Homemade stock means long hours over the stove, tons of ingredients and a big mess, right? 100% wrong. First, up our stock is made of items that were destined for the trash bin. Next, we store them in a ziptop freezer bag. Then we put our slow cooker to work to lazily bubble up 15+ cups of full-flavored stock. So, the answer is absolutely yes! You can make your own homemade stock. (PS: for our Vegetarian and Vegan friends, check out our Vegetable Stock!)
We used a 6 quart slow cooker. While the volume is 24 cups, the stock ingredients do take up space, so you’ll yield more like 18-20 cups of stock. You’re looking to add a full gallon-sized zip top bag of ingredients (this was about 3 lbs for us) to the slow cooker. Your ingredients should be predominately chicken, onion, garlic and celery with a smaller ratio of carrot. Carrot is sweet and can take over the flavor of the stock.
Take the flavor in different directions.
-Add a cup of mushroom trimmings for a flavorful umami stock.
-Pop 1 lb Parmesan Cheese rinds during the last 2 hours of simmering for a delicious liquid for risotto or deglazing a pan for sauces.
-Add an ounce of our What’s Pho Dinner, Mulling Spices or even Red Stick Spice Co’s Signature Pickling Spices for a stock with a unique flavor profile. Excellent for making pho or other soups, gravies and sauces.
Be sure to listen to Anne’s Q&A on stock and broth on our podcast Smidgen. It’s a fun listen plus we make soup and sandwiches. Prepare to be inspired!