Why make your own?
Quality: Storebought broth (especially beef broth) isn't that good. It lacks body and depth of flavor.
- Additionally, it contains stabilizers that make it shelf stable but yield off-flavors.
- In a pinch, you’re almost always better off using a bouillon product, which provides more concentrated and true broth flavors.
Economic: Homemade broth is usually made with food scraps. You’re getting a better product from no extra spending and reducing food waste.
Easy prep: Broth can be made in large batches and easily frozen in freezer bags, ice cube trays, or deli containers for long-lasting storage but easy deployment.
What’s the difference between broth and stock?
Stock is generally made from bones, resulting in a thicker, more gelatinous product. Broth is generally made with meat flesh or just vegetables for a thinner, cleaner-flavored liquid.
- Confusingly, this means bone broth is technically a stock.
- The two can be used interchangeably in recipes, although stock will add a richer mouthfeel.
Today’s framework is for an all-purpose home cooking broth to use in a variety of recipes, and to make with whatever you might have on hand.
- In the culinary world, there are dozens of specialty variations: Seafood stocks, blond broths, dashi, mushroom or vegetable broths, emulsified tonkotsu style ramen broths, and clarified bouillons, to name a few.
Method & guidelines
Tip: Get in the habit of collecting meat & vegetable scraps in a freezer bag. When it gets full, make a batch.
Use the image above as a loose framework…ratios are by approximate volume and not exact. Use more of whatever ingredients and flavors you want to be more pronounced, but start with:
- 4 parts water
- 2 parts meat, bones, or vegetable scraps
- 1 part aromatic base: alliums & aromatic vegetables (like onions, garlic, scallions, carrots, celery, etc.)
- 1/8 part spices & flavor adjusters: bay leaves, whole dried spices, ginger slices, mushrooms, etc
Optional prep: or the meat, bones, and aromatic vegetables until deeply .
- This gets you a darker, sweeter, and more savory broth. For a cleaner flavored broth, use un-roasted meat and vegetables.
To make the broth:
1) Add all components to a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a , then back the heat off until it’s barely bubbling.
2) Simmer for as long as you want, between 1-8 hours depending on how many bones or tough cuts of meat you’re using. The longer you go, the stronger the flavors and the more gelatinous the end product will be. If the liquid reduces too much, add more water to prevent burning.
3) Strain into containers (or ice cube trays) and freeze for later use.
