night in the refrig it gets watery.
Make more pickles....give them away!!
Linda C

Pris: Many thanks for your suggestions; however, my reason for wanting to can the soup is that I don't have a freezer other than the small one on my fridge. What I'm asking is whether I can can the soup WITHOUT the dairy products, and add them just before serving the soup.

LindaC, I may very well have copied your recipe if you ever posted it here. I do that a lot because there are so many great cooks here. Re. the exchanges, I seldom use sour cream if I can substitute plain yogurt, especially the Greek-style yogurt which is as creamy as sour cream. Also, I only use heavy cream rarely, prefering to use either whole milk or Half & Half. I can tell the difference usually, but still prefer to cut the fat when possible.

Thanks so much, Shambo and Grainlady for the tips. I've posted the same question on the Harvest forum too.

Thanks again everyone!

Carolyn