Once you’ve learned how to make bone broth, do you know what the perfect simmer looks like? Many people don’t even with much experience making broth. It is very easy to have the broth roll too high or too low which affects taste and quality of the gelatin.
It’s important to get this right folks!
At our home, we like to roast 2 ducks for Christmas dinner. I get more than a little excited about the incredibly flavorful gallon or so of duck stock from this effort.
I talk quite a bit about the importance of homemade stock in the diet and how crucial it is to make stock yourself on a frequent basis and have some ready in your freezer at all times for quick meals as well as any illnesses that might strike your household.
The Perfect Simmer on Your Stock VIDEO DEMO
For those of you just learning the ropes about homemade stock, I’ve filmed a one minute video to show you exactly what the perfect simmer should look like once you’ve brought that stock to a boil and turned down the heat.
I get a lot of questions about the perfect simmer, so instead of attempting to describe with words, I thought a visual to show you exactly what the ideal simmer looks like would be more effective.
TIP: Â The longer you cook the stock, the richer the flavor will be. On the other hand, the longer you simmer, the more glutamates in broth. So, if you are sensitive, best to go shorter and make meat stock instead.
Be sure to have your simmer no higher than what I show in the video so you can easily cook it for 24-48 hours and get the richest flavor possible!
Sources and More Information
My Youtube playlist of over ten videos on all aspects of making bone broth
How to Make Turkey Stock
The Healthiest and Best Bone Broth
How to Make Duck Stock
How to Make Beef and Chicken Stock
How to Make Shrimp Stock
5 Reasons Why Your Stock Won’t Gel
Confused about Stock versus Bone Broth?
thank you! I’ve been doing it lid off, so next time I’ll keep the lid on 🙂
Ty much. I seem to have problems getting mine to gel, I thought I was doin mine like your other video showed, but this new one should help
Merry Christmas! 🙂
I just watched the same thing on an old episode of Good Eats today. lol.
Very helpful Sarah. I can’t wait to make stock from our Christmas goose. My first time ever cooking a goose!
Thanks for that! So, you cook yours with the lid all the way on? I have been wondering especially as I’ve been simmering much higher than that with the lid cracked a bit and the smell has been almost too powerful for my family overnight.
The lid should be all the way on.
Thanks, Sarah! Merry Christmas 🙂
I have definitely being cooking mine too high. Thanks for the helpful video.
What if I want to reduce the stock? Should I still cook it low for a much longer time with the cover off, or can I boil it harder at that point?
Reduce the stock after it has simmered for the length of time desired. I wouldn’t boil it off .. simmer it off. I find cooking it too high makes the stock less tasty.
I have a gas stove and I won’t leave the burner on while I’m gone or sleeping so the only option I have is a crock pot. I bring everything to boil in the stock pot and then switch to the crock. I start that on high till it bubbles and then turn it down to low. Whenever I’m home, I lift the lid a few times a day which slows things down but I think it bubbles nicely on low overnight while I sleep or work. (I work midnights). I did have a gas house explosion a few years back (not due to cooking or anything that was my ‘fault’) and I wouldn’t want to experience that again. I’ll stick to the crock pot no matter what. My stock is great and my house and pets are safer! Thanks for the video.
Great video! Your stove and countertop are identical to mine, though I don’t have the matching backsplash. By the way, can you get the perfect simmer in a crockpot set on low? Assuming one has previously brought the stock to a boil?
I don’t know .. I don’t have a crockpot 🙂 Maybe someone else can answer who does. One comment above says that her crockpot on low is still too high compared with the gurgle in the video. But, I’m sure they are all different depending on the brand.
I think all crock pots are different. Mine are older and I have been trying to make chicken broth and mine seems to cook too low, I don’t get a simmer or gurgle at all. There are bubbles sitting on top but there is no visible bubbling. I threw away the last batch because I was afraid to eat it. I may try to do it on high next time and see if it bubbles. I usually don’t seem to have trouble cooking in it, the food gets plenty hot but for some reason broth won’t boil on low for me.