Turning a Sow's Ear into a Silk Purse: Free and Easy Stock

They say you can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, but in cooking magical transformations can happen at times from the most menial things. Stock is the metamorphosis of things that may have headed to the garbage into a flavorful, all-purpose liquid.

I call this "free" stock because you are using scraps or leftovers that you might have thrown away. It is as easy as boiling water and making ice cubes. This stock is designed for the convenience of cooking for one person. It transforms leftovers and scraps into convenient, golden frozen cubes of stock.

Stock is much more than just a liquid foundation for soups or stews. You can boil pasta, rice, beans, or potatoes in stock instead of water for added dimensional flavor. You can add a cube or two into a pan of simmering chicken to add extra flavor or create a little sauce. Whip up a cup of homemade soup by melting some cubes of frozen stock and sprinkle in some frozen veggies. Homemade chicken gravy is at hand by whisking in a little thickening agent (corn starch or flour). You can add the stock cubes anytime and  anywhere you can incorporate liquid and wish to layer on flavor. The possibilities are up to you.

You can buy a can or a carton stock or broth, but homemade is so much better. You get to control the seasoning and the other flavorful ingredients. What really lies at the foundation of any delicious soup is excellent stock or broth. By using the ice cube trays already in your freezer, you create single-portion sized nuggets of stock that can be used at a moment's notice.

Kitchen Curiosity: What is the difference between stock and broth?

Both use herbs and spices and usually vegetables. Stock is made from mostly bones (with any remaining meat, cartilage, and skin), while broth is made from meat or bone-in meat. Stock is usually richer and darker in color than broth.

Ingredients you need:

Start saving vegetable scraps, chicken bones and scraps , herbs, spices, salt. Put the scraps in a large freezer bag labelled for stock. Whenever you generate leftover scraps, place them in the freezer bag and return the bag to the freezer. Once you have accumulated enough, it is ready to be turned into stock. Do not keep the the scraps in the freezer beyond a couple of months. 

There isn't precise measurements of the quantities of the ingredients. I would stick with a ratio of one part stock ingredients (chicken, veggies, etc) and two parts water.

• Don't get rid of the remains of a grocery store rotisserie chicken. Reserve bones, cartilage, and skin. Some meat can remain on the bones if you wish.

• Vegetable scraps suggestions would be ends of onions, summer squash, carrot peelings, outer leaves of cabbage, broccoli stems, celery leaves/stems, mushroom stems, etc.

• Leftover portions of cooked vegetables that are too small to make another serving. 

• Vegetables that are still edible but just slightly past their prime ripeness.

• Do NOT use moldy, mushy, blackened, spoiled vegetables. If in doubt, don't use it.

• Do not use vegetables that could impart a strong color to the stock such as tomatoes, beets, or spinach.

• Herbs and spices of your choice (some suggestions: thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley, lovage, chervil, black pepper)

• Salt

• Water (ratio of 1 part stock ingredients to 2 parts water)

Equipment you need: 

• 2 large, resealable freezer bags

• large pot with lid

• ladle

• pitcher or other pouring container

• strainer

• ice cube trays

How to do it:

1. Remove the bag of frozen, saved scraps from the freezer. Place all the chicken parts, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt in a pot. Cover and bring to a light boil. 
2. Allow the pot to simmer 1 hour under very low heat. Go do something around your home during that time. It might be a good idea to set a timer on your stove, watch, or cell phone to remind you. You can check on the stock and stir it occasionally if you like.
   
   Chicken neck, bones, vegetables, and lots of herbs simmering in the stock pot. I like plenty of herbs which give great flavor and are eventually strained out.
3. Stir the stock well. The stock should be a light, golden brown color. The bones should be separated from each other, and the vegetables should be quite mushy. Taste the stock. Adjust seasoning if you wish.
4. Remove the stock pot from the stove. Place the strainer over the large bowl or pitcher making sure it is stable.
5. Ladle the stock with the pieces into the strainer. The stock will percolate through the strainer and into the bowl/pitcher. When the strainer becomes full of chicken parts, herbs, and vegetables, dump them into the trash.
6. Take the bowl/pitcher of stock and place it in the fridge for at least an hour. You can clean up and head out the door if needed.
7. You will notice the fat has coagulated on top of the stock. Take the cleaned strainer and position it over the ice cube tray. Carefully, ladle the stock through the strainer and fill up the ice cube trays.  
   
   Cooled stock is strained into ice cube trays to freeze into convenient amber cubes of stock ready at a moment's notice.
8. Place the full trays in the freezer on a level surface. Once frozen, pop the stock cubes into a labeled, freezer storage bag.

Now you have a ready-to-use bag of stock just from many things that you would have originally thrown away!

Here is an example of a bowl of homemade soup I created in just a few minutes.

It contains several cubes of frozen stock, some chopped red bell pepper, leftover cooked macaroni, cannellini beans, and a few other pieces of vegetables or other bits and bobs from the fridge. All I did was put it all in a small pot, cook until the veggies had the desired tenderness.

Freshly made, delicious, and no leftovers!

Homemade soup using what I have already that tasted good together.

Comments

[lederm]

Thanks for you share it!!!!!!!

[Keith]

Glad you liked it. Stock is such a basic and simple ingredient that can be used in so many ways, and best of all, it's essentially free.

Keep cooking,

Keith

[wayne cadman]

Thank you so much for that nicely written piece of text.
http://www.mydish.co.uk/