We'd be remiss to let Reader Request Week go by without an in-depth look at homemade broths and stocks, the building blocks of good soups! Whether it's chicken, vegetable, beef, or shellfish, most soups start with a savory, brothy brew. Here are recipes, tips, and good ideas for better stock at home.
• Stock vs. Broth — What's the Difference?
How To Make Stock
Recipes and tutorials for making various kinds of broth and stock.
• How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock
• Basic Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Stock
• How to Make Homemade Vegetable Stock
• Soup Base Recipe: Parmesan Stock
• Chicken Bone Broth
• Chicken Giblet Stock
• Turkey Stock
• Dashi Soup Stock
• Shellfish Stock
• Make Cheese Rind Stock!
Stock Hints & Helps
More tips and good ideas for making homemade stock better or easier.
• Stockpiling Your Scraps: What to Save & Freeze for Stocks
• Stock in the Slow Cooker
• Make Stock in a Pasta Strainer
• Save Wilted Vegetables For Stock
• Quicker Vegetable Stock: Try Shredding the Vegetables
• Kitchen Shortcuts: An Easy Trick for Straining Stock
• Help! Why Did My Chicken Soup Turn Into Jell-o?
• What Are the Best Containers for Freezing Liquids?
• What Can I Make With Goose Stock?
• Freeze Homemade Stock in Ice Cube Trays
• Frozen Homemade Stock Portions
• Homemade Soup Stock: How Far Would You Go?
• How Do I Use Mushroom Stock?
On Buying Stock
If you're all out of time and need some good ideas
• Make or Buy? Chicken Stock
• What Is the Best Brand of Storebought Broth?
• Storebought Chicken Stock Faceoff
• Ways to Improve Store-Bought Broth
• Best Vegetarian Bouillon and Pre-Made Stock?
What are your best tips for making homemade broth or stock? Got any tips for making it quicker or easier?
It's Reader Request Week at The Kitchn! This post was requested by Yogalala.
(Images: Emma Christensen; Dana Velden; Emma Christensen)
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Woo-hoo! Soup week is the best!
Making my own stock has been the single most important thing in the quality of my cooking. Especially true for seafood stock. What's available even in good stores is dreck.
Yay, soup week!
Just in time! It's turned a bit cold in Portland. I already have a broccoli cheddar soup on the menu for this week.
I like making Cook's Illustrated Quick Chicken Stock recipe, easy and delicious. I usually use chicken legs, plus 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts so we have white and dark meat (and extra for my pooches).
(recipe here, not my blog): http://www.karensrecipes.com/recipes/3/65/Quick_Chicken_Stock_by_Cooks_Illustrated/default.jsp
And when my vegetarian sister comes home for holidays, I make her a roasted vegetable stock from Gourmet to make her her own gravy.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Vegetable-Stock-231025
Great timing on this post. I have 2 chicken carcasses in the freezer that I have been holding onto so I can make stock for the winter's soups and stews.
A couple months ago I bought 3 whole chickens on sale. I roasted 2 and grilled one. After each meal I saved the carcasses in the freezer. When I had time I put them in a stock pot barely covered by water with a few peppercorns, bayleaf, touch of salt, and garlic. I then barely simmered it for 4 or 5 hours. After that I added an onion quartered, 2 celery ribs and a handful of baby carrots and simmered for 45 minutes more. (Less time for veggies-they give all they got and can turn bitter/turn to mush if cooked too long)
I then strained it and put the pot in an ice-bath in the sink. Once cooled I strained off the fat and portioned into ziploc snack bags (one of my favorite kitchen tips/tricks)
I've done this many times and cook for so long so that the stock is more concentrated--its pretty much jell-o consistency at this point. That way it has great mouth-feel, better flavor, and less time to reduce sauce when preparing dinner.