Canning Cookbook- Getting A Head Start On Soup Season

The calendar still says summer but we all know it will be autumn and then, yay! winter shortly thereafter, and that means SOUP SEASON! Chili, lentil soup, hearty vegetable beef, and chicken noodle when you're under the weather, cooler weather definitely calls for a steamy warm bowl of soup.

Here in Iowa it is Corn Country. Sweet corn is plentiful at the end of summer and when you've had your fill of corn on the cob it's time to start looking for ways to use it. Soup fits the bill perfectly. Corn chowder is pretty popular and this version adds hearty potato, chunks of chicken and a hint of heat with peppers to amp up the flavor and fill your belly with homemade goodness. Chowders are creamy soups, but we don't can dairy products at home, so swirl in some heavy cream when you're heating this up and enjoy with a wedge of cornbread or a nice hunk of crusty bread.

To make Iowa Corn and Chicken Chowder, you will need-

• 8 cups corn
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 4 cups cubed potatoes (red skinned potatoes are best)
• 2 cups diced green chilies *See Note
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 12 slices bacon, diced and cooked
• chicken broth or stock, heated to boiling

Using clean, hot pint jars, equally divide all the ingredients among the jars. Fill jars to 1 inch head space with heated chicken broth. Clean rim of jars completely, fix lids and rings, place in pressure canner. 

Following your canner's directions, process for 75 minutes for pints, at the correct weight for your altitude.

When you get ready to serve, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream to each pint.

*Note- Now, let's talk about those chilies. This is where you make this soup as spicy or as mild as you like it. I will be using jalapenos or serranos for my soup because that's what's in my garden. I'll mix my hot peppers with mild bell peppers to equal 2 cups. You can also add a shake or so of dried cayenne pepper if you like, or a drop or two of hot sauce before canning or after reheating later.

This soup is a wonderful way to use up leftover roast chicken or turkey. You can use fresh corn cut off the cob or frozen whole kernel corn (thaw first!!) to make it easy. I prefer red skinned potatoes over russets because of their waxy texture- they don't fall apart as much as russets and work better in processing. Also, I prefer NOT to peel them, which some people consider a no no in canning, but I scrub them very very thoroughly- it adds the necessary heartiness to the soup. One final hint- wide mouth jars are great for canning soups because you don't have to struggle to get the food out. 

I think a nice fat wedge of cornbread would be perfect with this soup, with a crispy tossed salad and a wedge of warm pie for dessert- we're talking total comfort food here. Try it!!

And speaking of soup, it's time to start thinking about vegetable soup, chili, chicken soup (add the noodles before serving) and all the other ones we love so much on a cold, blustery day. What are some of your favorites?

NOTE: This recipe has not been tested by the NCHFP. If you are not comfortable canning untested recipes, please do not use this one. For home canning information, visit the NCHFP website.

Reflections of winter and a warm mug of potato soup

Winter is hanging on in Iowa. Gray skies, cold nights, snow and wind alternating with hints of the spring to come. Shoveling and snow plowing. Browsing through garden and seed catalogs. Time to grab an afghan, a warm kitty for my lap and a good book. Hoping......

The view outside is pretty....well, grim. Barren trees, a frozen lake, brown grass where there is no snow. Not a very pretty spot this time of year. The wildlife, however, can be quite amazing. We have lots of regulars around here, deer, geese, foxes. It's not unusual to find a raccoon grubbing in the trash for a snack.

This year the lake has seen a lot more American Bald Eagles than I can remember in a long long time. They are majestic birds, so strong and graceful. Some days we had so many eagles fishing for lunch it looked like an eagle refuge. It would be wonderful if they would settle here and build a nest.

This is one of those times of year that I really appreciate a few instant things in the cupboard. Instant cocoa. Instant cappuccino. Instant soups. There is something so comforting about sitting down to a big mug of hot soup, or filling a thermos with piping hot soup for lunch later. We don't buy many pre-made mixes at the store and most of them have way too much salt and preservatives for my taste anyway, so making my own instant mixes is the way I prefer to go. 

