Stock is water gently simmered with bones, vegetables and herbs until it takes on their flavor. The method is simple, but patience and a low heat matter more than any ingredient.
Gather Your Ingredients
For a poultry or meat stock, use bones, with or without a little meat attached. For a vegetable stock, collect clean trimmings such as onion, carrot, celery and herb stems. Skip anything strongly bitter, like the outer cabbage leaves. You will also need a tall stockpot, a ladle, a fine strainer and shallow containers for cooling. Salt is usually left out until the stock is used in a dish.
Simmering Instructions
- Put bones or vegetable scraps in the pot and cover with cold water by about an inch or two.
- Add a halved onion, a carrot, a stalk of celery, a few peppercorns and a bay leaf.
- Heat slowly until you see small bubbles at the edge. Avoid a hard boil, which makes a cloudy stock.
- Skim the foam from the top during the first half hour with a spoon.
- Hold a bare simmer, partly covered. Poultry bones often need 3 to 4 hours, larger beef bones 6 hours or more, and vegetables about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Top up with hot water if the level falls below the ingredients.
- Strain through the fine strainer into a clean bowl and discard the solids.
Cooling and Keeping
A large pot of hot liquid cools slowly, which is where trouble can begin. Divide the stock into shallow containers, set them in a sink of cold water if you like, and chill promptly. Fat will rise and set on top, and it lifts off easily. Your national food-safety guidance gives storage times and reheating advice, so follow it for leftovers, and label containers with the date.
Common Questions About Results
| What you see | Likely reason |
|---|---|
| Cloudy | Boiled too hard or stirred often |
| Weak flavor | Too much water or too short a time |
| Bitter | Burnt scraps or too many strong greens |
Reduce a finished stock by simmering it uncovered for a while if you want it stronger in flavor, which also saves freezer space. Freeze in small portions, such as ice cube trays or small tubs, so you can use just what a recipe needs. Leave a little room at the top because liquid expands as it freezes.
Equipment for Stock Making
You do not need much gear to make stock, but a few well-chosen pieces make the work cleaner and safer. The most important is the pot. Choose one tall enough that the ingredients sit under water with room to spare, and wide enough to be stable on your burner. A taller pot reduces evaporation, which suits long simmers, while a wider pot concentrates the liquid faster.
Capacity matters because stock is heavy when full. Think about whether you can lift the pot when it is hot, and where you will pour it. If you are not comfortable lifting, ladle the stock out rather than tipping the pot. Look for sturdy handles that stay cool enough to grip with an oven mitt, and check the maker’s guide for heat limits.
A fine mesh strainer, or a coarse one lined with cheesecloth or a clean cloth, removes small solids. A ladle makes transferring safer than pouring. A skimmer or a large flat spoon lifts foam. For cooling, have shallow containers ready along with a sink or large basin for an ice or cold-water bath. Heat-safe containers are essential, so check that yours can handle hot liquid.
A slow cooker or pressure cooker can also make stock. Slow cookers hold a low, steady temperature with little attention, and pressure cookers shorten the time. In either case, follow the maker’s guide for fill lines and liquid levels, and never overfill.
Finally, keep a marker and labels or tape nearby. Stock looks the same in every container, and dated labels prevent mix-ups later.
Types of Stock and When to Use Them
Different stocks suit different dishes, and understanding the differences helps you decide what to make. Chicken or other poultry stock has a mild, rounded flavor and works in soups, sauces, risotto and cooking grains. It is the most flexible choice for general use.
Beef or other red meat stock is deeper and more robust. It suits stews, braises, gravies and French onion-style soups. Roasted bones give it color and a toasted taste, while unroasted bones give a lighter, cleaner result. Because of the long simmer time needed, plan ahead and use a pot you can leave undisturbed.
Fish stock is quick and delicate. It is usually made from lean fish bones and trimmings and simmers in a short time, because long cooking can make it bitter or muddy. Use it in seafood soups and sauces. Ask your fishmonger about suitable bones, as oily fish can make a strong stock.
Vegetable stock is the lightest and fastest. It suits vegetarian dishes, risotto and light soups. Choose vegetables that taste pleasant when cooked slowly in water; onions, carrots, celery, leeks, mushrooms and herb stems are common choices. Avoid anything that turns bitter or overwhelming in water, such as strong brassicas and beets, which can dominate and discolor the stock.
A mixed or all-purpose stock made from leftover chicken carcasses and vegetable scraps is common in home kitchens. Pick the type that matches your most frequent cooking, and keep a small amount of another type in the freezer for special dishes.
Saving Scraps for Stock
One appeal of homemade stock is that it uses what you might otherwise throw away. Keep a lidded container or a freezer bag for scraps, and add clean trimmings as you cook. Over a few weeks, you will build up enough to fill a pot without buying anything special.
