How to make stock (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of making a good stock? ›

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.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer: Bring to a boil on high heat and reduce to a low simmer. If scum rises to the surface of the pot (this usually happens in the first half hour of cooking), skim off with a large metal spoon. Let simmer uncovered at a low simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

Basic Ingredients. Stocks are prepared with a few basic ingredients including bones, mirepoix, herbs and spices, and sometimes tomatoes or wine. They are often prepared using leftover ingredients as a cost-effective measure for the kitchen.

When making homemade broth, you can add flavor to it by roasting the ingredients first. You can put all the meat bones and vegetables on a baking sheet and roast them until golden brown. Then, scrape the brown bits and add them to a pot of water. Doing this adds depth, savoriness, and color to broths.

When using for soup, I like to add about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to each quart (4 cups) of chicken stock (if using table salt, use 1/2 teaspoon per quart). To save room in my freezer, I like to reduce the stock down by simmering it util it's 1/4 of its original volume.

I've found that two hours is a good amount of time for simmering chicken stock. A good amount of flavor is extracted from the chicken, but it's not an all-day affair. Just make sure you taste the stock, as it may need a little more time to get it to where you want it.

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.

Do you simmer stock with the lid on or off? ›

Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours. Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids. Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees.

Got a soup that tastes a little bland and unexciting? Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt.

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.

Stock has a richer, deeper flavor and mouthfeel, making it better at adding body to a dish, whereas broth might be a better choice when you want to let other flavors to shine.

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