Why did my chowder turn out watery?
I made sausage and corn chowder the other day. I added both corn starch and Knorr's instant leek soup as thickeners. It simmered over the stove for 25 mins. I thought it may have been too thick, but I resisted the urge to add any more liquids. I let it cool, then took it to work to share. It was reheated in a crockpot at low for several hours and became very soupy or watery. What happened to my chowder?
Best Answer
Unfortunately, cornstarch does that. It does not reheat well. Potato starch is even worse, and that's the thickener in Knorr's Leek Soup.
If you want to reheat something thickened, your best bet is to thicken it with a roux. There are other more modern thickeners (think molecular gastronomy), but I don't know much about those.
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Quick Answer about "Why did my chowder turn out watery?"
If you have soup, it is most likely an emulsion of fat droplets in water – with some flavorings and other ingredients, of course. (It's possible that there's also flour.) As the soup cools, less fat may be spread throughout the soup. During the separation process, the liquid part gets increasingly watery.Why is my chowder watery?
The answer is simple. The fats harden as the chowder cools down making the overall consistency watery. Your clam chowder will regain its initial texture as soon as you reheat it either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir the chowder while it heats to quickly break down the congealed fats.Why is my chowder not thickening?
Add flour or corn starch. You can thicken soup by adding flour or corn starch. For the best results, never add the flour or corn starch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.Why does my cream soup get watery?
Thick soups with body and substance have a more pleasing texture and leave the eater feeling "fed." Cream soups, by nature, are usually thick due to the presence of dairy cream. However, if the cream becomes overpowered by milk, broth or water in the recipe, the soup will become too thin.What can I do if my soup is too watery?
Depending on what kind of soup you've made, these are six of the easiest ways to make it thicker.John Denver - Sunshine On My Shoulders (Official Audio)
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Answer 2
Attention - possible gross information to follow. Queasy fellows stop reading here, please!
Long simmering aside: If some saliva has gotten into your soup (e.g. someone tasting and double-dipping), corn and potatoe starch might break down, too. This is caused by an enzyme (Amylase), that breaks the loger starch down into smaller particles. (see Wikipedia: Amylase) The enzyme stays active; it's not "used up" after splitting some starch, therefore a very small amount of saliva can liquify an entire pot.
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