Articles
Our most recent article, as published in the Mountain Democrat newspaper:
Warm Winter Soups at a Moment’s Notice
By Sue Mosbacher, UCCE Master Food Preserver of El Dorado County
published in the Mountain Democrat December 7, 2022
When I’m hungry and in a hurry to make dinner or lunch this winter, a hot bowl of soup from a home-canned jar will be my go-to-meal. The soup, with its pre-cooked vegetables and meat, is much healthier and less expensive than a fast-food meal, And the best part? It’s delicious!
Like many other people, I had a lot of Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. I spent the weekend pressure canning 18 quarts of turkey broth and six quarts of basic turkey soup without seasonings. I’ll use the broth as a base for any kind of soup I decide to make, and each of the quarts of soup (which contains turkey and vegetables) will turn into a different meal with minimal prep. To one I’ll add noodles, for turkey noodle soup. To another, I’ll add leftover rice, for turkey rice soup. (Some of that rice may be wild rice for a nice pop of color contrast.) To another I’ll add diced tomatoes. To another I’ll add orzo and half-and-half for a creamy turkey soup. To another I’ll add leftover barley, quinoa or couscous. And to the last one I’ll add flour, egg noodles and evaporated milk. I’ll add different spices so each will have a unique taste.
The options are endless. Did you know pressure canned soup is the one canning recipe that gives you plenty of customization options?