What does your freezer look like? This time of year, mine is loaded up with homemade broth.
The picture above is the top shelf of my kitchen freezer. The container third from the left is actually a full gallon container (you can’t see how wide it is from the picture), so the total is over 3 gallons of stock right now in my freezer. The middle containers are duck stock, the quart container on the far right is fish stock and the container on the far left is turkey stock.
Stock is my secret weapon to keep my family free of tummy bugs that are running rampant through school and the community at large during the winter months. Homemade stock contains ample amounts of gelatin, which is a colloidal substance that attracts digestive juices to it and prevents gastrointestinal bugs from attaching themselves to the gut wall. Natural gelatin both assists digestion and keeps you well!
Store bought soups and broth/stocks - even if organic – are nutritionless, loaded with MSG (using deceptive and misleading pseudonyms of course) and do not contain any beneficial gelatin.
Making plenty of homemade soups with homemade broth and you have rediscovered one of the most important and delicious ways Traditional Societies stayed well!
5 Minute Soup
Don’t have time to make soups? Make stock anyway, as the contents of one of these containers can easily be partially thawed into a large pot right on the stove. Add some sea salt, a crushed garlic clove or two, some kelp flakes and a dash of cayenne pepper and you have a wonderful clear soup to sip in about 5 minutes! That’s not much more time than opening a can of health robbing, headache producing soup from the store and warming it up on the stove!
The stock you see in the picture will last my family of 5 about one month to six weeks. Use stock liberally – even cook your rice in it instead of water. The kids won’t even know they are eating stock!
Best of all, stock is FREE. All you have to do is use the bones of whatever meat you have roasted, add water and a bit of vinegar, and simmer for 24-48 hours.
Eating well does not have to break the bank!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
*This post is shared at Tuesday Twister!
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{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
I love homemade stock! I think that it is so much better than store bought! Haven’t tried DUCK yet.
Lindsey @ Enjoying Healthy Foods\’s last post: Beef Jerky
I think I’m doing something wrong when I make stock as when I put it in the freezer it doesn’t freeze! It just stays like a liquid jelly, am I doing something wrong? Should it actually freeze hard anyway? I’d appreciate any help at all. I would like my stock to look as yours does in your freezer!!
What I’m thinking is that you perhaps boiled down the stock so much that all is left is the gelatin basically. If you add some water to it it should freeze hard.
Thanks so much, I’m trying another batch at the weekend so I’ll try that. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Just made my first batch last weekend, I did use a whole raw chicken, this weekend I’m making it with the leftovers from a roasted chicken cheaper that way… Here’s my recipe http://featheredlove.com/2011/01/medicinal-chicken-stock/ I got it from Franky G, it has a bit of extra healing to it…Love, Jules
Great post, Sarah! I love to see how others’ freezers look! What kinds of containers are those? I’d been freezing my stock in little ice cube trays and then breaking them out into a freezer safe ziploc bag, but, having all of in a big container might be easier for larger meals.
Megan\’s last post: Why coconut milk
I got those containers at Big Lots or maybe Walmart (not quite sure). I’m sure other closeout places would have them also. Just be sure to NEVER put them in the dishwasher or put hot liquids in them. The stock should be cooled before it goes in there and wash by hand with a mild dishwasher soap so that any leeching of chemicals from the plastic is prevented.
When I saw the photo, I was so surprised to see the plastic containers and was so grateful you explained why you were able to use them – don’t put in dishwasher and only put cooled liquid in them. I will have to use this idea now. Thanks.
Hi Sarah
Question for you…I make my stock per your instructions. My stock is almost never gelatinous. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I know I need to get some chicken feet but even without those it should still have it. Any tips?
Hi Daryl, if your stock doesn’t gel then it has too much water in it. Just boil it down a bit to where it has the gelatin consistency that you prefer.
