The Fundamentals of Stock Making From Scratch

There’s something almost magical about a pot of homemade stock simmering away on your stove. That rich, golden liquid transforms ordinary dishes into something special-and once you’ve tasted the real thing, those store-bought cartons just won’t cut it anymore.

But but: stock making intimidates a lot of people. It shouldn’t. Your great-grandmother made stock without a recipe, and you can too.

What Exactly Is Stock, Anyway?

Let’s clear up some confusion first. Stock and broth get used interchangeably, but they’re different beasts.

Stock comes from bones. You’re extracting collagen, minerals, and deep savory flavor from the skeletal bits. When it cools, good stock turns jiggly like Jell-O. That’s the collagen doing its thing.

Broth - that’s made primarily from meat. It’s lighter, more straightforward.

Bone broth sits somewhere in between-longer cooking times than traditional stock, often with some meat still attached to the bones, and usually sipped on its own rather than used as a cooking ingredient.

For our purposes today, we’re talking about proper stock. The culinary foundation that French chefs call “fond”-literally meaning “base” or “foundation.

Why Bother Making Your Own?

Fair question - here’s my honest take.

Store-bought stock is convenient - some brands are decent. But most contain way too much sodium, mysterious “natural flavors,” and lack that silky body you get from real gelatin. They taste flat.

Homemade stock costs almost nothing if you save your scraps. Onion ends, carrot peels, celery leaves, that chicken carcass from Sunday dinner-all garbage destined for the trash becomes liquid gold.

And the flavor - night and day difference. Your risotto will thank you - your soups will sing. Gravies become velvety smooth without any flour tricks.

Plus there’s something deeply satisfying about it. Primal, even. You’re doing what cooks have done for centuries.

The Basic Formula

Stock making follows a simple ratio that works regardless of what bones you’re using:

Bones + Aromatics + Water + Time = Stock

That’s it - no fancy equipment required. A big pot, some patience, and you’re set.

The Bones

Different bones give different results:

• Chicken backs and necks: Best for beginners. Mild flavor, cooks relatively fast (3-4 hours), tons of collagen
• Chicken feet: Sounds weird, tastes amazing. These are collagen bombs-add a few to any chicken stock
• Beef knuckles and marrow bones: Rich, hearty, beefy. Need longer cooking (8-12 hours minimum)
• Pork neck bones: Underrated and cheap.

Roasting your bones first creates brown stock-deeper color, more complex flavor. Skip the roasting for white stock, which is lighter and more versatile. Both have their place.

The Aromatics

The classic French mirepoix: onion, carrot, celery in a 2:1:1 ratio. You don’t need to be precise here.

I keep a gallon bag in my freezer for scraps. Onion skins (they add golden color), leek tops, mushroom stems, parsley stems, thyme sprigs. When the bag is full, stock day happens.

What NOT to add:

• Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts)-they turn sulfurous and stinky
• Beets-unless you want pink stock
• Potatoes-they make everything cloudy and starchy
• Bell peppers-too dominant and slightly bitter after long cooking

Bay leaves, peppercorns, and a few parsley stems round things out. Go easy on strong herbs like rosemary or sage. They’ll take over.

The Actual Process

Here’s my method for chicken stock. Adjust timing for other proteins.

**Start cold. ** Put your bones in the pot, cover with cold water by about two inches. Cold water extracts proteins more gently, giving you clearer stock.

**Bring to a simmer slowly. ** This takes maybe 30-45 minutes. Don’t rush it. As the water heats, scum will rise to the surface-gray foam that’s coagulated proteins and impurities.

**Skim the scum - ** I know, tedious. But it matters. That foam makes your stock cloudy and can add off-flavors. Get most of it in the first hour. After that, you can relax.

**Never let it boil hard. ** This is the golden rule. A gentle simmer-lazy bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds-extracts flavor without emulsifying fat into the liquid. Boiling makes cloudy, greasy stock.

**Add aromatics partway through. ** Vegetables break down faster than bones. For a 4-hour chicken stock, add your mirepoix and herbs after the first 2 hours. For longer beef stocks, maybe 3-4 hours before you’re done.

**Taste as you go. ** Around hour three for chicken, start tasting. You’re looking for depth-that savory richness that hits the back of your tongue. When water starts tasting like something worth eating, you’re getting there.

**Strain and cool properly. ** This part trips people up. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, or cheesecloth if you want crystal clarity. Don’t press on the solids-that squeezes out cloudy liquid.

Cool quickly. Room temperature stock is a bacteria party waiting to happen. Ice baths work great. Or set your pot (lid off) in a sink of cold water, stirring occasionally.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

**Stock turned cloudy - ** Probably boiled too hard. It’s still perfectly usable, just not as pretty. Next time, keep that simmer gentle.

**Tastes weak? ** Either not enough bones, too much water, or not enough time. You can reduce it on the stove to concentrate flavor.

**Too salty? ** Shouldn’t happen unless you salted it. Here’s my controversial take: don’t salt your stock at all. Season whatever dish you’re making instead. This gives you way more control.

**Didn’t gel when cold - ** Need more collagen-rich bones. Feet, necks, wings, joints-the gnarly bits. Or cook longer to extract more gelatin.

**Tastes bitter? ** Overcooked aromatics, or your vegetables included something they shouldn’t have. Sometimes very old bones get bitter too.

Storage and Using Your Liquid Gold

Fresh stock keeps 4-5 days refrigerated. The fat cap that forms on top actually helps preserve it-leave it on until you’re ready to use the stock.

For longer storage, freeze it. I pour into ice cube trays for small amounts (perfect for deglazing pans), muffin tins for medium portions, and quart containers for soup-sized batches. Frozen stock keeps 6 months easily.

What to make with it - everything.

Risotto needs good stock-it’s literally half the dish. Braises become more luxurious. Rice cooked in stock instead of water transforms a boring side into something memorable. Sauces gain body and depth. Soup goes from meh to marvelous.

And if your stock gelled properly, try reducing it way down until it’s almost syrupy. That’s called glace-meat glue in the best possible way. A spoonful enriches any sauce.

The Bottom Line

Stock making isn’t hard - it’s barely even cooking, really. You’re putting stuff in water and waiting.

But that simple act connects you to generations of cooks who understood that good food starts with good foundations. Everything tastes better when built on homemade stock.

Start saving your scraps this week. Next Sunday, put them in a pot with some water. Walk away for a few hours. Strain, cool, and freeze.

Your future self-standing over a pot of soup that tastes like it came from a restaurant-will thank you.