Tuesday, November 16, 2010

GD cooking class - homemade stock

Okay, so I always talk about how homemade stock is sooooo much better than store-bought right?
About time I showed you how to make it, yes?

It's really super easy as it is and I'm going to share a trick with you to make it that much easier.
Let's get started!

Homemade Stock
Makes about 2 quarts

....okay, so not really a recipe here, per say....

What do you do with this?


Or this?


Or this?


Well, as I cook, on a normal day, I save all the ends and bits of all the veggies in a large ziplock bag and stick it in the freezer.  I also throw it all the bones (chicken, steak, shrimp shells, etc) that I cook with - but don't mix them.  Keep separate bags for chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, etc.  Once I get a full bag's worth, I make stock!
*Examples of what I like to freeze:  onion ends, carrot tops, tough parts of celery, bell pepper cores, garlic ends, herb stems, etc...*
*Examples of what I do not like to freeze: broccoli and asparagus - too strong.  Potato skins or tomatoes - not enough flavor.*

Combine all of your freezer bag stuff in a large pot.


Cover with water.  (about 8 or 9 cups)


Add a few peppercorns.


And some salt.  (a handful....)


Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let reduce for about an hour or two.


It should be a nice, rich color.
(Golden for chicken and dark brown for beef or seafood)

Strain into a freezable container and use when necessary!

10 comments:

  1. Hmm, and I thought composting all those tops was a good use for them! This sounds like an even better idea.

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  2. Composting is good too!! :) But I can't invest in a proper composter (is that a word?) until I have more room for a proper garden!

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  3. What a FABULOUS idea!!!!!!!!!! I'm so starting myself some freezer bags.....what a great way to use up those veg pieces!

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  4. Wonderful! I'm going to start saving all that crap. LOL! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I know! All that crap is useless (unless you compost...which I will eventually!) so you might as well be "green" and reuse it!

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  6. what do you use to store your stock?

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  7. Jenn, I either use gallon freezer ziplocks and freeze them flat, Chinese takeout containers, or plain tupperware. The ziplocks sometimes leak so the Chinese takeouts quarts are my choice! I just don't have that many.... :/ Are you doing it???

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  8. Yep! I recently butchered a chicken for the first time ever (wasn't has hard as I thought) so I have a the backbone from that and 2 weeks worth of frozen veggie pieces. I bought some freezer containers from ball (the canning company)..I think they should work nicely. Another question...do you put the papery parts of onion and garlic in there? It kinda looks like it in your pics but I'm not sure.

    Oh...its -8 degrees here and we have your Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup on the menu for tonight! Will be perfect!

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  9. I put everything in! Probably don't need the paper but meh. I do put the nubs of the garlic in...and so glad you like the soup!!

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