Adding feet will help the gelling process. Scald the feet with boiling water and score them – that helps release the gelatin. You can also smash up the bones – again, helps release all the good stuff.
I made some beef stock over the weekend: couple of beef shanks with marrow bone and a piece of beef chuck I boiled in the soup. It’s gelling in the fridge as we speak!! We’ve been eating it all this week – I won’t get a chance to freeze it this time.
Hi Daryl,
Another way to get gelatinous stock is to add more bones and scraps to the stockpot. If I use enough, It is always gelatinous. You also get a more concentrated dose of the other nutrients.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: More Blessings from Pastured Butter
Stock is my obsession! Sadly my stanless steal pot is only a gallon…(my big one is aluminum, don’t want that leaching into my stock). So I make some sort of stock every week. I have learned that the crockpot is great for stock…I have a 2 gallon crockpot.
I use stock in everything that is boiled. Consequently I was heartbroken when I had to strain something and my stock was just going down the drain. One day it hit me…I use it for my dogs food! If it keeps us healthy it’ll keep them healthy too. They LOVE it!
I give my dog all my scraps from making the stock too. He thinks its manna from heaven.
Stephanie B. Cornais\’s last post: Unconditional Parenting- Chapter 3
Thank you for this post. I had an aha moment when I saw the how you freeze your stock in the juice pitchers. What a great idea! I love to make and use stock, but what to freeze it in has been tricky for me. You have opened my eyes to new possibilities!
I freeze mine in mason jars or in plastic ziploc bags. If I do it the bags then I can freeze them flat like bricks and they take up way less space. I freeze three cups in one bag or one cup in a bag so I don’t waste any when defrosting.
Stephanie B. Cornais\’s last post: Unconditional Parenting- Chapter 3
I need to make more stock, but I usually have tons on hand! My farmer sells chicken feet so I tend to buy those and throw them in with the bones. If I have no stock I’ll buy chicken legs or stewing hens and toss them in a pot and let them cook all day, then add my veggies and stuff towards the end. Also works well in a crock pot. Easy soup even if you forgot to make stock ahead of time! In fact…I need to do that in just a minute here!
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama\’s last post: Chicken Marsala
I too love having stock in the freezer and yes, Kelly,….. my dogs love it as well. They have never eaten better. I also am thankful for the reminder of how it assists the gut. I have a brain that when it agrees with something, begins the practice but puts the reasons in a file folder in the brain and forgets to bring out that folder on occasion to review.
Thanks Sarah for encouraging us once again and reminding us of what is really a simple thing but so easily forgotten or overlooked.
The only thing that bummed me out about the article was the picture of your neat and organized freezer! LOL It is a good thing you didn’t ask us to show you our freezers!!
Dorsey, my freezer is not all that organized. You should see what is BEHIND those jugs of stock! LOL
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: What Does Your Freezer Look Like
That looks like the top shelf of MY freezer! While I was off work last week I made beef stock from grass-fed beef bones I’ve had in the freezer since we bought last year’s quarter, and turkey stock from Thanksgiving’s carcass. I think I have enough stock to get us through until the summer!
I love this post!
Just before Christmas my daugher, then I, then younger daughter succumbed to stomach flu but we recovered pretty fast since I am always making chicken or turkey stock! I also freeze them in plastic containers with clip-on lids (I get them at the dollar store). An easy soup for us is to add stock to cooked toasted buckwheat, noodles or rice and eat it. My huband likes to drink it with his meals.
I started cooking rice with it, and adding it to stews with some tapioca powder for instant gravy!
I’m pretty surprised you store in what looks like plastic. What kind of plastic containers have you found to be ok to use? I’d love to know about it. I use the straight pint size mason jars or zip loc bags but I find zip loc are the easiest considering they take the least amount of time to thaw sufficiently to get out of the container. I’m trying to get away from harmful plastics. Any advice?
