What do you substitute for 'cream of X' soup?

[freemotion]

Yes, you have to thicken the cream soups which is why it's not a recommended practice but I belong to a canning group where many of us have been making cream of whatever soups for years and years and years and none of us have died yet. I can cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of chicken and mushroom and cream of celery and onion. For all of them I just start with a simple butter and flour thickening to which I add my beef or chicken or vegetable stock and then throw in whatever it is that the soup is supposed to get it's flavor from. I can for 75 minutes for pints (pressure canning) and when I use the soup I mix it with milk or cream.

Wow, thanks.....I am thinking the thickening is a quality rather than a safety issue? I will be making this!! Do you make the soups thicker to use in the ubiquitous recipes that call for a can of condensed soup? Or make your canned soups normal eating strength?

I've never made cream soups, but years ago enjoyed the crockpot recipes that call for a can.

Can you give us a more specific idea of a recipe you can, say cream of mushroom, with amounts and how many pints it would make? And how much cream you add when using? Excuse my ignorance! I really, really, really would like to make cream of mushroom pints!

 

[farmerlor]

Okay, here's my base recipe:
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

� 1/3 cup butter
� 1 pound mushrooms, chopped or sliced
� 3/4 cup flour
� 2 quarts meat stock (chicken bouillon may be substituted)
� 1 T. salt
� 1 tsp. lemon juice

Melt butter. Add mushrooms and cook until brown.
Add meat stock, saving enough to mix with the flour.
Make a paste with meat stock and flour.
Mix all ingredients and heat until it boils.
Put in jars and process in pressure canner for 45 minutes
at 10 lb.pressure.
When opening to use, add equal amount of milk and soup.
Very good!
Makes 5 pints.
NOTE: I have tripled this before and it just fits
in my large stock pot. I buy mushrooms when they
are closing out at discount prices because they aren't
real fresh. They make the best soup! I use this soup
just like you would the soup you buy in the store.
My husband loves it!! I haven't bought store soup in years now.

You can also substitute clear jel (if you can find the stuff) for flour. It's a thickener made especially for canning made by the Sure jel people but I can't ever find it around here.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks, it is printed out and I have stock in the fridge, and mushrooms are on sale!!! Yippee!!!

THANKS!!!

 

[keljonma]

These are the ones I make for the pantry. I store them in quart canning jars.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix
1 cup dried mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dried onion
1/2 tsp. dried lemon rind, grated
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup dried milk powder

Combine all ingredients and store in a tightly covered container.

label for jar:
TO USE:
stir into 1 1/2 quarts boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Cover and cook over very low heat 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Cream of Tomato Soup Mix
3 cup dried tomato slices
1/2 cup dried milk powder
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Powder tomato slices in a blender or with a pestle. Add remaining ingredients. Store in a plastic bag, glass jar, or any tightly sealed container.

label for jar:
TO USE: add to 1 1/2 quarts boiling water and simmer 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon butter or margarine after cooking. Serves 4 to 6.

 

[onebuggirl]

I just make my own cream of whatever soups and can them.

Do you can them? How? Becasue I am allergic to MSG and was making my own cream of x soups and freezing them in canning jars. I read that you shouldn't can cream stuff or soups with cream/dairy? Is this correct?

 

[farmerlor]

I just make my own cream of whatever soups and can them.

Do you can them? How? Becasue I am allergic to MSG and was making my own cream of x soups and freezing them in canning jars. I read that you shouldn't can cream stuff or soups with cream/dairy? Is this correct?

No, you shouldn't use dairy as a general rule BUT people successfully can butter ALL the time and it's wonderful so the rule.....just depends. I make my cream soups with butter, flour, stock and whatever flavorings I need. Then when I use the soup THAT'S when I add the milk or cream. I used to use a LOT of Cream of chicken and mushroom soup but when it got up to 1.79 per can I decided it was time to make my own. I wish I'd done it years ago. Mine is MUCH better than Campbell's.

 

[freemotion]

I have 15 pints of farmerlor's cream of mushroom soup in my canner right now! I used the chicken fat from the broth instead of butter. I will be using it with fresh goat's milk, can't wait to try it! The soup tasted yummy, when I checked it, even though it wasn't really cooked enough, just a quick boil and into the jars.

Has anyone used freshly ground whole wheat flour as a thickener in anything? I reverted to white flour, I had just enough from baking something for a potluck, where I tend to use ingredients most people will eat. Tastes like cardboard to us now.

But I didn't want to mess with the recipe when I was canning so much. Any feedback on this?



eta: I didn't substitute the butter for any reason other than I like to use chicken fat in dishes where it will add a nice flavor, and it is essentially free, as we make lots of broth and end up making suet/seed cakes for feeding the wild birds with saved-up fats. Or give it to the chickens if it is piling up in the freezer.

eta again: I took 'em out of the canner and they look wonderful!!! Thanks again for the recipe!!! I had been searching for some time and had given up. Gonna fire up that crockpot again.....

 

[freemotion]

Farmerlor, I put a small pork roast into the crockpot with a jar of your mushroom soup recipe, and it was wonderful!!!! I had to use bread to soak up all that yummy soup. We had pork sandwiches the next day.

That recipe is a major keeper, and is going directly into my canning notebook. Thanks!

 

[Ldychef2k]

Well, I am giving it a shot. I have six pints each of cream of: mushroom, onion, broccoli, celery. I was confused about the processing time, whether it was 45 or 75 minutes, as there were two references given. I went with 45 on the mushroom, but may go longer on the rest, which are processing as I type. I gotta say, they taste fantastic.

I added a bit of nutmeg to the sauce, just because I always do that with white sauce.

Only this sauce was made with homemade chicken stock, so it's more brown than white.

With the onion, I caramelized the onions first, added some fresh thyme and white wine as well.

I set up a production line, with all my jars lined up. I went one at a time with the veggies, doing the sauteeing, filled the jars with veggies first and then topped off with the cream sauce, put on the lids and shook them well before putting them in the canner. I felt very professional !

 

[freemotion]

Yes, I just noticed the discrepency in the processing time, too! Farmerlor??? 45 minutes or 75 minutes for pints?