This instant potato soup is my favorite. I use a dehydrator so when I make it I like to use my own dehydrated scallions (green onions) that have been pulsed in the food processor to make a powder, my own dehydrated herbs from my garden and if I have it around, dehydrated cooked potatoes instead of store-bought dried mashed potatoes, but those work just perfectly and don't cost much at all. When choosing a chicken bouillon to use, I prefer the dry powder type. Granules tend to settle at the bottom of the jar and of course the moister types won't work at all in a dried mix. This is also a great idea to keep in your desk drawer in the office for a quick and easy lunch, and makes a great homemade gift too. Just write the instructions on a cute card and add a cute soup mug and you've got a thoughtful homemade gift.

Instant Potato Soup

2 cups dry instant mashed potato flakes

1 1/2 cups dry milk powder

1 1/2 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon (I like the powder best)

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch ground white pepper

1 tablespoon dried chopped chives

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Scoop into 1 quart jar or container. To make a serving of soup, place 1/2 cup mix in bowl or mug and add 1 cup boiling water.

NOTE: If you are a dehydrating person like I am, you can make your own instant mashed potatoes too, by cooking potatoes til tender, then flaking or ricing onto waxed paper of fruit roll up trays and running in the dehydrator until completely dry. A quick buzz in the food processor and you're all set.

Family traditions in a bowl of soup

One day at work, while reading through the local small town newspapers, I came across an awesome story about a new local product and was immediately captivated. A little investigating and I found only one place to find this delightful homemade soup, the little market in a nearby small town, the Nodaway Valley Market. So off I set on a lovely Friday afternoon to acquire a couple jars.

Once I had my soup in hand I made my way home so I could check it out! But before we get to soup tasting, I'd like to share the family's story with you, and the history of the farming community they have lived in for generations.

The community of Avondale is a rural area in Southwest Adair County, Iowa. Over the years it was a crossroads of frontier commerce and of the last century a church, one room school, and a church cemetery. The Mormon Trail passed through this area with one significant landmark being a very small cemetery plot containing the graves of those that failed to make it through one winter's lodging on the banks of the Nodaway River. The school, Washington Number 6, once standing across the parking lot of the Church, was removed in the early 1960s.

The focal point of the Avondale Community was the Avondale United Methodist Church, which lives on into its second century of service to its parishioners. Still an active church,the Avondale Church conducts Sunday services as well as Sunday school classes. In years past the church was very active with youth fellowship gatherings, vacation Bible school, church bazaars, as well as many other church community socials. An annual bazaar remains the church's most significant annual event and fund raiser.

The community of Avondale, while anchored by the church, is populated by farming families that, through the years, provided grain and livestock to the markets in Iowa and Nebraska. The sense of community was fostered through community gatherings for the ladies, the Sunshine Club, and for the youth, the township 4H Club. Family gatherings to play ball, picnic, and have a weiner roast were common in the yards of the Avondale Church and school.

The Avondale Church still stands tall on a small rise above the road bed running just below it. The Avondale Cemetery rests at the top of the hill behind the church. Both stand as reverent symbols of the community and its people that they have served for nearly two centuries and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

Ruth's kids celebrate a great Avondale's Best Vegetable Soup Launch Day with 
Nodaway ValleyMarket store managers, Cindy and Al Baldago in Fontanelle, Iowa.

Ruth's daughter, Marilyn Ford, ladles up some delicious Avondale's
Best Vegetable Soup for a customer at Nodaway Valley Market.

For over 60 years Ruth Menefee worked in the kitchen of her home creating delightful meals and treats for her husband Bob, their five children, fourteen grandchildren, and a quickly expanding brood of great grandchildren. Her recipes for soups,pies,cakes,cookies and other goodies were a compilation of her mother, sisters in law, and the ladies of the Avondale Church community.

So what is the verdict ?? 

This is a very family friendly soup. Not spicy, so it's great for kids. The tomato broth was a little sweet for me but a splash of hot sauce and couple grinds of black pepper, bit of fresh herbs brings out the homemade flavor. This is NOTHING like canned soup. I was blown away by the freshness of the vegetables! They were not overcooked and mushy like canned soups. Out of the jar they tasted like I made this from homemade myself. Even the pasta was still pretty firm. I loved the texture of those veggies! That made the soup a winner for me. I'd definitely make it again, maybe add some cooked hamburger or leftover roast beef chunks and just kick up the heat a little since we don't have little palates to worry about here.

I'd like to thank the folks at Avondale's Best Soups. When I contacted them for permission to use pictures and information from their website they were VERY accommodating and helpful. Just what you'd expect from Iowa families' values. Without their generosity with pictures and information, this post would have been a whole lot less interesting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."