Homemade Stock - Worth the Effort?

Jolteh

Jolteh

Jolteh

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I've been buying whole chickens recently instead of packs of breast meat, mainly because it's cheaper.

Normally I roast the chicken whole, leave it to cool and then strip away all the meat. The meat generally does two meals for myself and my girlfriend, and I've been trying to be holistic by making stock with the carcass.

Normally I whack a carrot, and onion, some bay leaves and peppercorns in the stockpot. After boiling away for a couple of hours I'm normally left with a litre or two of pretty rich chicken stock.

I'm really starting to question if it's worth it though. I totally get that the stock probably tastes nicer and it's probably got less salt and stuff in it, but the effort seems a bit much for what will essentially be a simple ingredient. Beyond the cost of the extra ingredients I stick in, I'm leaving the hob on for a couple of hours for it, so I'm guessing it doesn't work out that cheap in the long run.

Thinking about it, there's some pretty decent supermarket options for stock now. Beyond the normal powders and cubes you can get a variety of jellies and pastes, as well as cartons of ready-made stock. For the majority of things that I cook, I'd bet I couldn't tell the difference between homemade stock and a chicken oxo cube or whatever.

Anyone else feel the same?
 
I make my own stock when I roast a piece of meat, but I don't set out to make stock if that makes sense. It is no hassle at all to do it really.

You can freeze it and it lasts for six 3 months.
 
Make two rissotto biancos, one with your homemade stock, and one with any kind of supermarket. I can assure you yours will be much nicer. Same goes for a broth, or soup. Possibly certain uses you wouldn't tell an amazing amount of difference.

For me, it's also ensuring there is no wastage of the bird :) And it's really not hasstle, ram into pot, add water. Simmer, leave for 4 hours.
 
I buy organic or at the very least free range chicken, they are more expensive. So if you get a Sunday roast out of it, the strip the chicken and use that meat for a rissotto.

What is left use to make you stock, suddenly a £10 - 15 chicken has done 2 meals plus stock.
 
No need to make it. It is a lot of effort. At some point though I do want to get a huge pan, reduce it down and freeze it. That way far less effort.
 
I don't think it's hassle but I do use my stock. I'm tending to stick the carcasses in the freezer and boil a few up at a time, then pour it out into portion sizes in Tuppaware and freeze it.

On the flipside I've lost the taste for salty stock cubes, especially the Knorr ones which are way too salty.
 
I will do occasionally in the winter, although I don't tend to in the summer really. I don't find it hassle. Stripping the chicken is more hassle than making the stock imo
 
I think financially comparing commercial stock cubes with fresh stock is apples and oranges IMO. You'd pay a lot more for stock of the quality that you'd made yourself.
 
I make chicken stock and let it jellify and keep it in the fridge. There is definitely a taste benefit for things like risotto or soup that really benefit from a good stock.
 
I do make a batch of stock about once a week. It nearly always gets used in a few days so I don't freeze it. I do however freeze bones off a roast if I can't be bothered with making the stock right away.

I'm not above using stock cubes but no way would I mash one in olive oil and smear it on a chicken breast :eek:
 
I always buy whole chickens for meat, use all of it. It's a bit of hassle to make stock but costs nothing other than te energy to make. Tastes good too.
 
My butcher actually sells fresh stock in sealed bags. It's £5 for 2 litres and doesn't take any effort on my part. I've bought it a couple of times, but most of the time I use OXO Stock cubes.
 
AcidHell2 said:
It is a lot of effort.
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It's not really though - I always whack the chicken carcass into a large pan with an onion and whatnot. It's about 5 minutes of prep, and then maybe 5 minutes to drain into tubs. 10 minutes of effort, for some lovely risotto / stew / gravy stock, it tastes much nicer than stock cubes and you've saved yourself a few quid. Well worth the effort imo :)
 
uv said:
It's not really though - I always whack the chicken carcass into a large pan with an onion and whatnot. It's about 5 minutes of prep, and then maybe 5 minutes to drain into tubs. 10 minutes of effort, for some lovely risotto / stew / gravy stock, it tastes much nicer than stock cubes and you've saved yourself a few quid. Well worth the effort imo :)
Click to expand...

Agreed, it really isn't that much of a bind. Personally I turn my frozen carcasses into nice chunky chicken and veg soups.
 
Most of my freezer is packed with chicken carcasses, I need to get making come stock.
 
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