Comments | ysabetwordsmith: How to Make Stock

ysabetwordsmith

How to Make Stock

Mar 25, 2009 12:37

I've discovered that making stock is cheaper and much tastier than buying stock or broth for cooking. Also, it doesn't have to cost anything to make, because you can make it from food scraps. This is more of a process than a recipe ( Read more... )

how to, recipe, food

Comments 7

browngirl March 26 2009, 01:48:30 UTC

Oh, and people: if the stock turns gelatinous in the fridge, you did it right. Don't discard it.

If I had a dollar for every time in the last 15 years I've seen someone on an online cooking forum lament how they tried to make stock but in the fridge it turned all nasty and gelatinous so they tossed it, I would be able to take a train trip to visit you, Y. It breaks my heart. (The waste of stock, not the prospective trip.)

Thank you... ysabetwordsmith March 26 2009, 01:55:28 UTC

... for that reminder. I'll add it to the main post.

When I made turkey stock, it turned out gelatinous, and I didn't need to skim fat off it -- there was almost none. When I made chicken stock, it was thinner, though not as thin as broth, and I did need to spoon fat off the surface of some containers.

dpolicar July 10 2009, 16:36:24 UTC

What's the volume of your crock pot? (That is, what's your water:scraps ratio?)

Hmm... ysabetwordsmith July 10 2009, 16:57:52 UTC

About 7 quarts; there are bigger ones, but not easily found. The carcass of a 10-12 lb turkey, stripped of meat, fits inside; or 2-3 chickens' worth of bones and scraps. I think I added most of a gallon of water last time. But really, I just fill it about half to 2/3 of the way with loosely packed bones, dump in some vegetables, and pour water to within 1/2 inch of the top. Last time I got 5 cartons of stock, probably about 2 1/2 cups per carton, so about 12-13 cups.

Re: Hmm... dpolicar July 10 2009, 17:06:39 UTC

(nods) I've been doing scrap-stock (essentially the same approach you describe here) for the last year or so, but I'm never sure about ratios. Sounds like you're going about 6:1, which suggests I could be getting more stock out of my scraps than I do. Good to know.

Somewhat embarrassingly, I've been using ziplock bags for the stock out of habit, despite the fact that this makes it *much* harder to ladle out the stock. So, um, yeah. I should buy some stackable containers.

Or, um, use the ones I have. (Hides face.)

Re: Hmm... ysabetwordsmith July 10 2009, 21:18:19 UTC

Bear in mind that the more bones you use, the stronger your product will be. Stock is very thick and gels when it cools. Broth is very thin and does not gel. When I made the turkey stock, it gelled. The first batch of chicken didn't gel (but it was still quite tasty). The most recent batch of chicken, I used more bones, and it thickened somewhat. I am okay with that randomness; some people might be more particular. Experimentation and observation are fine, if you pay attention so you can repeat things you like ( ... )

lavenderfae9 November 23 2009, 19:07:05 UTC

From "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, put two T. vinegar in the pot with the bones, water and vegetables, and let it stand 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.

I also keep the bits that I trim off of vegetables, such as the tough outer skin of onions, in the freezer to add to the stock.