SOUPS
After one has learned how to can fruits and vegetables successfully,
the next thing to attempt is the canning of soups.
Soups may be canned with or without meat. We make one variety which is
a pure vegetable soup. We use no stock or meat, and can it in its own
juice or liquor, thus using no water.
When we wish to use it we dilute it three or four times and serve it
as a vegetable soup or, more frequently, when we have chicken bones or
any meat bones on hand, we add a can of this concentrated vegetable
mixture to the bones and make a delicious stock soup.
I will give this recipe as I have given it to many friends, all of
whom have pronounced it excellent:
1 Peck ripe tomatoes
1 Head cabbage
1 Dozen carrots
1 White turnip
3 Pounds string beans
1 Pound okra
3 Red peppers
1 Peck spinach
2 Pounds asparagus
6 Small beets
6 Ears sweet corn
Scald the tomatoes by placing them in a wire basket and plunging them
into boiling water for one and a half minutes. Cold-dip them
immediately. After removing the core and stem end of the tomato, the
skin slips right off. Save all the tomato juice. Cut the tomatoes into
quarters. Put into a large pail or bucket with the juice. Blanch the
cabbage, carrots, turnip, string beans, okra and sweet red peppers
five minutes. Cold-dip. Of course you blanch and cold-dip each product
separately. Cut each vegetable after it is blanched and cold-dipped
into small cubes and add to the tomatoes.
Spinach must be carefully washed to remove all grit and sand. All
greens must be washed through several waters to cleanse them
thoroughly.
Instead of blanching the spinach in a kettle of boiling water, as we
do the other vegetables, we steam it by placing it in a colander over
boiling water or in a regulation steamer with tightly fitting cover,
such as is used for steaming suet puddings and brown bread. If you can
with a steam-pressure canner or a pressure cooker, then steam the
spinach there. If we boiled the spinach for fifteen or twenty minutes
we would lose a quantity of the mineral salts, the very thing we aim
to get into our systems when we eat spinach, dandelion greens, Swiss
chard and other greens. After the blanching or steaming comes the cold
dip.
There is something about blanching asparagus, either for soups or when
canned alone, that is worth knowing. Instead of blanching the whole
stalk of asparagus for the same length of time, we use a little
discretion, giving the tougher, harder ends a full four minutes'
blanching, but allowing the tender tip ends only two minutes. You are
possibly wondering how that is done.
Tie the asparagus stalks in bunches and put the bunches with all the
tips standing one way on a piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cloth or snap
rubber bands round it, and then stand the asparagus in boiling water
in an upright position for two minutes; next lay the asparagus
lengthwise in the blanching water for another two minutes, and you
have accomplished your purpose. You have given the tougher parts two
minutes' more blanching than the tender parts. Use a deep enough
kettle so the asparagus will be completely covered when laid
lengthwise. After the blanching, cold-dip the asparagus.
Wash the beets. Leave two inches of the top and all the tail on the
beets while blanching. Blanch for five minutes, then cold-dip. Next
scrape off the skin, top and tail. The tops can be put right into the
soup too. Any surplus tops can be steamed with the spinach and can be
treated similarly.
Blanch corn on the cob five minutes. Cold-dip. Cut the corn from the
cob, cutting from tip to butt end. Add the corn to the other
vegetables. Add no water. Pack the mixed vegetables into clean glass
jars; add one level teaspoonful of salt to every jar; partially seal;
cook one hour and a half in wash-boiler or other homemade outfit. At
the end of that period remove jars from canner, seal tight, and the
work is done.
Of course you are interested in the cost of this soup. Most of the
ingredients came right from our garden. We had to buy the okra and the
red peppers, but I figured everything just as if I had to buy it from
the market; and on this basis, the cost of our soup would have been
only seven and a half cents a can. We canned it in tin, using size
Number Two, which is the same as pint size in glass jars.
Another vegetable soup without stock, dried beans and peas being used,
is made as follows:
Soak six pounds of Lima beans and four pounds of dry peas over night.
