Make Your Own Stock & Broth

Last night I was making pot pies and realized I was out of chicken stock. In all honesty, this was store bought chicken stock, but regardless I did not have enough for the recipe. However, I had a ton of veggie scraps saved in the freezer for making my own stock, and I often sub veggie stock for chicken, so I decided to just make my own instead of running across the street to the store. I knew it had been a while since I last made any, after all I had been picking it up from the store the last few times I needed it, but I did not quite realize how long until I was packing up the finished stock and ended up with 7 quarts!

Stock is so easy to make, I don't know why I put it off for so long. Now I have to figure out what to do with it all...

So, how do you make your own stock?

It's really simple. I'm not even sure I can make an official recipe post about it. Basically, throw a bunch of veggies into a pot. Fill your pot with water, such that it sits about 1-2 inches above all the "stuff." Bring to a boil, then let simmer 30-60 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth/flour sack towel), and store or use. That's it!

You don't even need to go out and buy veggies for this. In fact, my favorite method is to save all sorts of clean veggie scraps in the freezer until I am ready to make my stock. And I do mean all sorts...try to keep the 3 core veggies (onion family, carrot, celery), but beyond that you can save whatever you like. Things I like to use include:

• onion/shallot/garlic skin and ends
• root veggie (carrot, potato, sweet potato, parsnip, etc) and squash peels, tops, and greens
• celery leaves and tops
• sage/parsley/other herb stems
• mushroom stems
• pepper tops and cores
• corn cobs
• pea/bean pods
• any leftover or about to spoil fresh veggies (carrots, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, etc)

A word of caution though: veggies in the cabbage family (cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli cauliflower) can add bitterness so use sparingly.

Used veggies can be thrown out or composted, if that's your thing. I am not good with plants, so fully admit to discarding my used veggies. Next spring I intend to give composting & gardening a go though.

What about meat stocks?

mmmm...beautiful, golden chicken stock

Add some meat and/or bones if you want a meat stock (pork, beef, poultry, fish); the bones will create a thicker stock while meat just adds flavor, more like a broth. You will need to up your simmer time to 3-6 hours. If you are using bones, make sure you get back to a simmer as boiling bones will create a cloudy stock (not that it matters for taste, just looks). Once everything has cooked down, skim off the fat if desired. Fat can also contribute to a cloudy stock, but it can help with refrigerated storage as well (read on for more details on that).

Much like the veggie stock, you don't need to go out and buy meat or bones for your meat stock. Use roast bones or fish/poultry carcasses. You can use them fresh or freeze for a later date. Cartilage, skin, and gristle are also good additions to your stock. Meat pieces can be added for additional flavor (or if there is still some stuck to the bone). For a deeper color and richer flavor, roast your bones before adding to your pot. Simply rub with olive oil and bake at 375F for 30-45 minutes, turning halfway.

Bones can be reused at least 1 more time, or until they start to break apart. Edible meat pieces that may remain can be added to stews.

If making a meat stock, you may want to consider adding some acid to help break down the bones and cartilage. You won't taste the acid in the stock, but it will add a depth of meat flavor. Choose an acid that will compliment your meat. Some ideas include vinegar, lemon juice, tomato products, and wine (red wine would be a good choice for beef).

Wait, what is the difference between stock and broth?
The terms seem pretty interchangeable, but there is a subtle difference. Simply put, broth is seasoned and stock is not. Technically speaking broth is any liquid that has had meat cooked in it (although this definition has been expanded to include non-meat variations), while stock involves bones (or cartilage/skin) making it thicker due to the gelatin being extracted.

So looking at the meat stock above, using the bones makes a stock and using the meat alone technically makes a broth. I generally don't use meat pieces alone and follow the seasoned/not seasoned rule of thumb. If you are looking to make a seasoned broth, common spices to include are bay leaf, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper/peppercorn, and clove.

You can even take things a step farther and turn your stock or broth into a concentrate. Reduce into an extra flavorful liquid that you can use as is or dilute at a rate of 1 Tbsp concentrate to 2 cups water.

So, how do I store my homemade stock?
There is some debate into the methodology of storing and preserving stocks and broths. I've seen people favor canning and say it is unsafe, and I've seen various time frames said to be refrigerator safe. However, I've done a lot or research and put together a few different methods for you to consider:

1. Refrigerating
• Seal well and store safely 3-4 days in the refrigerator
• Leave a 1/2 inch head of rendered fat sitting atop each jar, and refrigerate 6 months unopened/untampered. If the fat is punctured, you revert to the 3-4 days above.
2. Freezing
• Leave 1 inch head space in upright containers, or transfer to bags for flat storage, and freeze 3-4 months. The stock will not go bad after this time, but the flavor may seem a bit off.
• Pour concentrate into an ice cube tray for future use as is or for easy dilution. Once frozen you can transfer concentrate cubes into another container. Using the ice cube tray also gives you convenient 1 Tbsp increments.
3. Canning (Room Temp Storage)
• Pressure can pint jars at 10 lbs for 20 minutes (quart jars for 25, and I would guess 8 oz jars for about 15), adjusting as needed for high altitudes
• You cannot safely process stocks using the boiling water method, although I have seen anecdotal posts by people saying this is the method they use without issue (I would not feel comfortable recommending this method)

I feel like this post got away from me a bit...you now have more information about making your own stocks & broths than you probably wanted to know. They are so easy though, and so cheap if you use scraps and leftovers. Plus, they just taste better than store bought. Once you figure out the preservation & storage, there really isn't any reason not to make your own.