I absolutely love making my own stock. It is incredibly cheap and easy, and you can control the amount of sodium. Plus, if you save your bones and vegetable scraps, you can make these recipes for pennies on the dollar.
Meat Stocks
Notes: Save any bones from cooked meats. Keep beef, chicken, pork, and any other meats separate. Save these bones in a gallon freezer baggie. Make the recipe when your baggie is full.
| Ingredients | |
| 4 pounds | Bones/chicken carcass |
| 1 large | Onion, chopped in half, skins removed |
| 4 | Carrots, peeled, cut in half |
| 4 ribs | Celery, washed, cut in half |
| 10 springs each fresh or 5 tablespoons each dried | Thyme and parsley |
| 10 peppercorns or 1/2 tablespoon ground | Peppercorns (black or rainbow) |
| 2 | Bay leaves |
| 2 | Garlic cloves, peeled |
| 2 gallons | Cold water |
Place thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and bay leaves into cheese cloth and tie off. Place all ingredients into 12-quart stock pot. Cook on high heat until bubbles begin to break. Turn heat down to a simmer. For the first two hours, skim the scum off the surface every 15 minutes to half hour. Afterward, do this twice an hour for the next two hours. Simmer uncovered for six to eight hours, adding hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged.
Strain stock through a fine strainer into heatproof container. Discard solids. Cool immediately in a sink full of ice or cold water, and put in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, skim off the layer of fat on top. Store in the fridge up to three days or the freezer for three months.
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown’s chicken stock recipe.
Vegetable Stock
Notes: Save the cut ends and scraps of vegetables throughout the month. Do not save any vegetables that have begun to rot or have mold, but do keep slightly wilted veggies. Keep the ratio of leafy greens to 1/10 of your total vegetables. Try to use roughly an equal amount of all other vegetables (i.e. one cup carrots and one cup celery); this will help keep your flavors balanced, so your stock will stay balanced in flavor.
Feel free to roast your vegetables in the oven at 350° for 20-30 minutes for a more robust flavored stock.
Good vegetables to save:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions (not the skins)
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Squash skins (not the pulp)
- Eggplant
- Green beans (keep to a 1/16 ratio)
- Asparagus (keep to a 1/16 ratio)
- Peppers (discard any seeds)
- Corn cobs
| Ingredients | |
| 1 gallon | Vegetable scraps baggie |
| 2 | *Onions, skins removed, cut in half |
| 3 | *Carrots, cut in thirds |
| 4 ribs | *Celery, cut in thirds |
| 2 | Bay Leaves |
| 10 sprigs each fresh or 5 tablespoons each dried | *Thyme, parsley |
| 10 peppercorns or 1/2 tablespoon ground | Peppercorns (black or rainbow) |
| 2 | *Garlic cloves, peeled |
| 2 gallons | Cold water |
*Denotes to omit if these ingredients are already included in your vegetable scraps baggie.
Place thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and bay leaves into cheese cloth and tie off. Place all ingredients into 12-quart stock pot. Cook on high heat until bubbles begin to break. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cook uncovered an hour for a lighter flavored stock or for two hours for a heartier stock.
Strain stock through a fine strainer into heatproof container. Discard solids. Cool immediately in a sink full of ice or cold water, and put in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, skim off the layer of fat on top. Store in the fridge up to three days or the freezer for three months.
Do you have questions about any of these recipes? Please email me.