Boil each thirty minutes. Blanch sixteen pounds of carrots, six pounds
of cabbage, three pounds of celery, six pounds of turnips, four pounds
of okra, one pound of onions, and four pounds of parsley for three
minutes and dip in cold water quickly. Prepare the vegetables and chop
into small cubes. Chop the onions and celery extra fine. Mix all of
them thoroughly and season to taste. Pack in glass jars or tin cans.
Fill with boiling water. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin
cans. Process ninety minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or
condensed-steam outfit; sixty minutes if using water-seal outfit or
five-pound steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure
cooker.
In many homes cream of tomato soup is the favorite. To make this soup
the housewife uses a tomato pulp and combines it with milk and
seasonings. You can can a large number of jars of this pulp and have
it ready for the cream soup. To make and can this pulp follow these
directions:
Tomato Pulp. Place the tomatoes in a wire basket or piece of
cheesecloth and plunge into boiling water for one and a half minutes.
Plunge into cold water. Remove the skins and cores. Place the tomatoes
in a kettle and boil thirty minutes. Pass the tomato pulp through a
sieve. Pack in glass jars while hot and add a level teaspoonful of
salt per quart. Partially seal glass jars. Sterilize twenty minutes if
using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; eighteen
minutes if using water-seal, or five-pound steam-pressure outfit;
fifteen minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Soup Stock. To make the soup stock which is the foundation of all
the stock soups, use this recipe:
Secure twenty-five pounds of beef hocks, joints and bones containing
marrow. Strip off the fat and meat and crack bones with hatchet or
cleaver. Put the broken bones in a thin cloth sack and place this in a
large kettle containing five gallons of cold water. Simmer--do not
boil--for six or seven hours. Do not salt while simmering. Skim off
all fat. This should make about five gallons of stock. Pack hot in
glass jars, bottles or enameled or lacquered tin cans. Partially seal
glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Sterilize forty minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; thirty minutes if
using water-seal or five-pound steam-pressure outfit; twenty-five
minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Soups made with soup stock are many and varied. One can utilize the
things at hand and change the distinctive flavor from year to year. I
will give you a few good specimen recipes which if followed will give
good results:
Vegetable Soup. Soak a quarter pound dried Lima beans and one pound
unpolished rice for twelve hours. Cook a half pound pearl barley for
two hours. Blanch one pound carrots, one pound onions, one medium-size
potato and one red pepper for three minutes and cold-dip. Prepare the
vegetables and cut into small cubes. Mix thoroughly Lima beans, rice,
barley, carrots, onions, potato and red pepper. Fill glass jars or the
enameled tin cans three-fourths full of the above mixture of
vegetables and cereals. Make a smooth paste of a half pound of wheat
flour and blend in five gallons soup stock. Boil three minutes and add
four ounces salt. Pour this stock over vegetables and fill cans.
Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Sterilize ninety
minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit;
seventy-five minutes if using a water-seal or five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Cream of Pea Soup. Soak eight pounds of dried peas over night. Cook
until soft. Mash fine. Add the mashed peas to five gallons of soup
stock and bring to boil. Pass the boiling liquid through a fine sieve.
Make a smooth paste of a half pound flour and add paste, ten ounces of
sugar and three ounces of salt to the soup stock. Cook until soup
begins to thicken. Pack in glass jars or tin cans. Partially seal
glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; eighty minutes if
using water-seal outfit; seventy minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Cream of Potato Soup. Boil one and a half pounds of potatoes, sliced
thin, and five gallons of soup stock for ten minutes. Add three ounces
of salt, a quarter teaspoonful of pepper and a half pound of butter
and boil slowly for five minutes. Make three tablespoonfuls of flour
into smooth paste and add to the above. Cook three minutes and pack in
glass jars or tin cans while hot. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and
tip tin cans. Sterilize ninety minutes if using a hot-water-bath
outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes if using a
water-seal outfit; sixty-five minutes if using a five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using a pressure-cooker
outfit.
Bean Soup. Soak three pounds of dried beans twelve hours in cold
water. Cut two pounds of ham into quarter-inch cubes and place in a
small sack. Place beans, ham and four gallons of water in kettle and
boil slowly until the beans are very soft. Remove the ham and beans
from the liquor and mash the beans fine. Return ham and mashed beans
to the liquor, add five gallons of soup stock and seasoning, and bring
to boil. Pack into jars or cans while hot. Partially seal jars. Cap
and tip tin cans. Process two hours if using hot-water-bath or
condensed-steam outfit; ninety minutes if using water-seal outfit;
seventy-five minutes if using five-pound steam-pressure outfit; sixty
minutes if using pressure cooker.
