Making Stock

Stocks are the basis for many of the soups consumed.  Although stocks do require a small amount of time to prepare, techniques and tips allow you to reduce cooking time while keeping flavors.  By using pressure cookers you can have rich flavorful stock in as little as 20 minutes.  If time allows, simmering your beef, pork or chicken for longer periods will deepen the flavor and enhance the stock. 

 

For healthy focus, preparation needs to include degreasing and defatting your stock.  This can be done by using a defatting cup which allows you to pour off the rich stock while leaving the fat behind.  These cups are available at most kitchen or gourmet shops.  During cooking you may also want to skim away any froth and fat that surfaces to the top of your liquid.  After simmering, you can remove even more by dragging a piece of paper towel over any pool of fat on the top of the stock.  After removing the stock from the heat, you can pass it through a colander lined with cheesecloth or paper towel to clarify the stock.  Or, let it cool in the refrigerator and simply spoon away the layer of that that has hardened on top of your stock. 

 

Stocks store well in the refrigerator for up to one week.  It can be frozen in small containers or ice cube trays.  Once frozen, unmold cubes and store in freezer bags.  This will allow you to use the stock in many ways.  Ice cubes can be used to deglaze a sauté pan or to add flavor to a steaming or cooking liquid.  When reheating stock as with soups, you should always heat to the boiling point to ensure safety.