Hi Sarah, if you never put the plastic jugs in the dishwasher (hand wash with warm, not hot water and mild dishsoap), use wooden utensils so as not to scrape the plastic, and make sure the stock has cooled before pouring into the plastic, you can use plastic containers safely.
I have chicken, beef and turkey stock in my freezer right now! Mine is frozen in some large yogurt containers, so that I can pull just a bit out at a time. We eat rice cooked in stock and I make yummy sauces/gravies with stock, also
Thanks so much for the informative videos- I first tried making stock after viewing your turkey stock video from last year!
Question: If you’re storing your stock in such large containers, how do you use just a little stock at a time without having to thaw & refreeze, which I’m assuming isn’t safe to do?
M1ssDiagnosis\’s last post: Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees- A Book Review
I put the jug in a bowl of warm water to loosen the chunk of frozen stock, then when it comes out of the jug, place the entire chunk into a pan and thaw out as much or as little as I want, and then put the remaining frozen chunk back into the jug back into the freezer.
Our freezer is also packed. Tons of stock frozen in mason jars (turkey, chicken, and beef), plus our share of steer from December (40% of a cow this time). It’s also packed with frozen chickens (about 8 of them); since we cannot get good chickens locally and I have to stock up when in another location. Oh, and some pork roasts from our milk-share farmer, plus cherries from last year and roasted pumpkin puree. I love knowing so much good food is ready to use! We get bones when we get our steer every year, and they make the BEST beef broth. It is so gelatinous that it is even thicker than Jello would be. My favorite way to use stock, though, is to make a pot of soup right away. That way there is no need to store it (or even to wash the crockpot before making the soup) and we get some terrific food to freeze for lunches in glass containers that can go straight into the toaster oven.
These pitchers are SUCH a great idea! I just put 8 more quart jars of turkey stock in my fridge last night bringing the total to 10! I was wondering how I was going to use it all up before it ruined because it seems like my jars always break in the freezer – even if I put the stock in there cooled.
Kelli\’s last post: Im Not a Dirty Hippie- Laundry Detergent or The One Where I Plagiarize My Own Self Again
If you make stock in a crockpot, how long do you cook it for and at what temperature?
thanks, Joyce
When I cook stock in the crockpot, I just throw in the carcass (from a roasted chicken) after dinner with some veggies, chicken feet, water, and a splash of vinegar. Then I let it cook all night and turn it off around 10am so it can cool for a little while. So the total cooking time is about 15 hours. Then I strain it and actually eat a simple meal with the cooked veggies, broth, and leftover meat bits from the carcass. And then I cook a big pot of soup with the broth for dinner that same night so I don’t have to clean the crock-pot in between cooking broth and soup. (I have a young baby plus a toddler so I’m all about skipping extra dirty dishes whenever possible. That’s why I’ve also been known to “bake” potatoes in the crockpot if I’m cooking up a roast.)
Sarah,
When you make stock overnight, do you have the crockpot set on low? Thanks
I don’t make my stock in a crockpot. I have it on low on the stove, covered, so that it is a low simmer overnight.
Okay, thanks for the tip.
I was actually asking Sarah Smith. I love your blog by the way, thank you so much for sharing such wonderful information with everyone!
Yvonne,
I start mine in the crockpot in the morning on high. Skim the scum as needed…when I feel like I’ve gotten it all I turn it to low. Cover and let it cook until the next morning. I find that the crockpot method also uses less energy and for some reason makes me feel a bit safer.
Kelly, Thank you so much! I will definitely try that.
Ugh – NOW you tell me about helping the stomach bug ickies?! AFTER we’re recovering from a bout of it? One of my goals this year is to learn how to make good stock. This is an added benefit that’s good to know!
I like this! I’m actually making chicken stock right now.
I’d be interested in learning how you make fish stock though. Any tips?
Hi Angela, I have a videoblog on this very topic!!
Click on “videos” in the navigation bar at the top of the blog or do a search on “fish stock” in the search box.