Okra Soup. Slice eight pounds okra into thin slices the round way.
Blanch ten minutes and cold-dip. Boil one and a half pounds rice for
twenty-five minutes. Mix okra and rice and fill cans or jars half
full. To five gallons soup stock add five ounces salt, a quarter
teaspoonful of coriander seed and a quarter teaspoonful of powdered
cloves, and bring to boil. Fill remaining portion of jars or cans.
Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process two hours if
using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; ninety minutes
if using water-seal outfit; seventy-five minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; sixty minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Chicken-Soup Stock. Place thirty pounds chicken in ten gallons of
cold water and simmer for five hours. Remove meat and bones, then
strain. Add sufficient water to make ten gallons of stock. Fill glass
jars or tin cans with hot stock. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and
tip tin cans. This stock is used to make soup where the term
"chicken-soup stock" is used. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes
if using water-seal outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Chicken Broth With Rice. For each gallon of soup stock use twelve
ounces of rice. Boil rice thirty minutes. Fill jars or tin cans
two-thirds full of rice and the remainder with soup stock. Partially
seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes
if using water-seal outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Chicken Gumbo. Cut two pounds ham into small cubes and boil thirty
minutes. Mince three pounds chicken and chop half a pound of onions
fine. Make a smooth paste of a half pound flour. Add above to five
gallons of chicken-soup stock. Then add a half pound butter and a
quarter pound salt and boil ten minutes. Next add three ounces
powdered okra mixed with one pint water. Pack into glass jars or tin
cans while hot. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans.
Process ninety minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or
condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes if using water-seal
outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound steam-pressure outfit;
forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
TOMATO ACID CHECKS BACTERIA
Some women who have canned soup tell me it spoiled or tasted "sourish
and smelled sourish too." This is what we call "flat sour." It may
happen to any vegetable you can, as well as to the soups. "Flat sour"
affects peas, beans, asparagus and corn more than other vegetables. If
the vegetables have been picked for some time and the bacteria have
had a chance "to work," and you are not exceedingly careful about your
canning, you may develop "flat sour" in the soup. If you let one
little spore of this bacteria survive all is lost. Its moist growing
place is favorable to development, particularly if not much acid is
present. One little spore left in a jar will multiply in twenty hours
to some twenty millions of bacteria. This twenty million can stand on
the point of a needle, so a can could acquire quite a large population
in a short time. Bacteria do not like acids, so it is always a good
idea to have tomatoes in your soup mixture, and get the tomatoes into
the stone crock early in the game. The tomato acid will safeguard the
other vegetables which lack acid.
If you are careless about the blanching and cold-dipping--that is, not
doing these full time--if you work too slowly in getting the products
into jars and then let the full jars stand in the warm atmosphere, you
are pretty sure to develop "flat sour."
Place each jar in the canner as it is packed. The first jars in will
not be affected by the extra cooking. Have the water just below the
boiling point as you put in each jar. When you have the canner full
bring the water to the boiling point as quickly as possible and begin
to count cooking or sterilizing time from the moment it does boil.
Some women make the mistake at the end of the cooking period of
letting the jars remain in the boiling water, standing on the false
bottom of the canner until they are cool enough to handle with no
danger of burning the hands. This slow method of cooling not only
tends to create "flat sour," but it is apt to result in cloudy-looking
jars and in mushy vegetables.
For this reason you should have in your equipment a lifter with which
you can lift out the hot jars without the hands touching them. If you
use a rack with wire handles this answers the same purpose.
This "flat sour," which is not at all dangerous from the standpoint of
health, must not be confused with the botulinus bacteria, which is an
entirely different thing.
"Flat sour," perfectly harmless, appears often with inexperienced
canners. Botulinus, harmful, appears rarely. You need not be at all
alarmed about eating either "flat sour" or botulinus, because the odor
from spoiled goods is so distasteful--it really resembles rancid
cheese--that you would never get a spoon of it to your mouth.
If you are debating whether this jar or that jar of soup or vegetables
is spoiled, do not _taste_ the contents of the jar. _Smell_ it.
Tasting might poison you if you happened on the botulinus bacteria,
which is so rare it need alarm no one; whereas smelling is perfectly
safe.
TIME-TABLE FOR SOUPS
GRAY SOUP WITHOUT STOCK
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
1 Peck ripe tomatoes Scald 1½ Remove core and stem end.
1 Head cabbage 5}
1 Dozen carrots 5}
1 White turnip 5} Cut into cubes after blanching
2 Pounds string beans 5}
1 Pound okra 5}
3 Red peppers 5}
1 Peck spinach Steam 15 minutes or until
thoroughly wilted.
2 Pounds asparagus 4 Cut into small pieces after
blanching.
6 Small beets 5 Cut into slices after blanching.
6 Ears sweet corn 5 Cut from cob after blanching.
Salt
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 60.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
VEGETABLE SOUP WITHOUT STOCK, USING DRY LEGUMES
6 Pounds dried Lima beans} { Soak over night, then boil
4 Pounds dried peas } { for one half hour.
16 Pounds carrots 3}
6 Pounds cabbage 3} Cut into small cubes after
3 Pounds celery 3} blanching.
6 Pounds turnips 3}
4 Pounds okra 3 Cut into slices after blanching.
1 Pound onions 3 Chop fine after blanching.
4 Pounds parsley 3 Cut into pieces after blanching.
Salt
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 60.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
SOUP STOCK (Foundation of All Stock Soups)
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
25 Pounds beef hocks,
joints and bones Simmer for 6 or 7 hours.
5 Gallons water Should make 5 Gallons
stock.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 40.
In condensed steam outfit, 40.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 30.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 30.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 25.
VEGETABLE SOUP WITH STOCK
¼ Pounds dried Lima beans Soak 12 hours.
1 Pound rice Soak 12 hours.
¼ Pound pearl barley Cook 2 hours.
1 Pounds carrots 3}
1 Pounds onions 3} Cut into small cubes after
1 Potato 3} blanching.
1 Red Pepper 3}
½ Pound flour } { Make paste of flour and soup stock.
5 Gallons soup stock } { Boil 3 minutes and add salt
4 Ounces salt } { Pour over vegetables and fill cans.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 75.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CREAM OF PEA SOUP
8 Pounds dried peas { Soak over-night and cook until soft.
{ Mash peas fine.
5 Gallons soup stock Add stock and boil. Put through sieve.
½ Pound flour } { Make paste of flour, sugar and salt
10 Ounces sugar } { and add to stock. Cook until thick.
3 Ounces salt } { Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 80.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 70.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CREAM OF POTATO SOUP
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
1½ Pounds potatoes } { Boil potatoes and stock
sliced thin } { 10 minutes. Add salt,
5 Gallons soup stock } { pepper, butter and boil
3 Ounces salt } { 5 minutes. Make flour
¼ Teaspoonful pepper } { into paste and add.
½ Pound butter } { Cook 3 minutes and can.
3 Tablespoonfuls flour }
Boil potatoes and stock }
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 65.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
BEAN SOUP
3 Pounds dried beans Soak 12 hours.
2 Pounds ham Cut ham into ¼ inch cubes.
4 Gallons water } { Boil beans, ham and water
5 Gallons soup stock } { until beans are soft.
Salt } { Mash beans fine. Add
{ stock and salt. Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 120.
In condensed steam outfit, 120.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 75.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 60.
CHICKEN SOUP STOCK (Foundation of All Chicken Soups)
30 Pounds chicken }
10 Gallons cold water. }
Should make 10 gallons } Simmer 5 hours. Can.
stock when finished }
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CHICKEN GUMBO
2 Pounds ham Cut ham into small cubes
and boil 30 minutes.
3 Pounds chicken Mince chicken.
½ Pound onions Chop onions.
½ Pound flour Make paste of flour.
5 Gallons chicken soup
stock Add all this to soup stock.
½ Pound butter }
¼ Pound salt } { Add butter and salt. Boil
3 Ounces powdered okra } { 10 minutes. Then add
mixed with pint of } { okra mixed with water.
water } { Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.