A good stock is the bedrock of many a warming winter meal. Soups, stews, sauces and gravies, curries and stir fries, and risottos—all owe the foundations of their flavors to a well-prepared steaming pot of broth. Making your own gives you a more complex product than anything you can buy at the store, and it’s a great way to use leftovers or veggies growing limp in your fridge. It’s also really easy, provided you do it right. Here are three common errors people make when making stock, and how to fix them, so yours always comes out ready to rock.
MISTAKE #1: TOO HOT IN HERE
A rich, full-bodied broth comes from the conversion of connective tissue (mainly collagen) into gelatin through the application of heat in the presence of moisture. The hotter you cook the stock, the faster you convert collagen into gelatin. Cooking low and slow gives you good conversion while preventing fat, minerals and other gunk from emulsifying into your stock. Boiled stock will be cloudy, greasy and have a lower yield. To avoid that, start with cold water and your bones (or veggies, if you’re going vegetarian) and put over high heat. When the liquid just starts to come to a simmer, turn it down so that only one or two bubbles at a time rise up to the surface. Alternatively, you can place your pot straight into a 200˚F oven and allow it to come up to temperature that way.
MISTAKE #2: ALL INGREDIENTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL
When it comes to cooking time at least. There’s a limit to how much flavor a given ingredient will impart—past that, extra time just turns everything to mush. Big beef or lamb bones can be cooked for up to eight hours, or overnight. Chicken bones are more like four to six. Veggies give up all their flavor in about an hour. So if you’re making a meat stock, use only bones and water for the majority of the cooking time. The last hour, add your aromatics (onion, garlic, celery, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh herbs) But keep an eye on the timer; too much time in the heat and the veggies break down, absorbing stock that you lose in the straining process.
MISTAKE #3: FORGETTING TO FINISH
A good stock isn’t done until it’s been strained, seasoned and cooled. Skimping on any of these steps can leave you with stock that’s murky, bland or stale-tasting. To strain, pour the stock into a colander lined with at least two layers of cheesecloth. Catch the clarified stock in a clean saucepan or large glass measuring cup. At this point, you should season with salt to taste. If you’re going to use it that day, the stock can hang out at room temperature. But if you’re going to store it for later, then you’ll want to cool it as quickly as possible to keep it fresher for longer. Transfer to a wide, shallow container and add a few ice cubes. Once it’s cool enough to touch, either put it in sealed containers for the fridge, or freeze in ice cube trays and store in a ziplock bag for easy-to-use portions any time.
Back to the Winter Share articles
View the Winter Share PDF
FAQs
To avoid a cloudy stock do not stir while it is cooking because the impurities will get trapped in the liquid. Replenish liquid as needed if it evaporates but avoid diluting the flavor and body of the stock. Simmer the stock gently – never allow it to boil.
What must you not do when cooking stock? ›
To avoid a cloudy stock do not stir while it is cooking because the impurities will get trapped in the liquid. Replenish liquid as needed if it evaporates but avoid diluting the flavor and body of the stock. Simmer the stock gently – never allow it to boil.
Why should you not boil bone broth? ›
Just as when you're making stock for soups or stews, boiling will cause soluble proteins and rendered fat to emulsify into the cooking liquid. By simmering, you avoid emulsifying the fat and thus keep the stock clearer, and we found that the scum created simply settled to the bottom of the pot.
Should stock be cooked, covered or uncovered? ›
Regulate the heat so that a few bubbles rise to the surface. Skim regularly and keep the ingredients covered by topping up with cold water. Cook uncovered for 3-4 hours. Strain the stock, pour into a clean pan and boil fiercely to reduce the stock and intensify the flavour.
What makes stocks turn cloudy? ›
Generally speaking, the cloudy nature of stock is simply due to impurities or particles in the stock. Stock should always be started with cold water and cooked, uncovered, at a simmer, without ever coming to a full boil. If the stock does boil, some of the fat will emulsify into the liquid, which can make it cloudy.