Hi Sarah,
I’ve recently discovered your blog and have already made the lentil soup and banana fritters — both hits!
A quick note on msg in stocks: I am a big fan of homemade stock; however sometimes I don’t keep as much as we need and have to buy some in a pinch. I was in Whole Foods the other day trying to figure out which broths did not have msg, and an employee told me that none of the products in their store contain msg as a policy. So while I completely agree that store-bought broths are infinitely inferior to homemade stocks, it’s not true that all store-bought stocks contain msg.
Thanks for a great blog!
Bethany
All store stock has msg in it unless it is real stock that is made the right way and then it would have to be in the frozen section. Good luck finding that kind of stock in the store. The problem is that folks don’t even know what msg is or how deceptively it is labeled using many many aliases the trick people into thinking its not there. With all due respect, that store employee was clueless.
When I am out of stock and need a soup base, I use fermented miso paste. It imparts a slightly different flavor to your basic soups, but it is delicious and healthy.
Sorry, but I wouldn’t trust what a Whole Foods employee told me. They have led me astray several times about the source and ingredients of food in their store. Even had me eating regular cheese for over a year when my diet forbids all cheese except yogurt cheese. Do your own research!
M1ssDiagnosis\’s last post: Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees- A Book Review
Hi Sara, Is stock made from raw uncooked bones better or more beneficial than when using cooked bones?
Either way is fine. In the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, the chicken stock is made by cooking the entire chicken in water. I prefer making it with the bones only after roasting the chicken and removing the meat. Making the chicken stock with the meat on it makes the meat kind of flavorless to me – but I know some folks who really like this method. So try both and see what suits you.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: What Does Your Freezer Look Like
Sarah, thanks for saying this because I got confused yesterday when it seemed everyone was saying to use just the chicken carcass. I have always cooked the entire chicken, removed the meat for a meal, and then continued reducing down the stock. I’m assuming you wouldn’t leave the chicken meat in the pot the entire time because it would be overcooked, but you would put the carcass back in, right?
M1ssDiagnosis\’s last post: Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees- A Book Review
Thank you for such a wonderful blog! Sarah you mentioned Miso for soups. Do you recommend a certain brand? Also, are soups to be made only with organic chicken? Probably a stupid question but sometimes my budget is tight.
Hi Carol, make your chicken broth with the best chicken that fits in your budget. If it is regular store chicken – so be it, just be sure to skim off all the foam that comes to the stop as the broth is coming to its very first boil (see my videos on this to see me actually skimming the broth). I like Miso Master brand for my miso (brown rice miso).
Thank you Sarah! I feel so awful when I can afford organic. I have learned from my dear old grandmother that the “scum” on top of anything coming to a boil should be removed.
So I have been doing that since I can remember. I will look up the Miso you use. All i have seen is Edens in my health food store and a brand in the cooler but not sure of the name.
Hi Sarah, I have a question – is it safe to freeze raw chicken/beef bones if they have been previously frozen? (That is the whole bird or cut of meat (with the bones) have been previously frozen, I cut the meat out to use and refereeze the bones?) I often don’t have enough bones to make stock and must have a way to save them until I have enough. We all have heard we mustn’t refreeze previously frozen raw meat or poultry. Is this true for bones?
Also, how do I make stock in the crockpot?
Thanks for your post! I love homemade stock but don’t make it often enough.
