Please, a newbie question concerning chicken stock.

[raksmama]

I have another newbie question concerning chicken stock. Is there any reason why you cannot use lemon juice instead of vinegar when making a chicken broth? We all hate the taste of vinegar. We never use it. All our salads are with lemon juice. I read through Nourishing Traditions but she never mentions this.
Thanks!

[cristeen]

My understanding is that you just need an acid. But you dont actually taste it in the end product.

[Magelet]

I beleive as cristeen said, that the acidity is what is needed. (because minerals leach out more in acid liquid. It's why some people only drink alkaline water, to make sure that their minerals stay in their body.)

lemon juice should be fine. I've used distilled white vinegar in a pinch, and didn't taste that (and it's so much stronger than apple cider vinegar). it's just a little bit, not so much you can taste it at all.

[Llyra]

I think it would probably work just fine. We've also used dry white wine, on occasion.

[EdnaMarie]

I don't use chicken stock. I replace it with water and salt in nearly every recipe. I've been told my dishes taste old-fashioned and fresh. I just keep the chicken stock as-is for cooking if I do have some left over from cooking a whole bird.

[CherryBomb]

Originally Posted by EdnaMarie

I don't use chicken stock. I replace it with water and salt in nearly every recipe. I've been told my dishes taste old-fashioned and fresh. I just keep the chicken stock as-is for cooking if I do have some left over from cooking a whole bird.

Well, it's not about taste, it's about the vitamins and nutrients in the bone broth. The acid helps pull the minerals out of the bones.

OP, you can use any acid, but it really doesn't matter if you're concerned about taste. You won't be using enough to taste it, anyway.

I've got some beef bones thawing out for some beef stew tomorrow I'll have enough stock for french onion soup the next day, too!

[JessicaS]

I do use lemon juice.


I put chicken stock in practically everything. I just freeze it in ice cube trays and use it when making rice and all sorts of things.

[BedHead]

I save all my veggie ends and peels and throw them into my stock, and the other day I had three lemon halves I threw in and it was a much nicer smell when it was cooking than when I use vinegar.

[raksmama]

OP here! Thanks for all the replies! I did use vinegar and you are all right, you don't taste it at all in the stock. Good to know however that I can use lemon juice since we often don't even have vinegar in the house except for cleaning.