Stock-ness

If you haven't noticed, I like to follow almost each and every word with "ness." It just makes it so much fancier, and more profound. Fabulous-ness. Thrifty Good-ness. Chocolaty-ness. Yummy-ness. I mean, aren't you feeling enlightened already?

So of course a boring, non-life altering blog post on making your own stock, needs to be followed by "ness" because really, in a small, simple way, this technically could change your life, or at least how much money you spend on stock each month...

So here is a pictoral demonstration on just how stinkin' easy it is to make your own stock. I mainly make chicken stock or veggie stock. Although I do have to admit that I will still add a boullion cube or two to soups for the flalvor aspect, as this stock doesn't pack a super huge flavor punch, but it does add oodles of good-ness. Think of all the fab veggie-ness that oozes into this stock, which then formulates your soup, and eventually gives your body all that vegetabley good-ness that it so desperately needs. Not to mention the lack of sodium. I dare you to read the sodium content of your average bouillion cube. Mind blowing I tell you...

OK, OK, so step one. Keep a big resealable bag in your freezer, and during the week as you are chopping veggies for the week, throw the "junk" into the bag.

Behold vegetable junk...
Once the bag is about full, throw the "junk" into a large stock pot. Add chicken bones if you are making a chicken stock. Then just add enough water to cover the junk...
Bring the water up to a simmer, and let it simmer for 45 minutes (only) for a veggie stock. A chicken stock I normally cook for 3-4 hours. Make sure it doesn't boil, but just lightly simmers. Stir every so often to make sure all the veggies are getting a good run for their money!!!
A veggie stock. 45 minutes later.
Once your stock is done, get your supplies. Cheesecloth is a must. You can find this at your local grocery store, kind of in the kitcheny stuff aisle. Around $2.50 per package. It lasts me months!

Next cut a like 4"x4" square of cheesecloth (doubled folded) and place it over the bottom of a strainer. I put mine over a measuring cup (it works out surprisingly well), that way as I'm scooping out the broth I know exactly how much I'm getting.
A better look at the strainer over the measuring cup. Perfect fit. Although you could easily do this over a bowl or a pot. But this way its one less dish dirtied (because its important to measure just how much stock you do get).
I initially just try to scoop the liquid, but by the end, all the veggie junk ends up in the strainer and I'm just squeezing the daylights out of the veggies. Trying to get every drop that I can out. I was surprised that I was able to get an extra cup of stock, just out of squishing the veggies down.

The end result? A happy little Ziploc bag filled with 8 cups of veggie stock goodness. I put what type of broth it is, the date I made it, and how much liquid there is. Then I lay it flat in the freezer (which takes up so little space), and whip it out whenever I'm making up some soup.
Voila, stock brilliance!

PS. And I reuse the veggie bag. Once I empty it, I just keep it in the freezer until I get some more veggie junk. I always throw out any bags that might have any meat or bones in it though.