Soups Finished With Cream VS Freezing

[BarbaraS]

Hello All!!

Since I just got the Splendid Soups and Spectacular Sides book, I have my eye on the Roasted Tomato and Wild Mushroom soups for this week. Both of them are finished with heavy cream, off heat.

If I needed to freeze portions, should I hold off on the cream and add protion-wise when I thaw to reheat so as not to break the soup, or can I add the heavy cream to the recipe and then freeze?

I have always wondered about freezing foods with heavy cream/whole milks added to them.

TIA,

Barbara

[Old Bay]

I would add the cream when thawed and re heated--I like a little pepper in my soups, so I use cream to control the heat, I add it after. I use potato for consistancy in the original-- cream only if necessery--then it becomes "cream of"---good luck--my opinion only.

[foodfiend]

Yes, I agree with Old Bay-- I would freeze without adding the cream, then add it after reheating. Texturally, adding the cream before freezing wouldn't hurt the reheated soup too much because I have done that before, but I feel that it tastes "fresher" if the cream is stirred in just before serving.

[BarbaraS]

Thanks!! I think I'm getting smarter - at least with asking questions first.

Barbara

[HomeCulinarian]

If freezing, any finishing should be saved for when the dish is defrosted. Do the same thing with basil in my frozen marinara.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Yup, it can be done, I have done it when I had fewer eating than expected. But if you know you are going to freeze ahead, I think it tastes better added after.

[cjs]

hmmmm, I've never had a problem with freezing soups/sauces made with cream - flavor or texture wise. Altho, I always heat cream soups in a baine marie (or double boiler) for a softer heat.

[labradors]

In Kennett Square, PA - "Mushroom Capital of the World," right on U.S. Hwy 1, there is a place called "Hugo's Inn." I have no idea what anything else there is like, but they used to have a Cream of Mushroom Soup (really loaded with mushrooms, too) that was out of this world. It was so popular that they sold it, by the quart, three ways: hot, so you could eat it very soon; cold, so you could take it home for later; and frozen, so you could take it home for much later.

Any time my company had to send me from Pottstown to Baltimore, I would stop by Hugo's on the way back and pick up several quarts of the frozen soup to stash in my freezer.

That soup was always fantastic, and never had any problems from having been frozen.

[Dismc]

In my old personal cheffing days, I used to intentionally add a little cream to my soups before freezing, thinking that the extra fat would help in the freezing process. Never had any problem with it.

[BarbaraS]

You are so not fair, Labs!!

No I'm going to to try and locate that place and...

Grrrrr!!

Barbara

Edit to add: http://therecipelink.com/mf/14/21965