Canning SOup question

[Summerthyme]

Willowlady... I found something called "kluski" noodles in our local store. They're sort of squarish... thick and narrow.

Here- these are what I've used:
http://www.amazon.com/Mill-Kluski-No...9234678&sr=8-2

They do expand, into essentially flat egg noodles, after canning. However, chicken noodle soup around here is "medicine"... it's the one thing hubby wants to eat if he's not feeling well for any reason. Having jars ready to "heat and eat", rather than having to bring the soup to a boil and then add and cook noodles from the pantry, is a real convenience at those times. Even moreso if (doesn't happen often!) we're both under the weather.

I figured if Campbells could manage to can soup with noodles, there HAD to be a way I could do it! And using those noodles, plus the technique I outlined above (add to boiling soup, cook for 1 minute to "seal" them, and then can immediately, works.

After a night of thinking about it, the ONLY reason I can see for canned soups (or canned ANYthing, for that matter) to not be a "good thing" would be when bugging out on foot.

I can't afford- and don't especially like- freeze dried and dehydrated foods all that much. However, I do have one backpack full of them, for precisely that scenario... just in case, for whatever reason, we have to leave the house in a hurry. I can carry a week's worth of food for several people very easily in that form, whereas canned goods are heavy.

However, in the 30+ years I've been prepping, we've never had to bug out... but we've eaten very well out of the pantry and cupboards, all full of homecanned foods of every description.

Summerthyme

[willowlady]

Summerthyme, those Kluski noodles, even with free shipping, amount to $3.45 per pound. That's way out of my price range. However, I looked up the definition and there are a couple of varieties of Kluski. One is a dumpling and they evidently are made with mashed potatoes. The actual noodles are SO similar to my homemade noodles.... I think I'll try your method of cooking them just a minute to seal them, and then canning them. I'll have to cut them a little differently, but I'll manage. Thanks for the (as usual) good info.

As you mentioned, there are many reasons to have homemade canned soup around. I was looking at it from a strictly prep angle. Another very good reason to home-can the soups is: You can strictly control the salt to a reasonable level and still have the soup just as tasty as can be by adding other ingredients.

There is no question my homemade noodles taste so, so much better than any store bought. About five years ago I bought a big package of what looked like my homemade noodles from Costco. They were about $1.10 a lb at that time. Good Deal! I came home and eagerly made up a batch to go in my chicken soup. They tasted like they were made with cardboard. Absolutely zero flavor, gummy -- not tender -- no I didn't overcook them. I eventually used them up, but have been making homemade since then. Labor intensive, no doubt, but I'm retired and it keeps my upper body alive... So does making the homemade bread.