589944 Thu Jan 22 13:30:07 -0800 2009 7 31 Home Cooking 0 4348542 So I just made a monstrously large pot of split pea with ham soup because the weather is just screaming for it. Here's my question -- is the layer of clear liquid that rises to the top of the soup as it rests fat or broth? I've always skimmed it off in the past, but today I was looking at it thinking it doesn't really look like fat. I realize that I could chill the whole thing and see if it congeals, but the pot is so big that I actually need to split it up into smaller containers before I put it away. Thu Jan 22 13:30:07 -0800 2009 12124 TorontoJo 1 4348658 If you skim off some of the liquid, does it feel greasy? Have you tasted it? I've experienced that layer on top of pea soup, but I just stir it back in Thu Jan 22 14:00:06 -0800 2009 4348542 80667 janetms383 1 4348661 This happens to me too. It's definitely not fat it just seems that some liquid separates from the peas. I stir it back into the soup. Thu Jan 22 14:01:12 -0800 2009 4348542 10195 KTinNYC 1 4348673 Thanks, I'll stir it back in. It doesn't taste greasy. And I just put a small amount in a bowl in the fridge to see what it would do. There was a thin layer of congeal fat on top, but most of the liquid stayed liquid. I can't believe I've been skimming this off before without thinking. Doh. Thu Jan 22 14:05:12 -0800 2009 4348542 12124 TorontoJo 1 4348991 I've seen that stuff. I think it's just that the solids have settled out a little. Thu Jan 22 15:35:30 -0800 2009 4348542 13445 Louise 2 4349203 That's exactly what it is: all those itty bitty pea particles sank below the surface a bit. You just made my chronic wintertime pea-soup jones flare up again, even here where it's just kinda cool after a hot week and I've got a palm tree in the front yard. I was making do with cans of Andersen's, which is pretty good stuff, but I'm remembering mine with different kinds of meats and sausages and chunks of carrot and potato and... Yum. Thu Jan 22 16:58:47 -0800 2009 4348991 11478 Will Owen 3 4350352 Yeah, we had such a major craving for it, even though we had just finished the last of my post-Christmas batch. So last night's dinner was a big bowl of freshly made soup, a hunk of baguette and a cupcake for dessert. It really hit the spot. Fri Jan 23 07:05:02 -0800 2009 4349203 12124 TorontoJo 1 4349283 It's the gravity of the situation. Thu Jan 22 17:28:00 -0800 2009 4348542 93538 Passadumkeg