Would adding a few small frozen pieces of chicken (bones or wings) to the broth affect it negatively?

Would this make a difference if I add thos pieces to simmering or cold water?

The meat on the bones would always boost the flavor and I heartily recommend it. I would not add them frozen however. I'd thaw them and add them to the beginning of the process.

Based on Kimberley S's answer, we can use frozen bones.
Here is the scenario:

I started my stock (water is still cold) and then I remembered that I had a few chicken wings in the freezer that I want to add to the stock.

These wings are frozen and I do not have time to thaw them. Is adding them frozen worse than not adding them at all? Would they impart a bad flavour?

As mentioned in topic 3 of the lesson frozen bones indeed can be used to make stock. I use them quite often and I do not defrost them before I start making the stock. Just proceed as you would with the stock making process.

Frozen bones would only "impart a bad flavor" if they were not fresh before they were frozen (as we mention in the lesson).

Omar, what I would say to you regarding stock making is to relax a bit. I remember when I first started making stock (many years ago now) I thought there were so many rules and if I didn't follow them exactly something terrible might happen. But I am here to tell you that stock making is not full of rules and "must-do's" and "must-don'ts". So relax a bit and don't worry too much. Cheers!

I have a very small freezer so no space for storing 4 liters of stock. Is there any other way to store stock over a long period of time? I'm guessing if you heat it and put it into hot glasses (like you'd do with jam) and inmediately seal it, it should work.

If you cannot freeze your stock then you will need to make smaller batches and store it in the refrigerator. Stock will only last a few days so you will need to use it up quickly and always make sure to bring it to a boil before you use it. Cheers!

I'm about to remove all my stock from my freezers as I'm running out of room and pressure can it.

You cannot can stock in a water bath, meaning just boiling it. The cans (glass jar with two metal lids) will seal, but it will be unsafe to eat because of the low acidity. You need a higher PH to water bath can.

Botulism is a very scary thing, you can't smell it or see it and you might not even know you have it for as many as 10 days. Causes paralysis and other terrible things. Scary stuff and can takes months and months to fully recover.

However, you can safely pressure can it using a pressure canner (not pressure cooker as that's the one you actually cook the food in).

I paid $200 for my pressure canner, but I didn't have to. You can find them much much cheaper on craigslist, Amazon, etc., like maybe $35 to $100. If you pick up a used one, call your county extension to have them check the gauge and seals for you. They'll do it for free.

And, before you pressure can anything, try it out first with jars of water with some blue food coloring in it. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't ruin your food and if you have blue all over inside the canner, you'll know for sure something went wrong. Frankly, it's hard to screw up pressure canning. There's very few steps.

The lowest flame on my stove for somethings is too high so I usually end up with stuff burned right in the center of the bottom of the pot, especially stock.

Just wanted to mention on Amazon I found this $4.00 metal flame tamer that has a bunch of tiny holes to go between the burner and pot.

I can't believe how well this things works. So far I've simmered tomato sauce for a few hours, frozen milk braised pork, frozen stroganoff, frozen potato leek soup, butter, chocolate, and many other things that would normally burn.

I didn't have to stir anything and I didn't have to add water to anything either. This cheap little tool is unbelievable and going to be a real life saver to finally get the correct temperature for my stocks without anything getting stuck to the bottom.

I'm still shocked every time I use it, because I usually get busy and forget to check my pots and end up burning stuff all the time. I don't think I could burn something now even if I tried.

Jude thank you for your comment. It was very helpful. In case someone else who (like me) doesn't know about pressure canning stumbles upon this thread check this link: http://www.pickyourown.org/pressurecanners.htm.

I've frozen my stock in the ziplock bags and they look great in the freezer, but what's the best way of getting them out without spilling any stock? Also what if I need just a half cup or so? Do they refreeze well?

We usually tear the bag or cut it open with scissors and place the whole frozen block into a pot to heat. We don't thaw the packages before emptying them (but it doesn't mean you cannot defrost them).

It is convenient to store stock in 1 or 2 cup packages, so you use up it up when you thaw it. Thawed stock will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, so you'll be able to use it in other dishes that you cook. For food safety reasons, always remember to bring it to a boil when using. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Run the bag under cold water to loosen the contents for just a few seconds. I "put up" one cup/8 oz at a time, in one zip lock baggie as I don't like wasting an ounce of my precious "gold".

Then tear the bag open from the top where the zip lock is. I mean like grab the zip and rip the entire thing off the entire top of the bag all at once. Like, don't open the "zip" tear the zip off the top of the bag in one motion.

Problem is getting the square frozen stock to fit in a small round pan. Which really isn't a problem, just break off the edges.

If you had a flame tamer you could drop the whole thing into the pot and walk away. Nice. You could still do that without one, just keep a closer eye on it.

