Canning: can I can (faux) cream soups?

[Dennis Leahy]

Canning: can I can (faux) "cream" soups?

My wife makes an awesome "cream" of broccoli soup. Non-dairy. Miso based with almond milk for the faux cream.

Someone just told my wife they don't think is is advisable to can "cream" soups, but of course, they are probably thinking dairy.

Big haul of broccoli from the garden, and I'd like to can a couple gallons of her soup.

Anyone have any ideas about this?

Thanks!

Dennis

[shadowstalker]

http://pinterest.com/stefburns/food-canning-homemade/

[Marsila]

DL, Your post just made me real hungry for cream soups for some reason... I found this ... you need a pressure canner for this one.

http://pickyourown.org/canningsoups.htm

[MorningSong]

Although I am in the prime time of canning foods right now ( fermented dill pickles in the crock pot, tomatoes galore, okra up the behuzzles, pole and bush beans, various herbs, summer squash and winter squash coming in, carrots, beets and celery root....and the list goes on), I'm not at the soup stage yet (I use the waterbath method, never had a problem with it) but will be very shortly.

Dennis, I think that if you use a pressure cooker, you should be able to can your wife's soup. Unfortunately I don't know much about pressure cooker canning because I don't use one myself. If you have a pressure cooker, the only thing you need to know is the cooking time.

Just doing a quick google search got me this:

http://canningusa.com/IfICanYouCan/SoupBroccoli.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_7347960_can-broccoli-soup.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_8262487_can-...coli-soup.html

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...461720977.html

There are lots of other links there.

@ Shadowstalker: that looks like a wonderful link you posted! Thanks!

[EsmaEverheart]

I have canned a lot of home grown veggies in my time. But I don't know anything about canning a creamed soup. I suppose you could try. I think it would probably freeze really well. I actually had a lot of tomatoes one summer that I made into tomato sauce and I froze it in a freeze bag laying flat. That way it would stack up in the freezer. Thinking about this makes me want to have a vegetable garden so much. But I can't do that where I live right now.

[galilava]

Hi Denis, I have not time to read all the links above - so may be repeating some info here but generally: You can can anything if you put it in a jar with screw lid and boil it for some 10-15 min. You could also just fill the jars with hot boiling fluid and screw the lid immediately, then leave it to cool. These are the two methods I use. Hope it helps

[DeDukshyn]

You can can pretty much anything, the question is -- what will it be like once opened?
Galivava's second tip sounds nice and simple if you can get the soup to boiling for a few minutes without wrecking it.

Let us know how it turns out!

If it wasn't so hot I'd be working on a soup right now ... My son calls me the soup nazi

[Arrowwind]

Yes. go ahead and can it. But it must be in a pressure canner. If you dont have one I recommend the American canner. Its expensive but will last many lifetimes... and heirloom and gift for the children.


all foods that are not fruits must be pressure canned. Its the best way to avoid botulism.
Why not freeze?

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by Arrowwind (here)
Yes. go ahead and can it. But it must be in a pressure canner. If you dont have one I recommend the American canner. Its expensive but will last many lifetimes... and heirloom and gift for the children.


all foods that are not fruits must be pressure canned. Its the best way to avoid botulism.
Why not freeze?

My mom used to can all kinds of things you can imagine - she just used traditional canning methods and none of us ever got botulism. Soups she would always freeze though, but I suspect Dennis wants a way to preserve even if the solar storms come. There may not be easy electricity.

[Dennis Leahy]

Thank you very much, shadowstalker, Marsila, MorningSong, EsmaEverheart, galilava, DeDukshyn, and Arrowwind.

Good info, good links!

I have access to a pressure canner.

We just have the silly small freezer compartment on a combination refrigerator/freezer, and there will be some other (small) garden items in there that seem to have the most flavor frozen (when out-of-season) compared to dried or canned. (for example, chopped frozen basil)

So, not freezing the soup is both due to freezer space limitations and because I do want to be in a position that if (for whatever reason) there is no electricity, the food will still be safe. Plus, if all I have is a campfire or a propane grill, we can still enjoy hot soup. Of all the "comfort foods", is there anything more comforting than great soup? :~)

I am thinking that in this case (broccoli soup), the soup should not be completely done and then canned - the canning process will turn the broccoli chunks to mush. Rather, I'm thinking of making the background faux "cream" base, but not fully cooked, then adding the broccoli bits and pieces - then letting the canning process be the cooking process. Kinda the way you can beans if you don't want bean mush.

