Edible Paradise

Homemade stock is the secret to delicious soups as well as many side dishes. It adds a depth of flavor and background to soup that canned stock cannot. With the holiday season just around the corner, now is a great time to simmer a big pot of stock and store in the freezer for making richly flavored gravies, hearty soups and side dishes.

Making stock is easy and a great way to use up less-than-perfect vegetables or trimmings. Trimmings can include potato or carrot peels, parsley stems, or the last few cloves on the garlic bulb. However, avoid vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli or cauliflower since their flavors may overpower the stock. Use whole spices and herbs such as peppercorns and bay leaves, since they will strain out more easily than powdered herbs and spices.

Save chicken carcasses (from a roasted chicken dinner) in the freezer and use for making chicken stock. Ask your butcher for bony chicken parts like backs, wing trimmings or necks – these parts are much less expensive than purchasing a whole chicken. For a richly flavored stock, season and roast the chicken parts on a half sheet pan at 400°F for 45 minutes or so before adding to stock.

If making beef stock, ask your butcher for some meaty bones. Again, seasoning and roasting the bones before adding to the stock will provide excellent flavor. Be sure to save leftover bones from holiday prime rib dinners for the soup pot!

Stocks may be lightly seasoned with salt or not. Since stocks are used most often for soups and other dishes, some prefer to leave out the salt until the stock is used in the final dish.

Use a stockpot that is tall and narrow, which slows evaporation. To extract the most flavor from your stock ingredients, cover the vegetables and bones with cold, fresh water and cook slowly. Chicken and meat stocks should be simmered for several hours. Vegetable stocks take the less time and are done within an hour.

Once stock is finished cooking, place stockpot in a sink filled with cold water. Add ice to water. Stir occasionally until the liquid has cooled. Strain the stock. Store stock in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months. Don't worry about defatting the stock prior to storage. Once cooled, the fat will rise to the top and is easily removed.

What to do with the discarded vegetables from stock making? We place the exhausted veggies on the compost pile or save them for friends who have chickens. If making chicken or beef stock, remove the bones before adding to compost pile.

Try our favorite stocks: Best Roasted Vegetable Stock, Rich Chicken Stock, and Hearty Beef Stock.