Frankly I'm getting tired of thawing stock, so I'm gonna try canning it. Most all the recipes on this site call for only one cup or two cups of stock. So I have frozen one cup portions. If you reduce the stock, you can get even smaller portions.

Will be back with results.

I'd like to keep the bones covered in the liquid but I've done chicken and veal stock now and the bones keep floating to the top, which makes skimming difficult.

Any tips on this?

Thanks.

The bones will just naturally float. The mirepoix on top should help to keep them under somewhat...but try not to over think it. Cheers!

I came across the suggestion in the Culinary Institute of America's book the Profesional Chef that vegetables should be added near the end (around the last hour) of cooking for stock like the sachet. The reasoning is that, if added earlier on, the flavor will be leeched out before the stock is finished and the taste will become bitter. Which method is preferred: adding vegetables early on or in the last hour? Does this principle hold any weight?

Every resource will have an opinion of its own. We prefer to add the vegetables after the scum from the bones has been skimmed. The point of adding vegetables is to extract their flavor in order to flavor the liquid. Now, cutting the vegetables too small & overcooking them can make them disintegrate into the liquid and cause the stock to turn cloudy...and depending on the chosen veg, yes, it could impart a bitter flavor. However, adding them only during the last hour may also not give them enough time to release their flavor.

As you make more and more stock - and you will, because once you start cooking with it, you'll be hooked - experiment for yourself. That's the best way to tell if you prefer one method over the other and if you can tell the difference in flavor. As long as the cook is following the basic fundamentals of simmering (and not boiling), skimming, etc., the tweaks here and there come down to personal preference. Hope this helps!

Are there any issues with using a strainer insert in the stock pot? You load your bones and vegetables in to make it easier to strain out the solids when the stock is complete. I assume it would not make any difference

Using a strainer to make stock is not necessarily something that we would recommend, at least not as a "making stock technique". The main reason for this is because it can be misinterpreted. By this I mean that some may use a smaller strainer, some may have a strainer that does not go very deep, some may have strainers that have holes up the sides which could be dangerous and messy when it comes time to strain the stock. Also, if the strainer does not reach the bottom of the pot then one would likely end up using more water then necessary.

Of course all that being said, if you want to try it then you can. In the end if you are happy with the results then that is what matters. Cheers!

I'm trying to figure out how to best use the left over turkey carcass from Thanksgiving. I have made a stock using the directions here. After simmering for a while, I discovered the skin left an off-taste to the stock. I removed the skin at that point and then added some left-over gravy to smooth out the texture/flavor.

Just wondering if anyone had some successful tips on best way to make soup from the carcass.

Will try to remove more of the skin next time, but it left me wondering what others are doing.

Thanks.

We often use the leftover bones and skin from leftover turkey/chicken carcasses to make a yummy stock. You do not need to discard the skin prior to making stock; however, keep in mind that whatever seasoning you put on the bird will impact the flavor of the stock. We freeze leftover and then make a bigger batch, but you can make a smaller stock with just one carcass - it's up to you.

By adding gravy to the stock, this will definitely impact the color and clarity of the stock, but if it tastes good, that's all that counts.

To make stock-based soups, make sure to check out the lesson on How to Make Stock-Based Clear Soups. This lesson shows you how to make soup by building layers and adding a homemade stock. Cheers!

I attempted my first stock last night. I was trying to make a dark chicken stock for the chicken marsala recipe today. My stock came out with a very red color and the bones were not complete when I removed them. Also, when I woke up the top 1/4 inch was all red, then half was a cloudy dark but solid looking part, and the very bottom 1/4 inch looked like stock. Can you point me in the right directtion?

When stock congeals in the fridge the top layer is fat. This layer can turn red - simply remove this. The next layer is congealed because it has gelatin - this is good stuff and will melt when heated. The last layer is more liquidy.

Now, it sounds like your stock boiled rather than simmered, which will make it cloudy. Also, it sounds like you may have not skimmed the stock enough during cooking. Remember the keys to stock making: simmer and skim off not only scum but fat (chicken bones render a lot of fat).

Stock needs attention and a bit of experience and observation. This is an opportunity for you to make a better one and learn more about how cooking works and developing your culinary instincts. As a teacher I come across cloudy stocks on a daily basis - but students do eventually learn to make them right with practice.

Well, I made my first white stock and it came out pretty good! Looks like the video and have a fat cap today to skim. But what I really want to know is do you have to have fresh uncooked bones? Can you us the leftover bones from dinner?

Congratulations on your first stock! Yes, you can use leftover, cooked bones in stock. If you read through this thread, there is some discussion on it. Happy cooking!

I really like how it's demonstrated that good stock should not be boiled. The graphical demonstration with the diced carrot really hammers this point home. I've found that most cookbooks don't really make this distinction...Thanks!

-rich