Stock Options at Wheatsville
My family has been using stock in our home for many years now. I try to make enough stock to get through the summer, which helps keep the kitchen cooler in the summer and warmer in the …colder months. Stock is really quite simple, a broth that is made with bones. The collagen content of the bones, when extracted turns into gelatin. This gelatin has nutritive and culinary properties that are beneficial.
I use the same basic ingredients when I make stock:
• 3 stalks of Celery
• 3 carrots
• 1 medium to large onion
• 3-5 cloves of garlic
• Cracked Peppercorns
• Salt (optional)
• One bunch of parsley
Beef Bones
I like a combination of neck, round/femur/marrow, and knuckle. Any of these by themselves would be great. If you are looking for a lighter clear stock-do not roast your beef bones, this would be great for Beef Pho. If you want a deeper flavor and a dark colored stock- roast them at 350 for about 45 minutes. Let them cool and pour about a cup of vinegar (I use white vinegar for this-the acid helps to start extracting the collagen) and let them sit for an hour.
Chicken Bones
I will use a whole chicken and take off the meat after cooking and use it for chicken salads or enchiladas. We also carry some soup bones from Dewberry Hills. This is the best Chicken we sell. They are fed Locally raised corn and soy and are moved around Jane and Terry’s farm in pens. These pens keep them safe from predators and other conditions while letting them engage with the outdoors. I also use Dewberry chicken feet in my stock. Pour about a cup of vinegar over the carcasses (if you are using a whole bird, cut off the wings and separate the drumette from the flapper-we also have Freebird Chicken Backs, and wings are a great part to use here) let them sit for an hour.
Pork and Lamb Bones
We are a little more limited in this area, but we do usually have some pork and lamb bones and they would be dealt with exactly like beef.
Easy Cooking Instructions
- Coarsely chop your vegetables (except parsley) and toss into your stock pot.
- Fill with water to about an inch or an inch and a half above your ingredients.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. You can add salt if you would like. I have always left it out and salted when I was making a dish.
- Cook for at least four hours. I cook mine for 12 hours for chicken and sometimes for days with beef.
- After you strain out the solids, put your stock into a container and put it into the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for a couple of hours (it is best to let the stock get to room temperature before chilling). This gets the fat to float to the top and solidify. I have had good results using the 2 court wide mouth mason jars. You can also use that rendered fat puck that forms at the top of the jar in other places in the kitchen like refried beans or even in biscuits. There is a kitchen gadget ingeniously called a fat separator ,that will do this for you must quicker than chilling.
- Fill ice trays for smaller portions of your stock for things like sauces or pour it into quart size freezer to be frozen and used at you leisure.
Easy Chicken Stock from the Co+op Kitchen