The Truth About Homemade Stock
A pot of fresh stock simmering all day is a beautiful thing. The aroma that fills the kitchen is pretty intoxicating, but so is having a life outside the kitchen.
Of course, if you’re making something where stock is the whole backbone like a consommé, a clear chicken soup, or a delicate broth-based risotto — then yes, homemade stock should be your first move.
Yes, I love the process of simmering bones and aromatics. I’ve done it for years in restaurants with big pots, bags of bones, the whole ritual. But at home? Real life is real life. Most people have tiny freezers, a busy week ahead, and if we’re being honest — you’re not going to pack your freezer with gallons of stock blocks unless you’re a soup fanatic. You’re going to save that space for the things you actually want on hand: maybe chicken, lamb, ground beef, all the stuff you’ll actually cook.
The Shortcut That Saves My Kitchen
According to popular (and wildly misguided) opinion, if you’re a chef or even just a serious home cook, you’re supposed to spend your Saturdays boiling bones in quiet devotion while the rest of the world sips bottomless Bloody Marys at brunch. Sorry I missed the memo on that sacred stock ritual.
This is the shortcut I’ll never apologize for: Better Than Bouillon.
It’s concentrated, it tastes great, and it gets me to the good part of spending time with my family and maybe sipping a martini. That little jar in my fridge door has saved more meals than I can count.
Shortcuts vs. Homemade Stock: What Really Matters
So if you ever feel bad about using a shortcut like this — don’t.
We spend so much time chasing some perfect idea of “scratch cooking” that we forget what really matters: the meal you get to share, not the gallons of broth you may never finish that is sitting in the freezer.
A smart shortcut that works is worth its weight in gold, because it frees you up for the parts of cooking that really matter. This is why from scratch stock isn’t realistic for everyone.
And if anyone gives you grief, tell them to check their freezer and then come back when they’ve made dinner for ten on a Tuesday.