Does this sound like I'm on the right track?

Dennis

[lilac]

It is easy to can fruit, tomatoes and pickles because of the high acid content. Vegies are much more complex because there is a slight chance of botulism if you don't do it just right. If it was me, I would use my freezer space for the broccoli and make the soup as needed. The other thing is that freezing broccoli does not require over-cooking.

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by Dennis Leahy (here)
Thank you very much, shadowstalker, Marsila, MorningSong, EsmaEverheart, galilava, DeDukshyn, and Arrowwind.

Good info, good links!

I have access to a pressure canner.

We just have the silly small freezer compartment on a combination refrigerator/freezer, and there will be some other (small) garden items in there that seem to have the most flavor frozen (when out-of-season) compared to dried or canned. (for example, chopped frozen basil)

So, not freezing the soup is both due to freezer space limitations and because I do want to be in a position that if (for whatever reason) there is no electricity, the food will still be safe. Plus, if all I have is a campfire or a propane grill, we can still enjoy hot soup. Of all the "comfort foods", is there anything more comforting than great soup? :~)

I am thinking that in this case (broccoli soup), the soup should not be completely done and then canned - the canning process will turn the broccoli chunks to mush. Rather, I'm thinking of making the background faux "cream" base, but not fully cooked, then adding the broccoli bits and pieces - then letting the canning process be the cooking process. Kinda the way you can beans if you don't want bean mush.

Does this sound like I'm on the right track?

Dennis

If I were you - that would be the starting point. I'd start with a small batch - maybe a few jars, then test those and see if adjustments are needed, then go for a big batch. I've never done any canning on my own but know the process well - I learned a ton from my Canadian German Mennonite mother!

There's some excellent canning / preserving recipes here (among other great mennonite recipes): http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/

And general canning tips here: http://www.canning-food-recipes.com/index.html

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by lilac (here)
It is easy to can fruit, tomatoes and pickles because of the high acid content. Vegies are much more complex because there is a slight chance of botulism if you don't do it just right. If it was me, I would use my freezer space for the broccoli and make the soup as needed. The other thing is that freezing broccoli does not require over-cooking.

Yeah ... I made the comment that my mom used to can almost everything .. I do recall her adding at least a little vinegar to almost everything non- fruit though (even if not pickling specifically). It must have been to increase the chance of it not getting botulism, if acidity is the key.

[CdnSirian]

I have a friend in this city who has dried a lot of food - in those tiered trays. Meat too. I admire that, and all the skills shared above.

You could dry stuff ( a lot) for soup - and for the creamed part - get a goat?

I truly admire these skills. My mom and sister were/are very good at pickling and freezing their garden delights.

Great thread Dennis. But, if you're in MN, you're almost Canadian. ha ha.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Dehydration is my choice for long term storage.
Broccoli can be dehydrated from fresh or frozen, put into Mason jars and then vacuum sealed. There are several methods to do the vacuum sealing, with or without electricity.
A cream can be made from white bean flour.
To make bean flour a good hand grinder like the Country Living Mill or if electricity is available a Vitamixer will work. There are many other less expensive tools that will make flour also.
There are excellent recipes and instructional videos at Dehydrate2Store.com
My blog has a good collection of information about food dehydration and more.

[DeDukshyn]

The only problem with dehydration is you will need fresh water (other than that I am a fan of it as well). Usually not a concern but canned foods don't have that problem at all. Both methods are good for up to ten years if done well and storage conditions are right. (although I wouldn't eat food stored for 10 years unless absolutely needed ... but maybe the city life has made me wimpy)

I'm saving rmauersr's links right now ...

[The Truth Is In There]

why kill the broccoli? ferment it. it's much healthier than dead food from a can and keeps for many months, all the while getting tastier.

