The Best Homemade Broth

A homemade broth is simply irreplaceable in a household. Various broths often can serve as an independent dish or a basis for more complicated dishes. In the second case, the taste of the broth will be crucial.

We are going to tell you some secrets on proper broth cooking. This way it will be even more tasty and healthy. Also we’ll tell you how to store broth so that it retains the health benefits!

Put the Meat in Cold Water

If you immerse meat in boiling water, this will disrupt the natural release of aroma. Healthy collagen and aroma are extracted from the bones during cooking. Add salt to cold water, immerse the meat into it, and only then turn on a low heat.

Add Vegetables

Versatile broth is prepared in such a way as to suit anything: from sauce to pot roast. That is why seasonings and other ingredients other than meat are not usually added to broth. However, if you know how you’re going to use the broth in the future, you can add vegetables. They bring extra aroma and flavour. Salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and vegetables such as celery, onions and carrots are the best option for broth.

It’s All About Bones

A particular mouthwatering aroma in the meat broth has nothing to do with meat. It’s all because of the bones. Therefore, you should at first cook the meat with bones for at least 30–40 minutes, until they release the aroma. After this, you can easily separate meat and bone and return the meat to the pan so that it’s cooked thoroughly.

Brown First

Try browning the bones in a frying pan before placing them in the broth. They will caramelize and add a particular pleasant aroma to your broth. While preparing for cooking chicken broth, brown the chicken with onions and carrots, which will add flavor and color to the broth.

Broth Made on Broth

The taste and aroma of double broths have no parallel, but you must know exactly what you want to get in the end. The process of cooking a double broth shows the skill of the cook, so you need to be patient and feel free to experiment in the kitchen.

Try It With Umami

In the last 10 minutes of cooking broth, add several drops of fish sauce in order to reproduce umami flavour typical for Japanese cuisine. See for yourself if it is called delightful in vain.

Second Broth vs. First One

Many people don’t use the first broth, draining it, and preparing dishes on the second one. However, due to this, the taste and health benefits obtained during the cooking of the first broth are lost. Water should not be changed, it’s enough to remove the foam with pieces of bones and meat. Foam contains excess protein, remove it, and your broth will be golden

Strain the Broth

Often it’s not enough just to remove the foam from the broth, because it still contains pieces of meat or bones. In such cases, strain the broth through several layers of cheesecloth.

Cool It Properly

It’s very important to cool the broth before harmful bacteria form in it. Place the pan in an ice bath and stir until the temperature drops to 41 °F (5 °C). After that, you can safely put the broth in the refrigerator.

Store Correctly

Broth can be stored in the refrigerator in sealed package for no longer than a week, provided that it’s properly refrigerated. You can extend the shelf life of the broth if you freeze it in ice tins or in the airtight container. After that, you can use the broth to make sauces, pot roast or other dishes.

It often happens that different cooks use the same ingredients to make the same soup, but they still turn out different. These secrets will help you cook the most delicious broth, which will be the best base for your dishes.
Share your secrets of cooking and storing broth in the comments!

Lisa

Like many people nowadays, I love to explore new places. My favorite type is slow travelling, when you can really blend in with locals and learn about new cultures and languages. But I think there are also perfect times for enjoying freshly baked pastry, a cup of fragrant coffee, and a good movie in the comfort of your own home. I guess I'm kind of a cultural omnivore, and I watch different types of movies, but the ones about art and food inspire me the most!