Good scraps include onion ends and skins, carrot peels and ends, celery leaves and ends, leek tops, mushroom stems, parsley and thyme stems, and the bones from a roasted chicken. Wash vegetables before trimming, so the scraps are clean. Onion skins give color, though use them in moderation.
Be selective about what goes in. Strongly flavored or bitter items can take over, so leave out cabbage-family vegetables, beets, artichoke trimmings and anything that is moldy or spoiled. Scraps from vegetables that are past their best should not be used if they are slimy or smell off. Starchy vegetables like potatoes can cloud the stock.
Keep scraps in the freezer if you cannot use them within a few days, since scraps left in the fridge too long can spoil. Label the bag with its contents so you know what is in it. Raw meat bones should be frozen too if you do not plan to cook them soon, and kept separate from vegetable scraps, with clean hands and tools used for each. Follow food-safety guidance for raw meat and poultry.
When you are ready, tip the bag straight into the pot. There is no need to thaw the scraps first.
Clarity, Concentration and Flavor Control
Once you have the basics down, small adjustments let you shape the finished stock. Clarity, strength and flavor are all things you can influence.
For a clear stock, start with cold water, heat gently and never let it boil hard. Skim foam early on, then leave the pot alone. Avoid stirring, because it breaks up solids and clouds the liquid. When it is time to strain, ladle gently rather than pouring through the sediment at the bottom. A strainer lined with a clean cloth catches finer particles.
For a stronger stock, use more bones and vegetables relative to water, or reduce the strained stock by simmering it uncovered. Reduced stock can be stored in less space and diluted later, but taste it before using, because salt in other ingredients may intensify as it reduces. Leaving salt out makes a concentrated stock easier to use in many recipes.
For more flavor, roast bones and vegetables before simmering, until they take on color but do not burn. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water and add the liquid to the pot, since the browned bits carry flavor. For a lighter result, skip roasting.
Aromatics are a matter of taste. Bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and parsley stems are classic. Garlic, ginger or lemongrass suit particular cuisines. Add them sparingly and taste along the way. Add acidic ingredients such as a splash of vinegar only if a recipe suggests them.
Keep notes on what you add and how it tastes, so you can repeat your best batches.
Using and Storing Your Stock
A batch of stock is useful only if you can find it and use it. Planning storage in advance turns a pot of liquid into a pantry staple.
Portion stock according to how you cook. Small amounts of one cup or less suit sauces and pan deglazing, while larger portions suit soups and risotto. Ice cube trays freeze small portions you can pop out and store in a bag, and sturdy freezer-safe tubs suit larger amounts. Leave room for expansion, and make sure containers are labeled with the date and type of stock.
Chill stock quickly before storing. Dividing it into shallow containers and cooling them in cold water helps. Remove the fat once it has solidified on top, or leave it as a cap that helps protect the stock below; either approach is common. Follow your local food-safety guidance for storage times and for reheating.
When you use stock, taste it first. Homemade stock is usually unsalted, so adjust seasoning in the finished dish. If the stock has been reduced, dilute it as needed. Reheat it until steaming hot before using in dishes that call for hot liquid.
Stock can also be used to cook rice, grains and beans for more flavor, to moisten stuffing or mashed potatoes, and to make gravies and pan sauces. Warm sipping stock with a pinch of salt and herbs is a simple comfort drink.
If stock smells sour or looks cloudy and slimy after storage, discard it. Do not taste it to find out. When in doubt, throw it out.
FAQ
Can I use a pressure cooker or slow cooker?
Yes, and both reduce active time. Follow the maker’s guide for fill lines and times.
Should I roast the bones first?
Roasting gives a deeper color and flavor. For a lighter stock, skip it.
What is the difference between stock and broth?
The terms overlap in everyday use. Stock is usually made from bones and is unsalted, with a richer body, while broth is often made from meat and seasoned to be sipped. Recipes vary, so check what your recipe expects.
Why should I start with cold water?
Cold water draws out flavor and proteins slowly, which helps produce a clearer stock. Starting with hot water can seal the surface of ingredients and lead to cloudiness.
Can I reuse bones for a second batch?
You can, though the second stock will be weaker. Many cooks add fresh bones or simmer the second batch longer and use it for cooking grains or as a base for soups.
Do I have to skim the foam?
Skimming removes proteins that can cloud the stock. It is not required for safety, but it gives a cleaner look and taste, especially during the first half hour.
Why does my stock gel in the fridge?
Collagen from bones turns to gelatin as the stock cools. A set stock is generally a sign of good body and melts when reheated.
Can I add salt while making stock?
Most cooks leave it out so they can season the finished dish. If you do add salt, use a small amount and keep it in mind when using the stock.
How long can I leave stock out to cool?
Not long. Cool it promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate, following your local food-safety guidance for times and temperatures.
The Short Version
Cover scraps or bones with cold water, simmer gently and skim, then strain. Chill it quickly in shallow containers and use official guidance for storage.