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Am I nuts? Stock inquiry

1K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  chrislehrer 
#1 · (Edited)
I started making my own beef stock some time back. Very happy I did. I fill up a bunch of Mason jars, stick one or two in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.

One of my favorite things to do, is cook veggies in stock, which I have on the side of a steak or salmon. I'll do some brussels sprouts, and some carrots, or some sweet potatoes and some broccoli, maybe parsnip, turnip and asparagus. The flavor is outstanding, and there are plenty of health benefits as well. Thing is - I use an entire jar of stock to cook the veggies in.  After I take the fat off the top, there is about 12oz of liquid, and that's what I use.

So, am I nuts? Is this what other people do, or am I alone here? LOL

If I am in fact alone, what do others do?

Thanks for any thoughts.
 
#6 ·
@Jimyra a chef friend of mine said to leave the lid on loose until the liquid is below 40F when cooling stock. Can you explain the reasoning behind this?
I remember reading somewhere (probably here?) that letting something like stock cool down with the lid on will give it a sour taste. I have no idea what the science is behind that, I have never experimented with it, I've just made it a habit to let things cool down uncovered.
 
#8 ·
Leaving the lid on or even half on means that it takes longer to cool down, thereby spending more time in the danger zone.
A -yup, theres that, (which is pretty important if you don't like to "speak on the big white telephone" next day after eating it)

But also a good chance that the lid will get sucked down and form a tight vacuum seal on the pot as it slowly cools. You can damage your pot and lid with if you try to pry the lid off with a screwdriver. The only way to get the lid off is to heat up the liquid, which brings you right back to where you started....
 
#9 ·
Confirmed. You're nuts!
Certifiable?

Not worried about browning - just flavor. And man, do the veggies taste good this way!

"Also why mason jars?"

Divide the stock into re-useable portions. One jar to cook veggies in, two jars to make a stew... take 'em out of the freezer and thaw in fridge as needed.

"I have half gallon square freezer containers for stock"

But what if you only need some? Then you are forced to thaw the whole thing, no?
 
#10 ·
I just use zip lock baggies, small ones for sauces, bigger for stocks. Lay them flat and freeze, this way they dont take up too much space. I wince at the thought of frrezing glass jars, its no fun cleaning up glass shards in a freezer.....
 
#12 ·
You may be nuts, but this is a pretty good way to cook veggies. I prefer a mild chicken stock for the purpose, or Japanese dashi, because I think beef overpowers things. But whatever floats your boat.

Myself, if I'm going to do this, I freeze close to a gallon in a heavy freezer bag laid flat like a pillow. That way, I can make one of the many Asian hot-pot dishes very easily. If you like this taste, by the way, you might want to look into hot-pot dishes, especially now that we're getting into cold weather!
 
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