When making stock... how long?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

velochic

Sous Chef
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
874
Location
Midwest
Just wondering how long you simmer bones/carcass for a really great, rich stock. I was just reading today on a blog or someplace that this person simmered for 48 hours. Not only would I be afraid to leave my stove on when I was asleep at night, but it seems to be excessive. I would think that long before 2 days you'd have achieved... terminal velocity. I mean, you'd have sucked every last bit of flavor long before 48 hours. However, I've never attended culinary school, so I don't know if this might be the norm.

In the winter, I usually let it simmer all day long on the woodburning stove - up to maybe 12 hours. I've always thought it was nice and I've even made some really good demi glace from the results. If it could be better, though, I'm all for it!
 
you are right, two days is just silly. anything over four hours is silly. i would say two if you do on stove. slow cooker might take four on high. slow cooker is what i use.
 
I assume you are talking about beef and veal stock. Yes, it takes a lot longer than poultry stocks.

It would not be unusual to spend 24 hours simmering beef and veal bones to get a top quality stock as a base for a demi-glace.
 
I assume you are talking about beef and veal stock. Yes, it takes a lot longer than poultry stocks.

It would not be unusual to spend 24 hours simmering beef and veal bones to get a top quality stock as a base for a demi-glace.

And I have done that in the past, on my woodburning stove, but not 24 hours. As a matter of fact, each year we get a side of beef and I take all the bones they'll give me to make demi-glace. For demi-glace, I'll simmer about 16 - 18 hours, but for regular stock that I can or freeze, I really only simmer about 12 hours MAX. Perhaps that's the limit of my patience. :rolleyes: I also only try to do stocks in the winter when the woodburning stove is burning. I will freeze any bones I have over the summer and collect them to make stock in the winter. I don't like using that much electricity just for stock (and my electric stove is power hog).
 
Hey velochic, I'm no expert either, but I often leave my stock on low overnight. I don't use a woodburning stove though. Is that what you always use? Props to you if you do, thats got to be tough to manage.
 
Veggie stock - 2 hours
chicken stock - 4 hours
beef stock - 6-8 hours
ham stock - 8 hours

The first two hours of any meat stock is spent making veggie stock first. I don't like the totally mushy veg in my meat stocks.
 
Veggie stock - 2 hours
chicken stock - 4 hours
beef stock - 6-8 hours
ham stock - 8 hours

The first two hours of any meat stock is spent making veggie stock first. I don't like the totally mushy veg in my meat stocks.

You're supposed to strain the veggies and everything else, out of the stock, Fiona.

Ham stock? wouldn't that be awfully greasy? doesn't sound too good to me...
 
You're supposed to strain the veggies and everything else, out of the stock, Fiona.

Ham stock? wouldn't that be awfully greasy? doesn't sound too good to me...

I know you strain it out and I do. However after many years of making stock this is my favorite method for taste and richness. My vegs stocks start with the ends and trimmings of all veg, I'm talking about onion peels and ends, garlic trims, the ends of tomatoes and peppers, etc. Once they are done I freeze them and use them as bases for my meat stocks.

So, you've never made a ham stock out of a hambone or ham shanks? It may be greasy, but an hour in the fridge and the fat peels right off. Heavenly start for ham n bean or split pea soup.
 
So, you've never made a ham stock out of a hambone or ham shanks? It may be greasy, but an hour in the fridge and the fat peels right off. Heavenly start for ham n bean or split pea soup.

Oh, I have to totally agree with this. I use the bone from spiral ham to make the stock and it makes KILLER ham and beans and pea soup!

Alix - yes, we usually have our woodburning stove going most of the winter, unless it gets warm (like it will this weekend... 50F). I cook on it a lot (nothing greasy) and even bake/roast some things inside it too (like potatoes, garlic, foil mixed veggie packets). :blush: Most things, such as soups, require me to start it on the stove to bring it up to temp, then it can simmer away on the woodburning stove. It's not a cook stove - it's a cast iron stove.
 
Well I have to admit that there have been one or two times I wanted stock faster. Found you can draw a lot out of beef bones or poutlry in a shorter time in a pressure cooker. Mind you I love to slower simmer then cool and remove the fat off the top of what has become jell. For smaller amounts do use an asparagus pot..... nice tall and narrow with the basket in it. The mesh on this one lets you contain the chicken carcass and bits in the basket. Just lift and let drip then I run the liqiud through a fine sieve. Last Thanksgiving my step daughter had a big party three turkey carcasses came home with us and they reduced well in a 12 qt stock pot. The pasta insert made it easier to separate off the bones. MDW and I were out to dinner and had rack of lamb. The waiter looked at me funny when I told him to pack up the bones. I pulled them from the freezer and had some lamb stock for the lamb stew.
 
I have always just put the ham bone or hock right in with all the rest of the peas or beans it's cooking with. No need for a separate step, imho.
 
our woodburning stove going most of the winter, unless it gets warm (like it will this weekend... 50F). I cook on it a lot (nothing greasy) and even bake/roast some things inside it too (like potatoes, garlic, foil mixed veggie packets). :blush: Most things, such as soups, require me to start it on the stove to bring it up to temp, then it can simmer away on the woodburning stove. It's not a cook stove - it's a cast iron stove.
OK, extremely cool. I'm jealous.
 
Most restaurants will go at least 24 hours for a great veal/beef demi glace. Two restaurants I know let their stocks go for 36 hours.
 
There are two reasons to let a stock go for a long time. One is to extract as much flavor as possible. The other is to draw out the natural cologen which is in the bones. It is the cologen which adds consistency to a demi glace and gives it that jello-like set when you chill it in the fridge.
 
For beef, veal or chicken stock, I think about 6-8 hours is good, plus time to make demi glace afterward of course!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom