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2701101
5 Comments
May 11, 2008 10:51 AM
Bouillon Cubes VS Soup Base (AKA: cube vs powder)

I've ALWAYS used bouillon cubes for miscellaneous cooking task for as long as I can remember.... they are priceless.... well not anymore. My chicken/beef bouillon cubes are history as of today. Welcome soup base.

Right or wrong I've always looked at the two products as overpriced powdered bouillon on one side and cheap as dirt cubes on the other. I chose the cubes for years. In my mind these products were the exact same just in a different form...... boy was I ever wrong.

I was introduced to beef flavored soup base and food seasoning (aka powdered beef bouillon) as an ingredient in a Hamburger Helper style homemade mix..... the mix turned out to be a versatile keeper and the powdered bouillon has remained in my pantry ever since.... slowly finding its way into lots of my dishes. Reluctently the chicken flavor also founds its way into my Kitchen... remember.... I just considered it an over priced powdered version of the great bouillon cube.

I consider bouillon cubes to all be the same, so I happened to have before me some Spice Supreme Beef Bouillon Cubes at $1.39 for 25 servings (cubes)
VS
Orrington Farms Beef Flavored Soup Base and Food Seasoning (AKA powdered bouillon) at about $4.29 for 45 servings.

The challenge is on:
Economical: soup base wins cause it takes FAR less to get the same results
Healthy: soup base wins again.... just looking at the sodium its 60mg vs 900mg - heck, thats kind of a big difference to me.
Taste: soup base wins yet again...... don't expect flavor from your bouillon cubes.... only additional salt. Soup base has real beef listed high on its ingredient list vs. artificial beef flavor listed near the end. (remember in labeling that the ingredients go from largest to smallest).

So with all this said and done.... goodbye cubes and hello soup base.

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Edited by 2701101 at 05/11/2008 1:17 PM
Posted by 2701101 May 11, 2008 10:51 AM
5 Comments
Finally, I drove the 45 miles and purchased a jar of 'Ham Base'... purportedly to use in cooking dried beans....... Alas, it sits atop my spice rack awaiting its virgin tour in my kitchen.

(PS: Now my local grocer stocks Ham Base, NOW that I've driven so far to procure it).
QUOTE by Viv: I use a pack when I cook a roast in the crock pot. Looking back, I wonder how I got alone with them. LOL

We don't have them in packets, I buy it in jars (by L.B.Jamison's), for the Beef Chicken and Ham.
(For these you use 4 t per quart of water)

Serving size...1oz
You can get ''91'' servings out of a 16oz jar of the Beef Flavored''

The Mushroom Base (by Superior Touch) is in an 8oz jar....and you can get 38 servings fron that one. Made from seasoned, concentrated Mushrooms (for each quart of stock needed use 1-1/2 T of the base)

They are made in the USA

THESE ARE STILL HIGHER IN SODIUM THAN I'D LIKE, BUT ARE LESS THAN THE CUBES.

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Edited by 2932550 at 05/24/2008 12:46 PM
This is an excellent blog David. I discovered the expensive packages several years ago myself and could not believe the difference. I actually hated the little cubes. I can't have all that salt. I use a pack when I cook a roast in the crock pot. Looking back, I wonder how I got alone with them. LOL
Chicken and Beef is all we have in the grocery stores here.... but thanks for reminding me... I did find a specialty store with bulk containers of 6 different flavors.... only 45 miles away LOL
David, I've been using them all these years while you were using ''cubes''........do you know they also have Ham base and Mushroom base which are also very very good????

As I was a cook at the Senior Citizen Centers and Meals on Wheels I learned you differently have to watch the sodium.

I like to mix them sometimes....some beef `n chicken base also bee`n ham base together or mushroom with either of them.

Glad you got on board....you'll love all of them.
 
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