On a broth kick

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by dragnlaw

yup, I should have specified shape with the stock pot, my bad.

lol no other definition for 'slow cooker' Andy?

I'm a slow cooker, but I get it done eventually.

[jennyema]

I have all three: an instant pot, a slow cooker (2 of them) and several LeCreuset Dutch ovens.

I hate food cooked in a crockpot. The texture is weird and the taste isn’t right. I can generally tell when something is cooked in a crockpot.

I use my Dutch ovens for many/most things.

I’ve been making a lot of stock lately, always in my instant pot. It’s so much faster and easier. Then I reduce it as needed on sauté mode. Refrigerate in the liner it cooked in. It’s the perfect tool to make stock. Not so much for other things...

I make some soups in my tall stockpot. Chicken noodle, vegetable, etc.

Pea and bean soup come out much better in my Instant Pot (like the SE article Andy posted) So does butternut squash soup and broccoli soup.

[Kevin86]

So I thought I was doing ok but I guess I filled some jars fuller than I thought. I’ve had 3 jars in the freezer crack on me now. 2 duck and 1 veggie. Too bad

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Kevin86

So I thought I was doing ok but I guess I filled some jars fuller than I thought. I’ve had 3 jars in the freezer crack on me now. 2 duck and 1 veggie. Too bad

This is why god invented ziplock bags. They are perfect for broth. They take up less space and you can break off what you need.

Keep brothing on !

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Kevin86

So I thought I was doing ok but I guess I filled some jars fuller than I thought. I’ve had 3 jars in the freezer crack on me now. 2 duck and 1 veggie. Too bad

I bought a big stash of 1-cup, 2-cup and quart size plastic deli containers in which I freeze stock. I've had the occasional break, but I can still use the stock.

[Kevin86]

Thanks for those tips guys. Smart.

[taxlady]

The other good thing about plastic for the freezer as opposed to glass is that it doesn't feel nearly as cold when you have to handle it.

[dragnlaw]

I use either plastic zip bags, milk bags for larger such as stews. Only time I used glass, I too, had cracks, thought I had done it right but... obviously not, never idi it again.

I agree with GG, plastic containers are good. Only time I've had breakage there is when I drop one trying to get something else out. LOL and yup, you can still use the contents.

[Andy M.]

I use quart-size Ziplick freezer bags to freeze stock. Fill them then freeze them laying flat on a half or quarter sheet pan.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

I use quart-size Ziplick freezer bags to freeze stock. Fill them then freeze them laying flat on a half or quarter sheet pan.

How do you thaw them?

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by taxlady

The other good thing about plastic for the freezer as opposed to glass is that it doesn't feel nearly as cold when you have to handle it.

Originally Posted by dragnlaw

I use either plastic zip bags, milk bags for larger such as stews. Only time I used glass, I too, had cracks, thought I had done it right but... obviously not, never idi it again.

I agree with GG, plastic containers are good. Only time I've had breakage there is when I drop one trying to get something else out. LOL and yup, you can still use the contents.

Also, they're reusable and can be washed in the top of the dishwasher. I try to minimize the use of disposable items.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

How do you thaw them?

It's easy enough to tear off the bag and put the frozen stock into a pot. If I have time, I just put the bag in a pot and let it thaw in there. Then I can pour it out.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

It's easy enough to tear off the bag and put the frozen stock into a pot. If I have time, I just put the bag in a pot and let it thaw in there. Then I can pour it out.

Gotcha. I put my containers upside down in my quart-size measuring cup and defrost in the microwave until the stock falls out of the container Then remove that and continue defrosting. (I added this for others reading the thread.)

[taxlady]

I have a small, floppy, silicone muffin pan from the dollar store. It's useless for muffins. But, I put it on something flat and fill the muffin holes with stock and freeze that. Then I pop them out and keep them in a large plastic jar in the freezer. Each muffin hole holds about 50 ml, so it's quite handy. I grab as many frozen stock "pellets" as I think I will need.

[dragnlaw]

Thanks taxy, good idea! I have some silicone cupcake liners which I don't find very helpful. I will do that with stock next time.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

It's easy enough to tear off the bag and put the frozen stock into a pot. If I have time, I just put the bag in a pot and let it thaw in there. Then I can pour it out.

You can also easily break off pieces if you don’t need to use the whole thing.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by jennyema

You can also easily break off pieces if you don’t need to use the whole thing.

How thick would you say the stock is, when it's frozen in a bag and easy to break off a piece?

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by taxlady

How thick would you say the stock is, when it's frozen in a bag and easy to break off a piece?

3/4 of an inch in a quart bag. Depending on how much stock you make, it could take a bunch of bags. But they can lie flat or line up like books in your freezer, taking up a lot less space.

I also do this for things like buttermilk, tomato paste, chipotles in adobo, where I open the container but don’t use it all.

[Andy M.]

Interesting. I put a full quart of liquid into a quart bag so it's much more than ¾" thick. It is full, though.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

Interesting. I put a full quart of liquid into a quart bag so it's much more than ¾" thick. It is full, though.

Can you break off pieces without using a hammer?