Stock and Broths: Beyond the Carton

Stocks and broths — what comes to mind when you hear those words? Some people might think of a flavorful foundation for a dish, the base of a good soup, or the little cardboard cartons at the store. Maybe your first thought was like mine: “What's the difference?”

Hi, I’m Chef Ted with The Sweet & Savory Classroom. I’ve spent a lot of time learning and practicing stocks and broths, and I want to share what I’ve learned. I also hope to answer some unasked questions and offer insights from my own journey.

First things first: definitions. To keep it simple, stocks are made primarily from bones; broths are made primarily by simmering meat. If a couple bones end up in your broth, that’s fine — just save most bones for stock. Broths tend to simmer for a shorter time, so they don’t become as gelatinous (collagen is pulled from bones during long simmers) and they maintain a lighter flavor. That makes broths pleasant to drink and ideal for dishes with a lighter profile.

You might be thinking, “Chef Ted, why is it called ‘bone broth’ if it’s technically bone stock because it simmers for a long time and doesn’t have meat?” That’s a great question. Technically it’s bone stock, but I feel “bone broth” benefits from alliteration and is more familiar to most people. Historical and research opinions vary; many sources say classic stock is bones and vegetables, and adding meat makes it a broth. Full transparency: I rarely make true broths. I usually use stock where a recipe calls for broth, and dilute it if I want a lighter flavor.

Now let’s talk about the process. Maybe you’ve been saving vegetable scraps, broke down your first chicken (see our video on breaking down a chicken), or have a pork shoulder bone. First decide what color you want: light or dark. For a light stock, put the bones straight into the pot. For a dark stock, coat the bones with a little oil and roast them in the oven until the Maillard reaction develops color. Add tomato paste and roast again until caramelized, then transfer to the pot.

Next, add a mirepoix (2:1:1 ratio of onion:carrot:celery). For a dark stock, roast and caramelize the mirepoix as well. Then add aromatics — this is where you customize flavors. I always add garlic cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Look around your kitchen for fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, or rosemary, or try other aromatics like cumin or coriander seeds. Toasting seeds or peppercorns first will deepen their flavor.

 Fill the pot with water, leaving 1–2 inches from the top because water expands as it heats. Bring to a simmer and maintain the simmer until the flavor reaches what you want. I aim for at least 6 hours (or longer) to fully extract flavor from chicken bones. Keep in mind you may need to add more water as time goes on. Strain and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to thicken. Portion and freeze as needed. I also like to warm and reduce my stock by about 75% on day two — it concentrates flavor and minimizes storage needs while making it easy to reconstitute.  

Things to avoid: potatoes and other starchy vegetables will make stock cloudy and dilute flavor. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage) and leafy greens (kale, spinach) can turn stock bitter or green. Beets will color stock red or purple.

I hope this helps deepen your knowledge and skills at home. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Please check out our Recipe of the Week Post on a basic stock recipe and put your new knowledge to the test!   

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