What Happened To Campbell's Old-School Canned Fruit Soups?

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Campbell's has been around since 1869. The brand's iconic red cans and "M'm! M'm! Good!" slogan may bring to mind memories of hot soup on a chilly winter day. Generally, Campbell's soup flavors are savory — think chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, broccoli cheddar. But the company used to make fruit soups. However, this canned food has been discontinued.

It's unclear exactly when Campbell's began selling its fruit-based options. However, evidence points to some time around the late 1950s. A 1959 advertisement placed in Tacoma, Washington's News Tribune describes soups that came in orange, prune, and black cherry flavors. Each flavor had suggestions for how to enjoy it. For example, the black cherry and burgundy fruit soup could be eaten "in a soup plate or a clear glass cup" at brunch or as a snack. The company marketed the products as a "new — and exciting — taste experience" that could be enjoyed hot or cold and used as sauces, in salads, or in desserts.

Another 1959 ad from The Sandusky Register in Ohio lists the price for these soups at 49 cents for two cans. But if you want to get your hands on one now, you'll have to shell out significantly more cash. As of this writing, an empty can of the black cherry and burgundy flavor is going for $400 on eBay. The fact that they're so hard to come by now raises the question of why the product line failed. According to one theory, Americans largely didn't desire fruit in soup form, and the idea of eating it cold didn't help.

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Campbell's fruit soups came at a time when the brand was trying new things. The company began releasing frozen soups in 1955. The American public embraced some of those options — there was an oyster stew that became popular, for example. The company tried to piggyback on that success with frozen fruit soups. Although some consumers claimed to like the fruity products, ultimately the larger market was not there for Campbell's.

Despite a lack of success in the U.S., fruit soup is a popular dish in other parts of the world. Swedish blueberry soup (or Blåbärssoppa) is made from bilberries (the blueberry's cousin), water, sweetener, and cornstarch to thicken it up. Blåbärssoppa can be eaten both cold and hot. During the summer, Swedes use it to top desserts and in the winter it's consumed by skiers.

Another take on fruit soups is gazpacho. While a classic gazpacho recipe might emphasize ingredients like tomatoes and cucumbers, it can be made with sweet fruits as well. For example, you could add watermelon to the mix to craft a dish that is a bit sweeter than the traditional formula. It's also possible to make a cherry-based version of the soup.