Chicken Stock questions

[Loft]

Hey everyone! I'm looking to make a big batch of chicken stock on Sunday for different uses and will be looking to freeze a lot of it.

I'm gonna freeze it in ice cube trays for smaller portions, and I know this might sound a bit stupid, but how should I go about using them after they're frozen? Should I put the cubes into a fridge to defrost, or can i just use it straight out the freezer into the pan?

And if I were to reduce the stock, would it be better to do before freezing it or after freezing it?

Also, just out of curiousity, are there any downsides to freezing stock? Loss of flavour or anything like that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[miniman]

You may get a slight loss of flavour from the freezing but the benefits far outweigh them. I would reduce the stock before freezing (take up less space) and drop the cubes straight into your pan.

 

[YT2095]

I concentrate my stock 1`st and Then freeze it, but never in ice cube trays I can`t see the point when a small plastic container will do the same job, you want to Reduce the surface area exposed to prevent degradation by aerial oxidation, so I think icecube trays is not so good an idea.

 

[auntdot]

Oh gosh, there are so many ways to make chicken stock.

But in terms of freezing I go with the reducing and placing in plastic bags.

 

[mozart]

I concentrate my stock 1`st and Then freeze it, but never in ice cube trays I can`t see the point when a small plastic container will do the same job, you want to Reduce the surface area exposed to prevent degradation by aerial oxidation, so I think icecube trays is not so good an idea.

Well the point might be that a number of recipes call for pretty small amounts of stock, like stir frying for example. Thawing out 3 cups of stock to use 2 TBS in a stir fry or some other small recipe need seems like a waste of both time and stock, since you do have to thaw it first. After freezing in trays, the tray can be wrapped in plastic wrap and then very heavy aluminum foil.

Since it takes very little stock to fill an ice cube tray, and since you can make a lot of "small stock" recipes with just one tray full, the rest can be put in small or medium containers depending on their intended use.

That's what I do, anyway, and the cubes seem to hold up just fine.

 

[Loft]

Thanks guys! Although I'm still a bit unsure on what to do with stock out the freezer? Can I simply add frozen stock to the pan or do I have to thaw the stock first before using it as a recipe calls for?

 

[Katie H]

I've been freezing homemade chicken stock for years and always reduce first. It makes more sense to me to do it that way since, as you take some out of the freezer, if you know you need 1 cup (or whatever), that's what you'll have. If you reduce after you freeze, you end up with less stock to use. Plus, as long as you are cooking to make the stock, continue to cook it to reduce it. You've already dirtied up your pan and utensils. Do it once.

When it come to using it, you can add the frozen stock directly to whatever you are cooking depending on what it is. Obviously if you need the stock to make a thickened sauce, you'll have to thaw it first, which can be done by putting it in the refrigerator and letting it thaw. Or you could place the container in some warm water and change the water until the stock is thawed. I usually opt to thaw in the refrigerator even though that takes a little forethought.

 

[BBQ Mikey]

Plastic Bags a cup reduced stock each. Easy to use easy to thaw.

 

[GB]

I store mine in zip lock bags and I freeze them flat so the do not take up much room, are easy to store, and I can break off a piece if not the whole thing is needed. I freeze in one cup increments.

 

[CharlieD]

I freeze mine in plastick containers. I try to use diferent sizes so I do have veriety for the future use.
To defrost I usually just put it into microwave, as i usually do not have time, du to poor planing, I guess.

 

[AllenOK]

I make my own super-concentrated chicken stock, and freeze in ice cube trays. Yes, there i some loss of flavor and the risk of freezer-burn due to the increased surface area. However, just two cubes of my stock, placed into a measuring cup, and covered with enough hot water to fill it up to 1 c, will make a light stock. For more concentrated batches, I just increase the amount of cubes.

I usually thaw my stock out by the above method, but I do it when I start prepping the remaining ingredients, so that by the time I need to add the stock to the pan, it's all melted. If the cubes haven't totally melted, I don't worry about it to much.