Making our own stock (for soups, or just for flavoring) is something we do off and on, but its also a bit of an ongoing process. This isn't intended to be a tutorial on making stock, but just a few tips to make it easier.
In our freezer are some zip-top bags labeled beef, chicken, and veggies. Pork can go in with the beef bag if you eat it (we do). Any time we trim a piece of meat, have a few chicken bones, or have odd pieces of vegetable, they go into the correct bag. We also save shrimp shells when we have them, and they get made into fish stock. The great thing about stock is that it uses the parts that you wouldn't use for anything else- necks from the chicken or turkey, beef ribs, etc.
When we're ready to make stock all we have to do is find the correct bag, add onions, carrots, celery, spices or herbs, and water, and let it cook and reduce all day. The time spent reducing is essential for the flavor of the stock- it concentrates the flavor. Stock that has not reduced enough won't have a lot of flavor.
When our stock is done reducing, we strain it twice. Once through a colander to get the big chunks out, and once through a mesh strainer to get the smaller bits out. In order to cool it quickly we put frozen water bottles or ice packs into the pot, then get it right into the refrigerator. We let it cool overnight, then skim the fat off of the top and get rid of it. This makes for fairly lean stock that still has good flavor.
Since we mostly use stock in small amounts for flavoring other things, we freeze it in ice cube trays, then store in gallon zip-top bags. This does take some time, but if you do several trays at once you can get all of the stock frozen pretty quickly. We also freeze some larger containers for use when we make soup.
Some reasons that we make our own stock:
Cost. By saving parts we would normally throw away we can make several gallons of stock for just a few dollars.
Health. Because of the amount of time it spends cooking and reducing, our stock does not need a lot of salt. It does need some, but nowhere near the amount in a commercial product. I also like knowing exactly what goes into a batch.
Taste. Homemade stock tastes better than what you get from a can or box. This isn't bragging- its just true.
Convenience. By freezing our stock in ice cube trays, we can use only what is needed add flavor to a particular recipe. No worrying about using up an entire can or box of stock.
For more Kitchen Tips, check out Tammy's blog here.
For easy to follow directions for making chicken stock, go here. Once you understand the method, you can adapt it for whatever kind of stock you need.
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3 friends stopped by:
Oh, homemade stock sure does taste better! I like your idea of saving 'extras' from meat and fish for your stocks.
I keep mine in canning jars, and I use one of those wide-mouth funnels with a strainer on top to transfer it from the pot to the jar. It's so nice to be able to take a jar out of the freezer instead of using canned stuff. (Although, I admit I do use the canned stuff, too! Sometimes, it's just a good deal and great in a pinch.)
I had some chicken stock that I'd cooked for hours, so it was all gelatinous when it came out of the fridge the next day. My son wanted to know if it was okay like that, so I had to tell him gloopy stock is what it's supposed to look like, LOL!
I like to make my own stock too. Mostly I do chicken, because I rarely have the bones/shells to make other stocks. I've even been known to throw a cored apple and a lemon into it. I hadn't thought of freezing some in ice cube trays - that's a really good tip.
I love it! We always make turkey stock after Thanksgiving and use it throughout the year!-Pamela
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