stevecheeseman
Assistant Cook
I know a good stock can take 12+ hours of simmering, but how can I get the same result in a shorter time? I read using a pressure cooker helps reduce the time but I don't own a pressure cooker.
Making a stock is essentially a solid-liquid extraction - we want all of the flavour from the solid phase (meat, bones, vegetable) extracted into our liquid phase (water). I thought using multiple extractions which take advantage of Le Châtelier's Principle would increase the extraction efficiency. As you simmer your stock you start to dissolve the solids into water and as the water becomes mores saturated the longer it takes for additional solids to dissolve. Straining the liquid and replenishing the solids with fresh water should allow for more solids to dissolve.
Here's my idea: Simmer your solids for 2 hours, strain liquid, add fresh water, simmer for another 2 hours repeat one more time. Reduce the strained liquid to the desired final volume. Hopefully you have a stock in 6 hours that is just as good as one simmer for 12 hours.
The biggest flaw I can think of is if when making the broth if you aren't anywhere near saturation, replenishing with fresh water wouldn't push the equilibrium very far.
Does this idea merit a test for single vs multiple extractions using the same starting material and final volume of liquid?
Making a stock is essentially a solid-liquid extraction - we want all of the flavour from the solid phase (meat, bones, vegetable) extracted into our liquid phase (water). I thought using multiple extractions which take advantage of Le Châtelier's Principle would increase the extraction efficiency. As you simmer your stock you start to dissolve the solids into water and as the water becomes mores saturated the longer it takes for additional solids to dissolve. Straining the liquid and replenishing the solids with fresh water should allow for more solids to dissolve.
Here's my idea: Simmer your solids for 2 hours, strain liquid, add fresh water, simmer for another 2 hours repeat one more time. Reduce the strained liquid to the desired final volume. Hopefully you have a stock in 6 hours that is just as good as one simmer for 12 hours.
The biggest flaw I can think of is if when making the broth if you aren't anywhere near saturation, replenishing with fresh water wouldn't push the equilibrium very far.
Does this idea merit a test for single vs multiple extractions using the same starting material and final volume of liquid?