What are the 4 qualities of a good stock in cooking? ›
It is used to poach fish or vegetables. The quality of a stock is judged by four characteristics: body, flavor, clarity and color. Body develops when collagen proteins dissolve in protein - based stock . Vegetable stocks have less body than meat stocks because they lack animal p rote in.
What are 5 guidelines for making stock? ›
The Cardinal Rules of Stock Making
- NEVER SALT STOCK. Ever. ...
- SKIM STOCK OFTEN IN THE BEGINNING. ...
- NEVER BOIL STOCK. ...
- THE BETTER YOUR INGREDIENTS, THE BETTER YOUR STOCK. ...
- STRAIN YOUR STOCK WHEN IT COMES OFF THE STOVE. ...
- ALWAYS DROP YOUR STOCK QUICKLY (UNLESS YOU'RE USING IT IMMEDIATELY) ...
- CAN YOU BREAK THESE RULES?
Cook it too long, though, and you get into a case of seriously diminishing returns. Throughout my testing, I tasted my stocks as they cooked, and I generally found about one and a half hours to be a reasonable endpoint—plenty of time for a flavorful, rich broth, but not so long that it's a major commitment to make it.
What happens if you don't skim the stock? ›
It's true that if you simmer a stock gently and forgo skimming, you might wind up with an off-putting foam floating around your bowl of chicken noodle soup. But Mamane adds that many recipes opt out of skimming intentionally, and cook the stock more aggressively, which results in an opaque stock with a creamy texture.
What happens if you don't blanch bones for broth? ›
Without blanching, impurities and particulates remain in the broth, leading to a cloudy, off-putting appearance. These impurities can include blood, fat, and other soluble proteins that surface as scum when the bones are boiled.
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, but do not put the lid on. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 12-24 hours. (I cooked for 20 hours) Add more water as needed to keep the bones covered. If leaving unattended for any length of time, cover the pot so to limit evaporation.
What is the difference between a stock and a broth? ›
Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.
How long should you let stock cook for? ›
Chicken stock can be simmered for as little as 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Most often, you'll see recipes call for somewhere in between, about 3 to 4 hours. The longer the stock simmers, the more concentrated its flavor.
Should you put garlic in stock? ›
Garlic: Technically garlic is optional, use as much or as little as you'd like. Fresh thyme: I like fresh thyme because it's easier to strain from the broth and I think it leaves a fresher tasting stock. You could also use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, just not powdered thyme. It will give the stock a muddy color.
Which of the following vegetables should not be used in a stock? ›
Avoid bitter greens and members of the brassica family (kale, cabbage, Bok Choy). Other greens can be used in small quantities. Good in small quantities (no more than 1/5 of the stock ingredients). Foods in the Brassica family, such as kohlrabi, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Can you let stock simmer overnight? ›
Cover with water by 2 inches, then set on low. Cook for 10 to 12 hours overnight. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer, then store in jars.
What not to use in stock? ›
NOTE: Avoid cruciferous veggies like cabbage or brussels sprouts as they can result in a bitter stock. Other fun ingredients to add: Fresh herbs like thyme and parsley are lovely in stock but be careful of intense/woody herbs like rosemary as they can overpower it.
What are the do's and don'ts of chicken stock? ›
Stock is Not Rocket Science
- The classic ratio for stock is 10 percent vegetables to bones. ...
- A good stockpot is critical. ...
- Pure, clean water is essential, as the long simmering process concentrates all flavors, the good and the bad, which includes any gunk in your local water supply. ...
- Don't add salt at the start of stock.
To make homemade chicken stock, place chicken bones, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pot. Cover with cold water then simmer for about 3 hours. Let it cool, then skim the fat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What are the tips for cooking stocks? ›
Never boil stock.
Just bring to the boil then turn down to simmer slowly for hours. Remember: if you want a darker, richer stock, brown off the bones and vegetables first before adding water to simmer. If you don't have enough bones from one meal to make a rich stock, freeze them and pull them out when you do.
