Canned chicken veggie soup, very dry?

[Freki]

I did a batch of chicken veggie soup with a recipe a friend of mine gave me, it calls for the chicken to be cooked and shredded (I ran it through the meat grinder with an open die). I had the first can for lunch today and the meat was dry! Is it because it was very finely chopped? Or did I process something wrong? (I used chicken thighs btw)

 

[CraigC]

White, dark or both?

 

[Kayelle]

I did a batch of chicken veggie soup with a recipe a friend of mine gave me, it calls for the chicken to be cooked and shredded (I ran it through the meat grinder with an open die). I had the first can for lunch today and the meat was dry! Is it because it was very finely chopped? Or did I process something wrong? (I used chicken thighs btw)

Why did you run the thighs through a meat grinder if the recipe called for the meat to be shredded? When you said "I had the first can for lunch"...did you can the soup?

 

[Freki]

Why did you run the thighs through a meat grinder if the recipe called for the meat to be shredded? When you said "I had the first can for lunch"...did you can the soup?

I have a die that is for shredding meat and veggies, it looks more like a wheel on a car (5 bars, the rest is open). It was canned, 11 PSI, 60 minutes.

 

[Kayelle]

I guess I'm having a hard time understanding how shredded chicken thigh meat in a broth could be called dry. The only conclusion I can come to is the thigh meat was really over cooked possibly during the canning. Did you sample it before it was canned?

 

[jennyema]

There is only one answer: it's overcooked.

But that might be hard to avoid in your circumstance .

 

[Addie]

There is only one answer: it's overcooked.

But that might be hard to avoid in your circumstance .

Ditto. How can thigh meat be dry unless it has been overcooked. It is the main reason I never eat the breast meat on a chicken. The thigh has more flavor and moisture.

 

[Kayelle]

Yes, and it takes a LOT of cooking to overcook thigh meat. I never mess with white chicken meat at all.

 

[Freki]

Ditto. How can thigh meat be dry unless it has been overcooked. It is the main reason I never eat the breast meat on a chicken. The thigh has more flavor and moisture.

That's why I used it instead of chicken breast . I wonder if I were to do it in chunks instead if it would take longer to cook through during canning.

 

[Kayelle]

Freki, why do you want to can chicken soup in the first place?

Freezing the perfectly cooked soup in individual freezer ziplock bags is a much better option, and I do it all the time.
Just turn the zip edge over the bag to form a collar and ladle in the soup. Unfold the collar and let most of the air out, and zip the bag. Store the bags flat on top of each other in the freezer.

 

[ShellyCooks]

I agree with Kayelle. I also freeze soups -- so much easier then canning. When I make chicken soup, I always bake the chicken. I bake extra so we can have a chicken dinner and the leftover chicken goes into soup. I add all the ingredients to the soup except the chicken and cook it completely. During the last few minutes of cooking, I add the baked chicken (diced). The chicken always stays tender.

 

[Kayelle]

I hope we've all been helpful to you Freki.

I must admit to being curious why you would choose to can your soup, rather than choosing to freeze it? Even with limited freezer space, ziplock bags take little space when stacked. Many foods are appropriate for canning, but not this IMO, unless really necessary.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Nothing wrong with canning soup. Canned soup is still safe even if the power goes out, many people don't have extra freezer space, and no need to wait for the soup to defrost--just pop the jar and heat.

I would skip the grinding next time and just use chunks.

I don't can soup--I do can a lot of stock for soup.

 

[Freki]

My biggest reason for canning rather than freezing, is lack of freezer space. I make our breads too, so the freezer fills up quick, even if the soup doesn't take up much space per bag, I make it in large batches (8 qts of broth each time). In an apartment kitchen, every inch counts!

It's also nice to have homemade soup to give to others, without worrying about spoilage. This was my first try at canned soup with meat in it. My veggie soup is a favourite among my friends and family.

I may try it with chunks next time around and only add it to a couple jars to sample it.

 

[Oldvine]

I've never heard of a meat grinder that also works as a grinder. How long did it actually cook with the original cook time, the canning time and the heating up time. I think it's your methods.

 

[Kayelle]

I've never heard of a meat grinder that also works as a grinder. How long did it actually cook with the original cook time, the canning time and the heating up time. I think it's your methods.

Huh?