[blufire]

I have canned gallons and gallons of creamed soups.

I have even used raw milk straight from the cow with the cream. I have not used almond milk or other faux soup bases but do not see any problem.

A few tips: (when using actual milk)

• Fully prepare the soup base. I fully cook the ‘rue’ (milk, flour, salt, pepper, butter, wine, and other seasonings) completely. Keep the soup base warm as you prepare other ingredients for the soup you are making
• All other ingredients going into the soup I leave raw even if I am adding meat to the soup
• When you are all ready to process (can) the soup mix the raw ingredients into the soup base.
• Pack your jars (I always use quart) leaving a good inch and a half head space.
• Process the soup in a pressure canner a minimum of a hour and a half (90 minutes) at 10 lbs psi . . . .this is at regular altitude.

Use your canned soups within a maximum of 9 months. Sometimes separation can occur I either mix the soup when I open to use it or sometimes I pour off the separated layer that is on top.

Nothing is better that fresh baked bread and opening canned soup after a hard days work. So quick and so very satisfying and comforting.

[Arrowwind]

Posted by DeDukshyn (here)

Posted by lilac (here)
It is easy to can fruit, tomatoes and pickles because of the high acid content. Vegies are much more complex because there is a slight chance of botulism if you don't do it just right. If it was me, I would use my freezer space for the broccoli and make the soup as needed. The other thing is that freezing broccoli does not require over-cooking.

Yeah ... I made the comment that my mom used to can almost everything .. I do recall her adding at least a little vinegar to almost everything non- fruit though (even if not pickling specifically). It must have been to increase the chance of it not getting botulism, if acidity is the key.

Your mom may well have canned only in a bath method. It is recommended by Home Extension and USDA that veggies with a low ph be pressure canned, which is most of them. This is probably why she added the vinegar. Also, meat, milk and protien (almonds) items should be pressure canned. Such items present the greatest risk of botulism.

Dennis, I think that your broccoli needs to be well cooked to survive the canning process without failure. It will be mush or you will risk failure. Of course we know that this is why canned foods are less nutritious, due to all the cooking required and it affects the taste too. Does anyone else think that crisp broccoli would be a good idea in a canned product?
In a fully creamed soup you would not have to deal with it. Just blend all the broccoli first. Thats how I make broccoli soup and its still real good. Ever notice that you cant find a can of canned broccoli for sale anywhere? Over cooked broccoli is lousy unless you cream it and add all the extra goodies.


Pressure Canning Methods:

Pressure canning is

the only safe method of canning low-acid foods

(those with a ph of more than 4.6). These include

all vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. Because

of the danger of botulism, these foods must

be canned in a pressure canner. Jars of food are

placed in 2 to 3 inches of water in a pressure canner

and then heated to a temperature of at least

240 °F. This temperature

[Dennis Leahy]

Thanks lilac, DeDukshyn, CdnSirian, rmauser, The Truth Is In There, blufire, and Arrowwind for the additional info and links.

I am doing more drying, and have dried peppers and kale that can be ingredients in soups. I may try drying some broccoli too. I purchased 10 pound bags of organic dried garlic granules and onion flakes, to supplement the fresh onions and garlic that will keep in storage for at least a couple of months. I dry a lot of tomatoes, (including halved Sungold cherry tomatoes, that are akin to candy when dried.)

I am a complete beginner at fermenting (just made my first batch of kombucha, second batch is fermenting), and I confess that I have never liked fermented veggies. Interestingly, there is a great thread (The gut of most disease... NOT what you think!) that has made me rethink my taste buds' aversion to fermented veggies and I am on the cusp of exploring that avenue. Yes, good idea.

But, I also will be canning some soup (along with salsa and stewed tomatoes, etc.)

Arrowwind, it has been a year since I have enjoyed my wife's excellent vegan "cream" of broccoli soup, and now as I think harder, yes, most of the broccoli is blended in. She throws some small florets in at the last minute. Those should probably be eliminated (just blended in with the rest) for a canned recipe.

:~)

Dennis