preparation
Basic Information: Simmer meat or vegetables in water or wine. While ingredients must be of good quality, consider using poultry carcasses, leftover vegetables and gravies from dinner, cooking water from potatoes, or the peelings or leaves left after preparing fresh vegetables. Refrigerate peelings until ready to use. Basic Preparation: Start with cold water, add bones (cut up if possible), bring to a rapid boil and skim if scum rises to the surface. Turn down heat, cover and simmer; 2 hours for leftover bones, 4 hours for fresh. Add vegetables and seasonings half way through cooking. Strain and refrigerate in jars with a date on them or you can freeze when cool. Storing Information: Fat acts as a sealer and solidifies when refrigerated so if you use a canning jar, fat floats to surface and seals the stock. Once refrigerated it's very easy to remove fat when you are ready to use the stock. If stock in refrigerator isn't used within one week, return to the pot and boil for two minutes then return to refrigerator. Can be frozen for 4-6 months. To cook with frozen stock; remove fat and bring to a boil before using. (Freezing may cause ingredients to separate.) Defatting Tips: If fresh stock is to be used immediately, skim off as much surface fat as possible then float an ice cube in the stock to congeal the rest. Also, a piece of chilled lettuce will collect fat on its surface. You can also purchase an inexpensive plastic pitcher created just to separate fat from liquid. It has an offset spout that permits fat to float to surface while liquid is drained from bottom of container. Clarifying: To each quart of stock add 1 egg white, beaten slightly with 2 teaspoons cold water and 1 crumbled egg shell. Stir and heat to boiling and boil for 2 minutes and let stand without stirring 20 minutes. Pour through strainer lined with double cheesecloth. Concentrating: For richer, more flavorful stock, boil down strained stock to reduce water content. |