masteraznchefjr
Sous Chef
for making homemade stock is it worth the gas/ electricity bill or better to just buy store bought stock?
When making stock... how long?
- Thread starter velochic
- Start date
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In the long run, homemade is going to be healthier, and many people take this into consideration... that you're saving on doctor's bills by eating something that doesn't have a bunch of chemicals in it. This is obviously not a tangible trade-off, so it's a rather subjective comparison. I think the key is to buy good stock, which can be pricey. I'm not able to make enough stock from our bones and bird carcasses, so when I do buy commercial, I make sure it is only organic.
In regards to just comparing cost of energy used, I know a lot of people who have done energy audits on their homes. They can estimate how much a particular appliances costs. If it's a newer Engery Star, it will tell you how much it costs to run it. At that point, you can make your determination. It might NOT be worth it.
However, in our case, we have a woodburning stove that I can cook on top of it. I make it on this stove that is already heating our home, so it's basically free energy. I don't simmer my chicken stocks for nearly as long as I do my beef or lamb stocks. I save veg ends that I'm not going to use for my dishes (carrot tops, celery tops and bottoms, onion ends, etc.) and we buy our beef by the side, lamb by the animal and whole chickens, so in the long run making our own stock is VERY much less expensive than store-bought.
ChefJune
Master Chef
6-8 hours is not unusual for beef or veal stock, but is definitely excessive for chicken. Two hours should do a lovely chicken stock. 4 if you're obsessive...
tzakiel
Cook
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2008
- Messages
- 99
That's an interesting question. Putting aside quality (I think we can all agree that home made is superior quality) the cost is quite variable.
Canned or boxed broth is cheapest, followed by what is being sold as "stock" which is usually about 50% more expensive.
Making it at home, the costs would include: buying bones (or, you can save on this if using bones from prior meals), buying vegetables, heat source, time spent. I guess it depends on what your time is worth, how much you enjoy the act of cooking and what you already have available to use.
For me, the biggest expense for a recent batch of stock was definitely buying the veal bones, but I probably could have just saved up chicken carcasses and settled for a dark chicken stock.
tzakiel
Cook
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2008
- Messages
- 99
6-8 hours is not unusual for beef or veal stock, but is definitely excessive for chicken. Two hours should do a lovely chicken stock. 4 if you're obsessive...
Yes, you're right, but 8 hours would concentrate the flavor more and save freezer space, correct?
The duck stock I made recently I let run 5 to 6 hours. When I was ready to turn it into soup I stopped the stock and made the soup.
lyndalou
Head Chef
How about getting it to boil and then using the oven rather than the stove top? Also, someone mentioned a slow cooker. Wouldn't that work as well?
Bigjim68
Head Chef
I take my stock down to almost a glace and then freeze it in ice cube trays. It's easy enough to add water, and takes almost no room in the freezer.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Either would work. If you ensure you are maintaining a simmer. If you use the oven, I'd wait until after skimming off any foam from the surface before putting it in the oven.
Home made stock
I'll bet your energy costs are about equal for stove top preparation. I do mine [beef] in the oven at about 160f.-180f. overnight. You will get a clear stock without having to clarify it.
If you make stock in quantity you can heat it on the stove top [very light simmer...a "bloop" every so often] until no vapor comes out of the bloops...this means that all the water is evaporated out and you have pure meat essence [Glace de Viande] left. Which will keep for months in the fridge and forever in the freezer. Don't forget to skim away the impurities while it is reducing.
I'll bet your energy costs are about equal for stove top preparation. I do mine [beef] in the oven at about 160f.-180f. overnight. You will get a clear stock without having to clarify it.
If you make stock in quantity you can heat it on the stove top [very light simmer...a "bloop" every so often] until no vapor comes out of the bloops...this means that all the water is evaporated out and you have pure meat essence [Glace de Viande] left. Which will keep for months in the fridge and forever in the freezer. Don't forget to skim away the impurities while it is reducing.
