Quick & Easy All Purpose Stock

I make a batch of stock every week! My goal here is to show you how easily anyone can integrate a basic stock into their regular routine to get all the good health benefits. At the end I will add some tips for including it in your regular meals and overcoming any hesitation. The 3 main types of broths I make are bone broth, veggie broth, and an all purpose soup stock which I will share here. For this recipe you can use the stovetop, instant pot, or slow cooker and you can adapt the cooking time to your needs. You will need:

• 2-4 lbs meat bones, preferably roasted or smoked or from a leftover rotisserie chicken.
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Veggies scraps
• Water 6-8 quarts water
• In lieu of (or in addition to) veggie scraps you should use 1-2 large carrots, 2 stalks celery, one onion
• Optional: Bay leaf, thyme, oregano, jalapeno, hatch pepper, other veggie scraps, pepper kernels.

One thing to note is that a decent chicken broth can be cooked up in just one hour on the stove top. You can pressure cook or cook longer to release the gelatin in the bones making a richer stock! Beef bones do better roasted first and then cooked for 3 hours at minimum.

Instant pot method: 2 hours on high pressure is perfect for any stock, but this is a flexible cooking method. You could cook all day on low pressure a few more hours on high, depending on your time constraints and what will work best for you.

Slow cooker method: 6 hours high temp, 12 hours low temp.

Stovetop: In a large stock pot simmer on low for 1to 8 hours. I am not a huge fan of this method because I don’t like the open flame for that long and the extended negative impact on air quality. If you choose this method I would cook for 1-2 hours max with an open window and running an air vent.

A note on freezing leftovers: always leave an inch of head space at the top of your mason jar to allow for expansion of the broth once frozen.

     Making soup stock or broth is ridiculously flexible, but I struggled with making and using it for years so I wanted to make note of the specifics on my method in case it may help you overcome any hesitation. First, I started using broth in place of water in all savory recipes like rice, quinoa, beans, soups of course, curries,  cheesy sauces, casseroles, you get the idea! My kids also started drinking it! As healthy and tasty as it is, I have never felt called to just drink straight like they do. I make one batch every week or two and freeze what I don’t use.

     I regularly roast and smoke meats and save all the bones in the freezer along with veggie scraps. I buy a large amount of turmeric and ginger and cut it into small pieces and freeze so it’s ready to go at a moments notice for months. I add a small chunk or two to each batch. Whole heads of garlic can be thrown in with the skins, same with onions. Apple cider vinegar and salt are non negotiable, aside from the massive increase in flavor they imbue, they are also essential for breaking down the bones and making the broth more nutritious. While you could get away with making and using broth without them you won’t feel as motivated to do so if the broth isn’t amazing. Once the broth is done I wait a while for the pot to cool down a bit and drain into a colander over a large pot. Then, pour into mason jars or another vessel of your choice. When you’ve got all the stock out, put the colander into the sink to drain more before throwing it into the compost or trash. If you worry about leaky trash bags or animals getting into your trash pour into a disposable grocery bag and tie it off first.