Hi there Sarah
Do you have some good recipes on your site to use stock in besides for soups. I love your posts and thank you for reminding me that I can use the turkey and duck bones as well not just beef, chicken and fish,
Hi Sarah
I have been making bone broth in my crockpot all this fall and I simmer a good 24 hours The last batch I had to put it in the garage to cook it because the whole family can’t stand the smell. My seven year tells me it gives him a headache. The kitchen and bedrooms are all on the same level so this is why I placed it in the garage. I have even tried starting it late at night so the smell isn’t so strong. Anyone else have a similar experience with it? I use the leftover carcass from roasted chicken and chicken feet. I was always afraid to leave it on the stove overnight but I may go that route. Also my one crockpot cooks really hot even on low. I have to cut the cooking time at least by half for other dishes or it is extremely over cooked. So I am wondering maybe I am cooking it too long in the crockpot? And it isn’t as gelantious as it is when I make it on the stove. When I cooked it on the stove I usually let it simmer about 12 to 16 hours. I have to say the smell isn’t pleasant. It doesn’t matter whether or not I use pastured chickens or store bought the same thing happens. Any ideas? I don’t want to stop making it because this broth rocks! I am just frustrated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am currently out of broth and really want to make some soon.
Jenny\’s last post: Gluten- Free Szechaun Noodles
Jenny, turn down the heat (it should just barely simmer) and make sure you use a lid. Are you using good quality chicken? I know that when I don’t use grassfed beef bones to make broth it kind of stinks a lot more.
Sarah,
I have used both pastured chickens and the regular chickens from the grocery and they both had a strong odor. This fall the bone broth I made was mostly from pastured chickens. It must be my crockpot is too hot. Even on low it boils. I don’t remember this happening when I did it on the stove. I never went a full 24 hours on the stove because I was too afraid to leave it unattended. I suppose I could try it and see if there is a difference.
Jenny\’s last post: Gluten- Free Szechaun Noodles
I think it is your water. It isn’t your chicken or your pans because you are using different ones. My husband and I buy our water because we don’t have a good filter system right now. We have never experienced this smell you are talking about before. My husband this week took chicken off the bones and left the remains in the sink. I didn’t notice right away because I worked a close to open so the chicken bones were in the sink for a period. We had a little bit of water collect in the bottom of the dish over the 12 hour period it sat. I went to add water to wash the dish and about passed out from the smell, literally. My husband has done this to me before and it has never, never smelled like this before. We never had unfiltered water sit with the chicken bones before. The smell of our horrible Florida water in combination with the chicken seriously almost made me sick. When I have dumped the filtered water over the bones and even let them sit, we have never gotten such a smell. We sound like messy people and for those two days we are! We both work 30 hours in two-three days. We don’t have time for dishes those two days, so excuse our grossness here. I got to thinking about it and if we cooked our chicken for any period with that water, our whole house would sink up. You may have a good filter system in place but maybe something about it is causing an odor…. You could buy water at walmart or something just to experiment.
Sarah,
I just went to a class by a WAP chapter leader who said that it is not necessary to freeze the broth because the fat rises to the top and seals the broth. Could you comment on this?
Thanks.
Hi Leah,
You certainly should not freeze what you are going to use within a week or so. Otherwise, I really think you should freeze it. Broth will indeed go bad if you leave it in the fridge too long without freezing. You can always reboil it to kill off the bacteria, but I prefer a fresher product so freezing achieves this in my view.
Here’s a tip I found for storing homemade broth:
Freeze it in muffin tins (regular size). Once frozen, pop the discs out and store the “discs” in a freezer Ziploc bag. Each “disc” equals about 1/4 cup. Makes it very easy to measure out what you need for recipes!
I love that! THANK YOU!! =)
That is awesome! thank you!
Hi Again,
Another question if you have a moment- Do you agree with the food combining principles discussed in Body Ecology? And if so, do you think using meat broth to cook a grain like quinoa, which I use all the time, would be improper food combining?
Thank you!
HI Sarah, I don’t pay any attention to food combining myself. Not saying that there isn’t anything to it .. there might be. I just haven’t found it to be helpful in my own health journey or that of my family.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Plant Based Diets Cannot Maintain Health
My husband is the household King of Homemade Stock. Sadly, I can’t stock up (heh) my freezer because we use it almost as soon as we make it.
How do you make fish stock?
