thickening soups

[NMDemDist2]

I have a stew on the stove from last night's pot roast. When do I add the flour/water or corn starch/water to thicken it?

can I do it now or should I wait til it's almost ready?

[Warpy]

1. The problem with thickening with flour and water is that the

flour never cooks properly. Do the step of making the roux, then whisk enough hot liquid soup into it to be able to transfer it back to the soup pot to thicken without turning it into dough dumplings.

You can also do a buerre manie by kneading equal parts of flour and butter together, then making small nuggets and dropping them into the soup to finish it, but I find this less successful than doing a roux.

A roux can be the beginning of the soup or the end. It's acrually easier to start with one than it is to finish with one.

Cornstarch should be added at the end and will thicken considerably more as the liquid cools.

[NMDemDist2]

2. i have a nifty shaker thingie that mixes it well without lumps

I was going to do milk and flour with some of the soup broth

I'll go try it, BRB

[NMDemDist2]

4. I shook up some flour and the soup broth and then poured it through

a fine mesh strainer and cooked it for about 15 more minutes

it was good, not super thick, but not a broth either.

[jeanarrett]

7. I've heard you can also use instant mashed potatoes as

a thickener, although I've never tried it.

[NMDemDist2]

10. dang! that's a great idea n/t

[Warpy]

23. It works OK, although the "buds" still keep part of their shape

Potato flour works better if you've got any on hand.

Old rye bread with the crusts cut off will work, too, and the caraway gives the stew an extra kick of flavor.

However, for the flour as thickener, I still suggest either a roux or buerre manie. For some reason, mixing it with butter helps it cook and gets rid of that library paste flavor.

[Shakespeare]

13. Yup; that's my rule of thumb.

If I'm cooking with thickening in mind at the start, I make a roux. Otherwise, I add a cornstarch/warm water slurry right at the end just to tighten things up.

[spindrifter]

3. You can do a few other things to thicken

your stew:

For example, potato starch does the trick. Sometimes I shave some potatoes into the liquid when I add cut-up potatoes to a stew. Similarly, I sometimes mash (really well), two or three cubes of potato and add some of the stew liquid to make it soupy, then throw it back into the pot.
Depending on what you have in your stew, you can add a little bit of corn meal--mix with some of the hot liquid first, though.
Another thickener is pasta.

[NMDemDist2]

5. shaving in potatoes sounds like a good idea

i'll try that next time, thanks!

[Stinky The Clown]

6. So true ...... grate the spuds on your cheese grater and catch the juice

They'll cook very fast and the starch and (essenitally dissolved) spuds will thicken it up and give it more goodness to boot. You may have to adjust the salt, though.

[Dora]

8. I like to use arrowroot.

I use it like I would cornstarch. I use more arrowroot than I would cornstarch, but less than if I were to use flour... if that makes sense.

[NMDemDist2]

11. you know, I've heard about that and even seen some recipes call for it

but have never actually seen the stuff in real life :rofl:

[Dora]

14. I found it in my bulk spices section.

I gave it a try and I liked it! I also like to use it to thicken my cheese sauce for mac and cheese.

mmm... mac and cheese...

[vademocrat]

9. I just keep adding stuff - didn't know about adding "thickeners"

although I usually am cooking something with pasta, rice, or potatoes. All of these naturally absorb any possible excess, it seems..

I just keep learning how much I don't know. :) My rule of thumb is "does it taste good?"

[NMDemDist2]

12. it tasted great!

I didn't need much thickening, just didn't want broth you know? I'm definately trying the shaved taters next time though...

soup I don't mind "soupy" but stew I like a little heartier and I blush to admit, I always used a McCormick flavoring envelope. Yesterday was a "I'm gonna learn to do this from scratch" moment since I had already spiced it plenty and a additional spice packet would have been major overkill.

:blush:

[vademocrat]

15. Glad it worked!

It's always nice when something new succeeds. The person who recommends Penzey Spices used a package?:yoiks: :yoiks: :yoiks:

I tend to make soups (mostly chicken) from scratch - I just throw a whole chicken in the pot & cook it, then pick the meat off and go from there. My big choices are tomato-based or clear.

I read about people making & freezing soup stock but I've never been that organized or had freezer space to spare on stock.

[BeTheChange]

16. There is a no better beef stew then one made with a McCormick packet

I've tried a bazillion beef stew recipes over the years and Ive never found one even close to a day old McCormick's beef stew :)

[NMDemDist2]

17. O MY!

how many stews in a bazillion?? :spank:



:rofl:


I actually found a stew recipe from South America that included cinnamon and ?nutmeg maybe? that was wonderful, too bad I have never found it again. but good old McCormick is pretty darned good day in and day out.

[BeTheChange]

19. Ohh...

Heh.. There were alot of them. The reason I know this is because my husband is a vegetarian, so I had to eat each one of them on my own, except when I found out a neighbor or coworker was sick and I could pawn some off on them.

Ive found some great alternate stews. I have an African one too that definately has cinnamon in it.. I found it in a Moosewood cookbook, but sometimes I make it with beef.

But for home-y taste, McCormick.

[NMDemDist2]

22. sorry bad Bush joke from the Lounge

my bad

:rofl:

[vademocrat]

18. I always pass the "packet" rack at the store -my mother used

spice packets (mostly lowry's) and when I got out on my own, I wanted to be different.

Weather's gotten cold here again - there may be time for one more beef stew before summer heat/humidity drive thoughts of stew from my head!

[BeTheChange]

20. Im not a Lawry's fan..

Im not really a packet fan either. I have to close my eyes and not look at the sodium content. But taco seasoning and beef stew seasoning made only by McCormick's are the two that just scream memories of family dinners to me.

[NMDemDist2]

21. costco sells McCormick taco seasoning in a big ol jar for $4.99

much better than $1+ a packet

and it ain't tacos for Mr. K unless it's McCormicks. He liked the stew though.......

[BeTheChange]

24. It's in my pantry

;)