Help With Stock....

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spryte

Senior Cook
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
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498
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I just made a stock from roasted cornish game hens, veggies and herbs. I simmered it covered for 18 hours.... I strained everything out. Now, should I reduce it? It's tasty. I have about 1.75 gallons.
 
Depends on what you want to use it for - are you making soup? Then, no, you don't have to reduce. If you want to make a 'demi' for use with or as a sauce, then reduce it a bit.

Sounds good!
 
I always reduce my stocks. Then I freeze them in ice cube trays and store them in a gallon ziplock baggie in the freezer. By concentrating the stock, I save freezer space.
 
Thanks, I reduced it quite a bit. I have it in the fridge now, I'll skim off the fat after it chills and buy some extra ice trays tomorrow. Thanks for your help!!
 
Reasons to reduce stock

Less storage space
Faster cooling time (safer)
Greater chance for skimming impurities
Demi-glace

Reasons not to reduce stock

Less browning reactions/More delicated tasting stock
Less labor/standing over the stove
Lighter colored stock for those applications that require it

Ice cubes are a convenient way of measuring, but at the same time, they expose exponentially more of your stock to air/potentiality for freezer burn. I guess if you know you're going to use the stock in a week or two, then sure, ice cubes will work. But if you're like me and have stock in the freezer for a month or two, I'd package it in a way that involves less air. I find it better to just divide the gelled stock into portions, toss each into it's own baggie, remove as much air as possible, and then freeze. The nice thing about large chunks is if you do encounter freezer burn down the line, you can wash off the outer layer without sacrificing much stock. If you try washing ice cubes, you'll lose a considerable portion of your liquid gold.
 
Scott, I have to agree with you there. I have had some instances of freezer-burn on my stock cubes. However, I've found it takes longer than a couple months. Usually, it takes me about 6 months to start developing freezer-burn.

I store my stock cubes in a gallon ziplock. I can't squeeze all the air out, although I try my best. However, this time of year, I go through stock really fast, as I make a lot of soups. In the summer, I don't go through as much stock.

I like your idea of filling baggies with a little bit of liquid and sqeezing out the air, then freezing.

I do the ice cube thing with stock because as strong as I concentrate my stock, one stock cube in a measuring cup, and enough water to fill to one cup, makes a good basic stock. I tend to use that ratio whenever I'm using stock. Of course, sometimes I like a really rich stock, so I use more stock cubes.
 
Allen, I think you have a better freezer than I do :) I also think freezer ziplocks provide a good layer of protection. It's completely off topic, but I can't stand the taste zip lock bags give off. I love them for non-food items like coins or screws, but when I think about using them for food, it gives me the willies. I also can't stand the taste of cloudy plastic bottled water. I'm kind of sensitive like that.
 
Freezer burn for a frozen liquid is really only evaporation. I don't see any reason to wash it off a frozen stock cube. When you melt it, the freezer burn is gone.
 
One time, I made a tray of ice cubes, but didn't use them. Over the course of a month, I watched as the ice sublimed away, and gradually shrank down to about half their original size, before I finally got rid of them.
 
Andy M. said:
Freezer burn for a frozen liquid is really only evaporation. I don't see any reason to wash it off a frozen stock cube. When you melt it, the freezer burn is gone.

Maybe freezer burn might not be the correct term. My frozen liquids develop a layer of frost around them during prolonged freezing. This layer of frost, when thawed has absorbed the odors/flavors of the freezer and tastes horrible. The inner core tastes fine.
 
Didn't know what you were talking about when you said freezer burn, but understand now. Yes, that's happened to me, too. The answer to the absorption of odors problem is simply more and better wrap.

The answer to whether or not you boil down your stocks is simply how it tastes to you and what you're using it for. I tend to just freeze my stocks as is, then reduce them when I thaw for whatever purpose. If I'm making a light chicken soup, I just thaw and add ingredients. If I want a base for a richer dish, I thaw and reduce. If, on the other hand, when I'm through with the stock and it tastes weak, I reduce before freezing. Unlike baking, which is a lot of science, stovetop cooking tends to be more art; tasting as you go along. If when you're through your stock doesn't taste strong enough to just drink a cup of, you need to reduce no matter what.
 
When you freeze your stocks (or gravies) could you not just use the handy plastic "Zip Lock" tub containers? (Allowing for 15% expansion of water to ice, BTW!)

Contact to air becomes minimal, and "easily skimmed" off with water when defrosting, as would be the edges in contact with plastic, if that was an issue with some?

Neat, compact stowage, more "inside volume" than outside contact than an ice cube format would give you...?

Might be worth you guys giving it a shot and seeing how it comes out for you...

Lifter
 
I tried the use of ice cube trays for a while (thought that was the most brilliant idea I had heard of in a while and still do!). But I tend to use a tray's worth, at least, at a time.

So I tend to revert to my "old ways" of placing a ziploc into a coffee cup and filling with gelled stock, removing as much air as possible, then storing in a heavy plastic tupperware-type container in the freezer. I tend also to use stock heavily, so I've rarely kept the stuff frozen for more than a month.
 
I do both - the ice cube trays for when I want just a little stock for a 'pan sauce' for 1 or 2, and larger plastic containers for the soups and stews, and sauces with larger quantities of stock needed.
 

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