tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post5776577467875621105..comments2024-02-05T23:14:24.377-08:00Comments on My Skinny Garden: How Can I Make Garden Fresh Soup in the Wintertime?MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-4606758853673146822011-02-16T13:27:35.002-08:002011-02-16T13:27:35.002-08:00Best thing I bought in 2010 was a food dehydrator....Best thing I bought in 2010 was a food dehydrator. I haven't tried this yet, but I plan to try drying veggies, etc. and then just jarring them up together for later use as instant soup. I've dehydrated a lot of herbs, onions, eggplant (very good when ground in a coffee mill and added to tomato sauce), green bell peppers, carrots, etc. Some veggies do need blanching before dehydrating but it is so much easier than canning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-44385325842342462082011-01-08T05:01:17.276-08:002011-01-08T05:01:17.276-08:00Colleen - I'm assuming I could do that with gr...Colleen - I'm assuming I could do that with greens and spinach, too? I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never blanched. ha<br /><br />Anon - I do not have the plastic lids for the ball canning jars but I definitely want some! It is a pain keeping up with all the parts of the lids and it never fails that some get lost/thrown away. Thanks for the suggestions!<br /><br />MBT - don't get used to it! You know how I roll! ha ha<br /><br />GSS - Yes, I take the lid off, lay a paper towel over the top of the jar an microwave the jar. I pour the soup in the bowl but only because the jar is hot and therefore not that much fun to eat out of.Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963031967392008760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-72595277626706748262011-01-07T20:49:27.787-08:002011-01-07T20:49:27.787-08:00Do you heat it in the jar in a microwave at work a...Do you heat it in the jar in a microwave at work and just eat it from the jar? I love the idea of having lunches ready to go and having great home made soup is awesome.Gardener on Sherlock Streethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367115529793643362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-26380702498762274852011-01-07T19:15:09.823-08:002011-01-07T19:15:09.823-08:00Welcome back to the blog!Welcome back to the blog!MrBrownThumbhttp://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-63631792598631977722011-01-07T06:10:27.151-08:002011-01-07T06:10:27.151-08:00You can NOT safely can soup with the waterbath met...You can NOT safely can soup with the waterbath method. Not acid enough. You would need to pressure can it. <br /><br />But you can make it and freeze it. I freeze mine in recycled quart deli and yogurt containers. Soups with dairy products should be made right up to the addition of dairy, then frozen, adding the dairy when you thaw it to eat. (Or the dairy "breaks" and makes the soup texture weird.) I make cram of broccoli and potato soup that way. You can freeze greens - they will get limp, but they also get limp in soup. I freeze a lot of broccoli and cauliflower when they have those giant heads for a dollar at all the farm stands at the end of summerm.<br /><br />Do you have those nice white plastic storage lids that Ball makes for canning jars? I use canning jars in my fridge and on my shelves all the time, and I LOVE those lids.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7864781849969727346.post-79991549203817301572011-01-07T04:20:31.927-08:002011-01-07T04:20:31.927-08:00I haven't had much experience at canning soup ...I haven't had much experience at canning soup (yet -- I want to start doing that) mostly because I've always read that you need to use a pressure canner. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has successfully used the hot water bath method as well.<br /><br />As far as freezing chard and escarole -- YES! I do it every year. They taste best if you blanch them for about 30 seconds, shock them in ice water, then let them drain well before packing them up for freezing. I'm still eating swiss chard last year's garden. You can do the same with kale. <br /><br />I love the idea of packing soup lunches in canning jars, btw. I may steal that one :-)Colleen Vanderlindenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08396040906688814232noreply@blogger.com