Best way to make stock??

Cullumpster

Hi there,
sorry to be a bit of a dumbo but everyone keeps talking about making the stock for chicken / beef etc themselfs, could someone tell me how to do it?

I know you have to boil the bones and all that , but what in? with what ?how long etc.

And also whil i'm on the subject how do you make your veggie stock as well, i've gotten into making HM soups but didn't have any vegetable stock, so i just made one up myself with a spoonful of marmite, some worcestershire sauce and veggies boiled in a pan.

You couldn't taste it thank god and no-one seemed to mind!!! :dance:

Lillibet_2

There are loads of variations for making stock but here is my basic method :

• Cooked meat bones of your choosing (chicken carcas/ham bone/beef bone etc) or turkey/chicken giblets if you're lucky enough to find a butcher who still leaves these in a bird. If you buy the bones from the butcher instead of using leftovers from a roast be sure to bake the bones in a medium hot oven for about 45 mins. For veggie stock omit the bones and up the quantity of veggies. For fish stock use the heads/tails/shells.
• Bouquet Garni or your chosen herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary & parsley all work well but experiment & see what you like) plus a bay leaf or 2
• Chopped Celery stalks, doesn't matter if they are a bit limp in my opinion & I also use the leaves too/instead of stalks to use them up
• Chopped onion - as much or as little as you like depending on preference, I use 2 medium to a chicken carcass or you can use leaks if you aren't onion-inclined. For dark coloured stock use the papery onion skins.
• 1 or 2 Chopped carrots or carrot peelings. I have also been know to add potato peelings.
• salt/pepper/whole peppercorns to taste
• Enough water, saved from previously boiled veggies if you have it or fresh if not, to just about cover the contents in a large saucepan. As a rule of thumb I always think the stock pan should be about 3/4 full once the liquid is added. Make sure it has a tight fitting lid.
• Bring to boil, use a slotted spoon to skim off any scum, reduce heat to very low & allow to simmer for anything between 1 1/2 to 4 hours depending on the intensity of flavour you want. You may need to repeat the skimming periodically.
• Allow to cool & skim off any fat. Strain & your stock is ready to use/freeze:j

Techinically it isn't correct & I'm sure any chefs would blanche (blanche...he he...chefs....geddit? OK, I'll get me coat in a minute) at the idea but I have been know to use the stock veg in my soup rather than just waste it. Oh & I pick any bones clean of meat & add that to soup too.

HTH

Ticklemouse

A friend told me the other week that if you add lemon juice to your carcass when cooking it down for stock, it releases more of the calcium and magnesium (he thinks) from it. Don't know if this is in fact true - he got the tip via a google search for soups.

(I told him just to come here, but that's men for you:D)

Curry_Queen

How long does chicken jelly ... ermmm I mean chicken stock ... keep in the fridge?

Debt_Free_Chick

I've kept chicken stock in the fridge and used it after 5 days. I'm too chicken to leave it any longer, but freeze it instead.

Some people think it deteriorates in the freezer, but I've not noticed, as I usually add it to something else or use it as a base for soup or gravy.

Curry_Queen

I've got around 3 litres of it and no way will I use that up in the next few days, but I'm trying to avoid freezing anything at the moment until my last Iceland order arrives so I know how much room I have left :rolleyes:

Gonna cause me problems when the huge pot of Spicy Beef and Beans currently in the slow cooker is ready to portion up too! ... not to mention the 3-4 portions of cooked chicken still in the fridge :doh:

I know ... who wants to come for dinner and help me eat all this food


(it's a very bad idea for manic depressives with obsessive tendencies to frequent MSE!!!)

squeaky

Curry_Queen wrote:

I know ... who wants to come for dinner and help me eat all this food


(it's a very bad idea for manic depressives with obsessive tendencies to frequent MSE!!!)

Me!

Curry_Queen

I better leave out an extra portion for you then

Ticklemouse

Hey sis, don't forget me, I've got lots of room in my freezer for my lamb and veg meal, so I'll help you with yours.

bluesnice

Cooked meat bones of your choosing (chicken carcas/ham bone/beef bone etc) or turkey/chicken giblets if you're lucky enough to find a butcher who still leaves these in a bird. If you buy the bones from the butcher instead of using leftovers from a roast be sure to bake the bones in a medium hot oven for about 45 mins.

So you really can't use raw bones? Is it unsafe??

Curry_Queen

Ticklemouse wrote:

Hey sis, don't forget me, I've got lots of room in my freezer for my lamb and veg meal, so I'll help you with yours.

You're welcome to some ... there's plenty!!!! Hey guess what, the beef is cooked and I'm not even hungry now :doh:

Can I borrow some of your freezer space then