Sheldon wrote:
>
> 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
Thanks for "most" of your reply....smile.... We like shredded cabbage
in our turkey soup and even though I was trying to follow the recipe
accurately, the tomato issue made me think to add the cabbage to
hopefully diminish the tomato overdose. I added some extra beef broth
too, and it helped. I now have in my pantry a good selection of tomato
products for future use. It'll be a while before I make this again,
since there are only two of us and I have enough in the freezer for four
more meals.
...........Sharon