Lazy Budget Chef\’s last post: Spinach- Pepper- and Mushroom Bake
I freeze my stock in ziploc bags in 2 and 4 cup increments. I’m horrible about remembering to thaw stock, so I can take it out of the freezer, tear open the bag and place the stock into a pot and it’s thawed in no time.
I too love to make my own stock.
As Kim I too freeze my stock in Ziploc bags. That way I can freeze it flat. I will also freeze some in muffin tins because I can measure a cup in, then when it freezes i pop them out of the muffin tins and put them in a container. When I need a cup of stock in something I just pop one of those little rounds in a pot and voila, a cup of stock….or two…. (Alton Brown showed this tip on his show.)
I posted this question to Sarah earlier, but didn’t get a reply. Perhaps it got lost among the other comments. Can anyone tell me if I can refreeze previously frozen meat and poultry bones to be used for stock-making later? I know we’re told never to refreeze previously frozen meat, poultry, seafood etc unless they are first cooked. Just wondering if it applies to raw bones.
Thanks!
Hi C, missed your question before. Sorry! I do not make a practice of refreezing previously frozen bones. Not saying it can’t be done, I just don’t do it myself just to be on the safe side.
Thanks!
C,
It also depends on how fresh your meat is when you buy it and if it has been previously frozen thawed and frozen again. If you meat is fresh, you should be fine. Just make sure you thaw it in the fridge. My rancher told me this when my freezer died and my beef thawed to refrigerator temperatures. We did not have any problems and I have discovered others with similar experiences.
~Leah
Hi Sarah,
Another informative post! Thank you!
My mother roastes her meat in a Granitewear roaster. I was trying to find a resource that described whether they are safe to use (as opposed to stainless steel, corningwear etc.) . Would you happen to have any information or know anything about cooking with this material/metal?
Much appreciated!
Hi Bettina, I am not familiar with that particular cooking material.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Ode to Bacon Grease
Hi Sarah,
can you tell me why the stock has to simmer for so long? In my other cookbooks it says to simmer for about 2-4 hours. This is how I make it and it tastes good, but if there is a nutritional value of having it simmer as long as you say I want to know! I consume stock to keep healthy so I want the maximum benefit
Thank you,
Jessica
Hi Jessica, the longer you simmer, the more minerals come out of the bones into the broth. Fish stock only needs to simmer for about 4 hours because the bones are so thin. I sometimes let my beef stock go for 72 hours as the bones are so thick and hard.
I have a question about making your own stock. I normally make mine in the crock pot with a whole chicken, take the meat off and get rid of the bones. If I make the first stock with the whole chicken do you think I could use the bones again for another round of stock? If the soup stock the second round doesn’t have that gelatin texture to it, is it still good to use?
I know that you live in the tampa area, if you wouldn’t mind me asking, where do you get your duck and beef?
Thanks
Mariah
My daughter is getting over a stomach bug right now. I have plenty of homemade stock in my freezer, but she isn’t wild about drinking it or eating soup. Would she get the benefits of the stock if I cooked some rice in the stock? I’m just wondering because she loves rice.
This is probably a dumb question but I’m not a cook, I hate to cook but i have to start. lol I make chicken stock and it is really quite good (to my suprise!!) I froze it once in mason jars and they all broke. Not sure what i did wrong. and I keep hearing about how terrible it is for food to be in plastic. so my qustion is if I’m going to try to freeze it in plastic and it has to be cool before putting it in the plastic containers…how and where do you let it cool at? Putting it in a big container in the fridge?…how long does it take to cool that way?
Thanks for any help I can get!!!
Wow! This can be one distinct in the most handy blogs We’ve actually arrive across on this topic. Basically Excellent. I am also an expert in such a topic therefore I can understand your hard perform.
Will chicken stock, frozen in mason jars, go bad after a certain amount of time? I have a couple in my freezer that are over a year old, wondering if they’re still ok?
Thanks!
MK
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