page_title: Tomato soup
section_title: Canned tomato soup
hierarchical_section_title: Tomato soup / Canned tomato soup
context_page_description: Tomato soup is a soup made with tomatoes as the primary ingredient. It may be served hot or cold in a bowl, and may be made in a variety of ways. It may be smooth in texture, and there are also recipes that include chunks of tomato, cream, chicken or vegetable stock, vermicelli, chunks of other vegetables and meatballs. Popular toppings for tomato soup include sour cream or croutons. In the United States, the soup is frequently served with crackers, which may be crumbled onto the soup by the diner, and a grilled cheese sandwich. Tomato soup is one of the top comfort foods in Poland and the United States. It can be made fresh by blanching tomatoes, removing the skins, then blending them into a puree.
  The first published tomato soup is mentioned by Eliza Leslie in 1857 in her final publication New Cookery Book. Joseph A. Campbell's recipe for condensed tomato soup in 1897 further increased its popularity.
context_section_description: Canned tomato soup is primarily tomato puree: that is, tomato paste and water with a few other ingredients added to enhance flavor and physical properties of the food. The tomato is a high acid food therefore, "the tomato is not considered a high-risk food, as the pH of the fruit generally ranges from pH 4.2–4.9 with an average of about 4.5. At this point pathogens are unlikely to grow". However, there are still some foodborne pathogens that can pose as a major problem when it comes to the safety of the food and its shelf life stability. The main concern when canning is anaerobic microorganisms that produce toxins like Clostridium botulinum. Even though the tomato is a high acid food it still falls in the range where this organism can grow and produce toxin pH 4.6–8.5 with an optimum growing temperature between 30–40 °C and a maximum temperature of 50 °C. Even if the bacteria are killed they release heat resistant spores that if they start to multiply become a threat.
caption: Canned tomato soup
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