What Experts Are Saying About Croutons.

That's right, crouton, your time is up... I've just about had it. No more. Forget it. No, I don't want you in my salad or my soup. You just sit there and dry up even more...pesky, mouldy..so-and-so's.

Oh ,hello, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were listening... Explain ? well I suppose I could.

After many years I stopped having lunch...at dinnertime..see that bugs me... When you were at

school, what did you have after the mornings lesson ? School dinners...and that was at dinnertime..yes ?...or is it lunchtime and dinner time is later in the day...somewhere around teatime...what ? So what's supper...and tea is a beverage...winds me up, especially when 'they' get all uppity if you, supposedly, get it wrong....such a 'faux pas'...enough.

Croutons...I used to eat at around 1pm...salad, maybe, if I was lucky, with some sliced avocado..umm..then when my appetite was not sated I would add some toast..seeded...then after that I would struggle to stay awake...so I just stopped...it was too much, I had things to do.

In more recent times I have managed to ease myself back into having at least something small during the noon interlude. A 'Cup-a-Soup'..mainly liquid, tasty and guaranteed not to send me to sleep. Some of my favourite 'blends' ? Well that would be Tomato & Basil, Vegetable, Potato & Leek and occasionally, if I am feeling decidedly adventurous, Minestrone....all, whenever possible, with croutons.

I enjoyed the croutons so much that, on a whim, I wondered if I could buy 'extra' and add them to my midday snack... Yes indeed...not just bland ones either, the choices were varied... So I went ahead and bought a couple of different flavoured ones and looked forward to a mug of soup, brimming with hard, crunchy morsels...yum.

EXCEPT...that's not what happened... Oh no... After making a nice cup of soup and adding a liberal amount of Garlic flavoured croutons...waiting a few minutes for the scolding liquid to cool enough for me to drink without loosing skin... I would have a mouthful, anticipating the satisfying 'crunch'....no crunch...not even the smallest amount resistance against the 'pearly whites'.... Croutons had morphed into 'wet bread lumps'...no warning, nothing on the label..

"Do not immerse in water for prolonged amount of time as product is liable to go limp"

So why, today for my little 'Crouton Critique'... We were having a 'tidy' up in the kitchen...clearing out some 'past the sell by date' items that seem to have taken up residence.... My wife turns to me and asks if I wanted to keep the 'croutons'. I declined, offering

a reason as to why, I said."They're rubbish, they go all soggy in the soup"... The reply that came was unexpected."That's what they're supposed to do"...." No they're not" came my quick retort...now bear in mine I'm having a conversation about the properties of croutons with an 'expert' who follows a recipe as closely as political parties follow election time manifestos....
"The ones that are in the packets of soup, stay crunchy."..." Oh yes, you're right"....all that still doesn't explain the disparity... Can you ?

What is the difference ? How are they made anyway ? Let's see what the trusty BBC says on the subject via their well known recipe channel...not.

"Any kind of piece of bread that has been toasted or fried to crunchy crispness counts as a crouton. They are easy to make and are a very useful way of using up leftover bread as well as adding a crunch and texture to salads, soups, vegetable dishes and even omelettes."

Well obviously that's a blatant misdirection if ever I've seen it....unbiased integrity my foot. No mention, whatsoever, of the inability of the said 'bread' to be able to hold its solid state, regardless of time sunk in soup.

So, if per chance, you are in the posession of the 'facts' regarding the 'secret' behind croutons that stay crunchy, I would be indebted.

Many thanks as always..and a special thanks to AJ...most excellent tips.

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/ajtrimble1/blog/my-top-3-sec...

Be well.