Has anyone canned french onion type soup? We have a favorite chili recipe that call for a can of the expensive stuff and I would like to can my own. Should I process it the length of time for beef stock since that will be the main ingredient in it besides the onions? Hope someone has some ideas. Mona

-- Mona (monalea@hotmail.com), September 02, 2000

Answers

Always process for as long as whichever ingredient needs the longest processing. Would you post your recipe, please? Sounds good.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), September 03, 2000.

Here is the chili recipe: Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 can onion soup, 1 T. chili powder, 2 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1-15 oz. can kidney beans, 1-6oz. can tomato paste, 1-8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and 1 cup cola soda (not diet).

Pack ground beef and salt in Dutch oven, cover and cook on low heat until done, 20 minutes or so. Pour soup in blender or food processor and blend 1 minute. Add soup to beef, cover and let summer for 5 minutes. Add chili powder, pepper, cocoa powder, undrained beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir in cola soda. Heat thoroughly.

This is the recipe as I was given it originally. I add more beans to stretch it, and put in the whole can of soda. I also add water because it is thicker than we like.

The onion soup will be mainly beef stock, sauted onions, and maybe bay leaf and some other seasonings. Haven't worked it all out yet. I have tomato sauce and paste already canned and plan to can some kidney beans too so it will all be ready to throw together. I am glad I found this forum a week or so ago!

-- Mona (monalea@hotmail.com), September 03, 2000.

Mona,

Have you tried using dry onion soup mix and additional water in place of the canned? I buy onion soup mix, 2 packets to a box, for 49 cents at Aldi's. Might be a bit cheaper than buying canned, if you don't find a recipe for home made.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), September 03, 2000.

I put onions and garlic and lots of herbs into my chili, never have used onion soup. Unless you don't like onions much, why not experiment with using both fresh and dried onions (different batches), and see if it still tastes good to you. You might not have to worry about canning soup at all. The dehydrated onion soup mentioned above sounds like a possibility too. I prefer to start with fresh though.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), September 03, 2000.

There is something about the combination of the soup, cocoa powder, and cola that makes a taste we really like. It is supposed to be similar to chili serverd at Steak 'N Shake resteraunts here in the midwest. I don't know if dried soup mix would have the same flavor since you would be missing the beef stock in it. Mona

-- Mona (monalea@hotmail.com), September 03, 2000.

Well, if you want to try the dry onion soup packets, use a can of beef buillion, or frozen homemade beef stock, or even boullion cubes. There are also recipes out there for making homemade versions of dry onion soup which would give you more control over the contents. Sorry, don't know what the recipe is. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), September 04, 2000.

I have used beef bouillion, either crush a cube or use the granulated kind and add dehydrated onion flakes. We can't tell the difference!

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), September 06, 2000.