[estuary]

Hi,

I wonder if any of you long-time stock makers can comment (yet again, I know, but the info is so scattered throughout other posts) on the length of cooking time you find best.

There's one group who says the longer the better for complete mineral availability and another who says a shorter time is better due to the tendency of gelatin to break down.

Then there's the traditional demi-glace in which a stock is simmered until really, really reduced and the gelatin appears to remain intact and useful. Do you think it's simply that the overlong cooking with the bones might make the gelatin change?

I'm finally getting geared up to stock making (got a big stock pot and a freezer, finally) and would love to hear what folks have to say.

Many thanks!

 

[velcromom]

I don't think the reduction for the demi-glace really takes that long, an amount for a recipe can be reduced in a wide skillet on high heat pretty fast. I suppose if you tried to make a lot of it at once it would take longer but I have never seen it done in large amounts... and I am thinking too that the addition of the vinegar might be a factor in longer cooking leading to gel breakdown, most stock for traditional demi-glace is not going to have added vinegar. On the other hand I am sure that even if you do get past the gel point the nutrients are still present.

I like to cook my bone broth about 18 hours. The stock gels nicely, but you can clearly tell that the minerals have left the bones in some quantity as they are soft enough to break between two fingers. I settled on that duration after doing it longer a couple of times and feeling the flavor was better with the somewhat shorter cook.

 

[TzippityDoulah]

I cook about 36 hrs. but really, I just keep an eye on it. when it gets carmely brown and BEFORE it smells burny it's usually perfect. sometimes it reaches that point sooner than others. why? I don't know exactly... it just does heh.

honestly I think it just takes some experimenting. it will depend on the chicken parts, the cooking pots/crocks you use and what else you add to it. I always make sure to have plenty of the "dark meat" bones in it. it makes it thicker and gelatinous. but i also find a whole chicken carcass is a great balance.

oh... and my bones are always cooked with the meat first- a roasted chicken, or BBQ chicken thighs etc... and then after I pick off ALL of the meat I cook the bones for stock. I think cooking them with the meat may change the consistency of the stock and make it more broth like.