Day 164: Tomato Soup

I had dental work done today and was told I should have soup for supper. Most of the remaining soup recipes in the 1898 New Galt Cook Book require hours of preparation but I did find another Tomato Soup recipe and since I’m visiting my parents they will be tasters too. This one was contributed by Mrs. Porteous.

An ad encouraging grocers to buy their canned goods – including tomatoes – from this company in 1898.

The recipe calls for a can of tomatoes. Is this a home canned jar of tomatoes or a commercial can? How big is it? I ended up using a commercial can and they were available in 1898. My parents live in the country and tonight has reminded me of the differences among the contributors and users of recipes in this cookbook. Their financial resources varied, the amenities in their kitchens, their tastes and the availability of ingredients too would vary. Just like today households in large communities had access to more goods and services but people in villages and rural areas often had more home-grown ingredients.

I opened a can of tomatoes and put them in a saucepan to heat. Once it boiled I removed it from the heat and strained it through a strainer. This seemed pointless until I realized how much smoother it was after this treatment. Next I added a teaspoon of baking soda. This is an amazing thing to see. I stirred it and it began to foam and bubble. I kept waiting for it to die down but the strained tomato remained almost “fluffy”. I added a tablespoon of butter and 4 cups (1 quart) of milk. It was time to add the seasoning. I put in salt and pepper but you could add any sort of herb too. I crushed half a sleeve of crackers and added them. I turned the heat back on and stirred until it boiled once more.  It was time to taste.

Is Mrs. Porteus Catherine wife of John in the 1891 census? She is 60 and he is 78. Or is it 40-year-old Elza wife of 60-year-old James. What about Susannah? She’s 47 and married to 53-year-old Alexander. All three couples live in Galt so all three women are contenders as the contributor of this recipe. I’ll have to do more research.

Ad for Van Camps Tomato Soup in The Canadian Grocer 1898

My parents and I enjoyed this soup. I’d skip the crackers and use more seasoning to suit my modern tastes but the soda helps eliminate the acid in the tomatoes. The result is a sweeter tomato taste. This isn’t going to appeal to everyone. If you like the acid of tomatoes than this soup will be too bland.  The milk also moderates the soup. You’ll like this version if you normally add milk when making up condensed tomato soup. I hate that style so this is not the perfect tomato soup for me but it was very nice on a night when I can’t eat solids.

TOMATO SOUP
Mrs. Porteous

Take a can of tomatoes, bring them to a boil and strain through a coarse strainer; add one teaspoonful of soda, and when the foaming ceases add a quart of ilk and a tablespoonful of butter. Season to taste, and thicken slightly with cracker crumbs; boil for a few moments and serve.

Day 5 Tomato Soup

Yes, I am making Tomato Soup today. Did you see the weather outside? This seems like the perfect recipe after coming home from work and then shovelling snow. It was contributed to the 1898 New Galt Cook Book by Mrs. A. Laidlaw.

I emptied a quart of stewed tomatoes into a pot and then added the same amount of water. One teaspoon of sugar and one tablespoon of butter went in next. I mixed 1 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch in some water and stirred it all together. I left it to simmer away for about half an hour. I seasoned it with the pinch of cayenne pepper plus salt and pepper before curling up with a bowl of this soup and some crackers.

Mrs. A. Laidlaw might be Clara Galloway Laird wife of Andrew Laidlaw. If Clara is the correct Mrs. Laidlaw then her life was more exciting than her recipe, or perhaps the cayenne pepper reveals her nature. Clara and Andrew were 20 and 23 when they married in Hamilton. They moved to Woodstock where Andrew was involved in the printing and newspaper business. Their two daughters were born there. Eventually they moved to Galt where according to Waterloo Region Generations Andrew was the publisher of The Reformer newspaper. Next the family moves west to Rossland in British Columbia and eventually to Spokane Washington in the United States. Clara died in Vancouver at the age of 91. I’m looking forward to finding out more about this family.

Mrs. A. Laidlaw’s Tomato Soup.

Mrs. A. Laidlaw’s Tomato Soup recipe time travels just fine. This is a nice easy soup with a great deal of scope for a modern cook. The simple addition of cayenne pepper perks up the soup. Even a canned tomato soup could be livened up with cayenne. This particular spice was very popular in 1906 Berlin Ontario — at least based on my experience cooking everyday in 2012 from The Berlin Cook Book. It will not be a surprise if it is also popular in 1898 Galt. The soup was a bit thin so next time I’ll cut back on the water. That way I can add more liquid later if needed.

TOMATO SOUP
Mrs. A. Laidlaw
One quart stewed tomatoes, one uart of water, one and one-half tablespoonfuls of corn starch, one teaspoonful sugar one good tablespoonful of butter, one pinch cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Boil up and serve. Dissolve the corn starch in a little water before putting in the soup.