Oh did you think I was going to dole out investing advice? Nay, nay, not so but far otherwise. Take me to my natal shore and the white cliffs of Albion.....oh wait, sorry, I got distracted.
Today's tip is the Stock Bag for the freezer. You can compost all those end pieces of onions, carrot peelings and leafy celery tops, but it's an even better idea to use them to make your own stock. You know how sometimes the inside of a garlic bulb is just those teeny-tiny cloves that are impossible to peel? Cut them in half and throw them in your stock bag. Don't worry about the skin! How about that one squash that got hidden in the drawer and is fine but a little shriveled? Stock bag! And don't forget to go through your fridge and toss in anything that you aren't going to be able to use that week. Any vegetables will work! The bonus is that your stock will taste like the season.
When my bag is full, I decide what kind of stock I need. For vegetable stock, I usually take a look at what's in the bag and round it out with an extra carrot or half an onion (again, resist the urge to peel off the skin!) and a potato. I add some herbs (if they're not already in the bag) and some peppercorns and let the whole thing come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until it tastes right. I do taste throughout and add a little salt.
For chicken stock, I don't use fresh chicken. That seems incredibly wasteful to me. Besides, if you use fresh chicken, you have to cook that first and skim the top of the water multiple times before adding the vegetables. If you roast a chicken and use the carcass to make the stock, you can just dump it and the stock bag into a big pot with water and, again, herbs, peppercorns and bring to a boil. Add a splash of white vinegar to leach calcium from the bones and let it gently simmer all day. Taste and add salt as needed.
When it's done, let it cool, then strain it. One word of advice: do not put it in the refrigerator with the plan of straining it next day. You will have to reheat it before straining and it will be cloudy. And, well, why add all that work? Often I will strain it in a colander and put it in the fridge and then strain through cheesecloth the next day when separating it to freeze. That really doesn't add any extra steps for me.
I generally freeze mine in two- and four-cup portions in plastic, but am on the hunt for paper cups that will hold at least 1.5-2 cups. I plan to freeze those on a cookie sheet, same as I do with the baggies, then put them in a larger container for deep-freeze storage. Oh, and that Stock Bag itself? It's a perfect candidate for re-use.
Update: I now freeze stock in jars since I've built up a good stash. Do not tighten the lids until after the jars are frozen. Works wonderfully!!
So, start your Stock Bag today and plan to make some low-sodium, homemade stock yourself. It's the perfect touch for making soup or giving rice a boost without extra butter. And best of all, it's incredibly easy and doesn't take much time.
And special thanks to my mother-in-law for this tip. It's not something she does herself, but something her mother used to do and I'm awfully glad she shared it with me!
