The Benefits of Making Your Own Stock: Enhance Your Cooking and Health with These Easy-to-Follow Recipes

 

Creating your own stock is a fantastic way to enhance the flavor of your dishes while also making use of kitchen scraps that would otherwise go to waste. The process is relatively simple and can be done with a variety of ingredients depending on your dietary preferences and the type of stock you want to make. We make chicken, beef, seafood, pork and vegetable stock. Since we are only using vegetables scraps, herbs from our herb garden and bones we already have already at home, it is costing us nothing out of our pocket to make. It does require quite a bit of time to make. We like to make it on rainy and cool days when we would be inside anyways.

Making your own stock at home offers a variety of advantages that extend far beyond just culinary benefits. First, homemade stock provides superior flavor and richness compared to store-bought versions. When you make the stock yourself, you have complete control over the ingredients and can customize it to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Using fresh vegetables, quality meats, and aromatic herbs results in a depth of flavor that pre-packaged stocks simply can't match. This can elevate your soups, sauces, and other dishes to a gourmet level.

Another significant advantage is the nutritional benefit. Homemade stock is often more nutritious because it is free from preservatives, artificial flavors, and excessive amounts of sodium that are commonly found in commercial stocks. By simmering bones and vegetables for an extended period, you can extract valuable nutrients like collagen, amino acids, and minerals, which contribute to joint health, skin elasticity, and overall wellness. Additionally, you could make it even healthier by choosing organic and high-quality ingredients.

Lastly, making your own stock can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly practice. It allows you to make use of kitchen scraps and leftovers that might otherwise go to waste, such as vegetable peelings, herb stems, and bones from previous meals. We keep an empty gallon size ice cream container in the freezer. We put vegetable peelings, herb stems and bones from previous meals in it. Once this container gets full or we have some extra time we will make a batch of stock. This not only reduces our food waste but also maximizes the value you get from your groceries. Homemade stock can be frozen in reusable containers, thereby reducing single-use packaging and your overall environmental footprint. It can also be preserved using a pressure canner for future use. In essence, making your own stock is a sustainable practice that benefits both your health and the planet.

Start by gathering your ingredients:

For a basic vegetable stock or to add vegetables to any of your other stocks. Follow the recipe below: Other vegetables such as garlic, leeks, and mushrooms can add depth of flavor. If you have any stems from your fresh herbs throw them in the pot as well.

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or a few sprigs of fresh parsley)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill (optional)
• water

 

For beef stock:

Creating your own beef stock at home is a wonderful way to enhance the flavor of your soups, stews, and sauces. This recipe uses beef bones, aromatic vegetables, and herbs to produce a rich, flavorful stock. For beef stock we like to use soup bones, roast bones and even steak bones.

• Prepare the Bones:
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place the beef bones in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Roast the bones in the oven for 30-45 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are deeply browned.
• Add the bones, vegetables and herbs to the pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
  • Simmer uncovered for at least 4- 6 hours. The longer it simmers, the richer and more flavorful the stock will be.
  • Occasionally skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.

For chicken stock:

Making your own chicken stock at home is a simple and rewarding way to enhance the flavor of your dishes. This recipe uses chicken bones and aromatic vegetables to create a rich and savory stock that’s perfect for soups, stews, sauces, and more. Any time we have a rotisserie chicken or cook chicken we save the bones until we have 2 -3 pounds to make a batch of stock.

• Prepare the Bones:
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place the chicken bones in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Roast the bones in the oven for 30-45 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are deeply browned.
• Add the bones, vegetables and herbs to the pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
  • Simmer uncovered for at least 4- 6 hours.
  • Occasionally skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.

For pork stock:

Creating your own pork stock is a fantastic way to add depth and richness to a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to sauces and gravies. This recipe uses pork bones, aromatic vegetables, and herbs to produce a flavorful and nutritious stock. When we pick up our hog from the butcher, we always ask for the pork bones so we can use them to make stock. You will want 2-3 lbs. pork bones (such as neck bones, rib bones, or shank bones)

• Prepare the Bones:
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place the pork bones in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Roast the bones in the oven for 30-45 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are deeply browned.
• Add the bones, vegetables and herbs to the pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
  • Simmer uncovered for at least 4- 6 hours. The longer it simmers, the richer and more flavorful the stock will be.
  • Occasionally skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.

For seafood stock:

Creating your own seafood stock at home is a fantastic way to enhance the flavor of your soups, stews, and sauces. This recipe uses shrimp shells, fish bones, and aromatic vegetables to make a rich and flavorful base. We like to use this when cooking rice for dishes like Gumbo or Jambalaya.

• Prepare the Bones:
  • Rinse the shrimp shells, heads, and fish bones under cold water to remove any impurities.
• Add the bones, vegetables and herbs to the pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.
  • Simmer uncovered for 4 - 60 minutes.
  • Occasionally skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.

Strain the Stock:

• After simmering, remove the pot from heat.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl or another pot to remove solids. We like to use a fat separator with a reusable coffee filter on top of it.

Cool and Store:

• Allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
• Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Stock can also be pressure canned if you want. Be sure to follow the rules and guidelines for pressure canning.
  • Ladle the hot beef stock into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
  • Process the beef stock in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. The times and pounds of pressure was taken from the Ball Canning Website. For more canning tips refer to my canning basics webpage.

Homemade stock is such a versatile and flavorful foundation for soups, stews, sauces, and many other dishes. Since we always have a bunch of stock at our house, we like to use it cook our rice in as well.

Credit: Ball Canning Website

 

Items Needed:

• Large stock pot
• Fat separator
• Reusable coffee filter
• Pressure canner

• Canning jars with lids and rings to can your stock

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