biig wrote:
> I made a pot of the Beef Barley Soup that was posted here last week.
> I didn't have whole canned tomatoes, so substituted a can of crushed.
> The soup was waaaay too tomatoey. Is there that much difference in the
> tomato content? I added more beef broth and lots of sliced cabbage and
> that helped, but it still had too much tomato flavour for my taste.
> Anyone??
>
> Thanks......Sharon

With canned tomatoes you need to read the labels carefully. Plain
crushed tomatoes contain more tomato flesh than plain whole tomatoes.
But often whole tomatoes are packed in tomato puree, so they they are
about equal tomato strength to plain crushed tomatos... but... crushed
tomatoes can also be packed in tomato puree, then they they have a
greater tomato strength than whole tomatoes packed in puree... like
leap frogging tomatoes. Also different brands are different tomato
potencies. I've found the best way to use canned tomatoes for soups
and stews is it to add just part of the can, hold some back until you
check the flavor and consistancy... add no more than a quarter of the
can at a time. But with plain old canned tomato puree all brands by
USDA law need to fall within a very narrow range of solids to liquids,
so that is most consistant (same with tomato paste). With recipes I
haven't made previously I don't dump the entire contents of anything in
all at once (one of the many reasons I don't consider pressure
processing cooking). That said I don't like any tomatoes in my beef
barley soup... with any reddish/pinkish tinge at all it just doesn't
look right (for a soupcon of acidity a squirt of fresh lemon is better,
I like to add a sliver of lemon peel studed with 2-3 whole cloves).
And cabbage with beef barley soup is a disgusting combination. Beef
barley soup gets mushrooms, has to have mushrooms in fact or don't
bother. Beef barley 'shroom soup actually requires very few
ingredients... one of the easiest soups to prepare... this is not a
soup to clean out your larder... don't add whatever extraneous items
that come to mind or you'll end up with pig slop, literally.

Sheldon