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: 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?
Anybody tried to use an induction cooktop to cook their stock? I had so much struggle cooking stock on my gas stove for years, it never was low enough. So, I’ve decided to buy a countertop induction cooktop. The temperature range starts at 100F. I’ve been at it for the past 4 hours and I can not find the perfect T. I started by bringing it to a boil and then I have to lower the T but I can not find which one will do the perfect simmer 🙁 I’ll keep searching.
I have been using the same unit and have been very successful with the 190F for 24 hrs. the gell is perfect.
I have the same question as Enid, do you add the roasting juices to the pot after you roast the beef bones? Thank you!
Leslie
I have 2 ridiculous questions here:
yes, you do discard the vegies. from reading & reading I finally figured that out. It just is not clear to me what is the difference between cooking the vegies in water for stock and throwing them away, then use that vegie stock water to cook more vegies in for a more flavorful soup.
So, that is the cost of making soup with a double purchase of vegetables.
I still don’t know what to use the gelatin for. I did finally figure out the concept of simmering for the bone stock, but what do I do with the gelatin dripped from the roasting?
My comment is above on Jan 2, 2013
This is a sorry state of affairs that I cannot find anybody who knows old-time cooking enough to answer these questions.
Next attempt at 24 hr chicken bone simmering will be in a slow-cooker, out on the balcony. If the smell is too much for the doggies in the apartment and walking by on the sidewalk I will have to give up on making stock. Simmering that long inside an apartment just does not work.
.
Hello!
Once the stock is complete, do you eat the leftover vegetables, or discard those with the carcass (I’m making chicken stock/sorry if this is a ridiculous question!)
We just bought a Hamilton Beach slow cooker (Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker) and last night we left our chicken bones to simmer at Low setting. Next morning, after 10 hours or so, we found the broth was almost at a boil (lot of bubbles). We had to quickly turn it off. According to our understanding Low setting should have just simmered (few bubbles) so we’re not sure if there is something wrong with the cooker or we’re doing something wrong. Everywhere we read about people leaving their slow cookers for 24 hours or more. So this all is quit surprising. We have no clue.
Does anyone have any ideas? Please help.
Thanks,
Vibha.
Yes!! We have the same problem! With our Crock Pot 6qt slow cooker! I have to wake up in the middle of the night to turn on warm, etc. I have been in the US for a little over a year now and have yet to get a perfect simmer / gel with my stocks – even when adding in feet, etc. I always use a pastured bird from our co-ops or nearby farms.
In Europe I was able to easily achieve great gel and simmer EVERY TIME on our stove top with a typical stock pot or my Staub cast iron dutch oven (even without using feet,etc). No one owns a crock pot there. Crock pots are very American and it must because stove/oven tamps are so high here.
But I do believe even crock pot temps are too high, but have not been able to find any exact temperature numbers. I also believe unless you have an expensive European stove/oven with low temps, it will not be achieved on an American one…..
Look forward to more comments on this!!!
That is exactly how my beloved Abuela Elvira would simmer her chicken for soup! I have to say I’m usually in a hurry, and have boiled my stock too fast. I remember my Grandma’s soup stock smelled soooo good, and I’ve wondered how she got that wonderful taste that I’ve missed. Thanks for this. I will slow down and enjoy this so much more!
I have a question, can i keep adding water to the stock within 24h cooking when stock start evaporating?
I pour off the drippings from roasting the chicken, 1-2 cups. Put into the refrigerator, next day scrape off fat. There is about 1-2 cups of getatin which I heat to liquify, add a small amount of water pour into ice cube tray, keep cubes frozen in ziplock.
I would like to know what is with the simmering for 1-2 days.
You said simmering makes a richer flavor but why isn’t the gel straight from the roasting pan without the simmering good enough?
Thank you.
Thanks for the post, very helpful. What is the best way to remove the foam? I was thinking a very fine mesh skimmer. I get my chicken and all veggies from a WPF suggested farm, but my stock is producing lots of foam which I think are impurities. Thanks for your reply.
I usually just skim that foam and any black or dark stuff off with a spoon within the first half hour of simmering. Yes, these are the impurities. Sally Fallon says to throw this away, don’t give it to the dogs even! Once it gels/cools, if there’s stock in the cup you scooped it into, it will be runny, and I just put this back into the pot.
Thanks, i am doing this now, my question is do you leave the lid on overnight too, and or while it is simmering?