Health Benefits from Making Your Own Stock

A good stock is often the foundation upon which many soups and stews are made. It can also add lots of flavor to other dishes, as well, such as sauces, meats, and vegetables. For example, I make my own stock to use in the bottom of the pan in which I bake my Thanksgiving turkey. (The stock helps to almost steam the turkey, while at the same time infusing it with flavor. See my Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes. ] You can buy cans or cartons of stock at the grocery store; however, it is easy -- and cheaper -- to make your own. What you may not realize, though, is that your homemade stock can actually be much healthier than the store-bought ones.

Store-bought stocks are low in calories, but so is the stock you make at home. This is always good news for weight-watchers. For example, the average store-bought stock has only 10 calories per serving. Your own stock can be made, resulting in no more calories than that of canned/boxed stock; however, the flavor can be much richer. (Note: The gelatin from the meat contains virtually no calories but does give a much richer flavor to your stock. You should also choose vegetables naturally low in calories, such as celery and onions.)

Many of the canned/boxed stocks are also low in fat, but you can make yours with as low a fat content or even fat-free. All you need to do is make sure that you properly skim the fat off your stock. (See below.)

You can also benefit from vitamins and minerals that are leached out of the meat and vegetable scraps you use. Most canned/boxed stocks contain virtually no vitamins or minerals. Homemade stock, however, can contain both. In particular, you can produce extra calcium through the use of bone scraps, which are a great source of this mineral. In addition, many vegetables and herbs contain vitamins important to your health. For example, broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium.

The real health benefit, however, from making your own stock can be derived in lowering the sodium. The average canned/boxed stock contains about 860 milligrams of sodium. If you use no salt in your stock, substituting herbs and spices instead, you can reduce the sodium content to virtually zero. This is good news for your heart, your blood pressure, and your weight.

There are some basics to making your own stock to which you should adhere in order to ensure that your stock is as tasty -- and healthy -- as possible. The first is the ingredients that you use.

You are, of course, going to use the "waste" generated while you are cooking, such as the bones from any meat that you might be cooking and any vegetables parts; e.g., ends of celery, onion skins, and the like. Meat bones not only add flavor but also body to your stock. (Bones contain gelatin, with veal being the best source, which can give a real richness to your stock.) Bones cal also add some calcium to your homemade stock. You can cause more of the calcium to leach out of the bones by adding some acidity to the stock. You can do this by tossing in some tomatoes, adding some vinegar or lemon juice, or throwing in a cut-up lemon. (Any of these ingredients will add some more flavor, too.)

The vegetables that you use should be cut up into large pieces so they will not breakdown during the cooking process. (Such a breakdown can make your stock cloudy.) Add these along with the bones to a large pot of water and simmer on low heat for several hours. You can also infuse even more flavor into your stock without adding salt by adding a bouquet of herbs. (Either tie-up the herbs of your choice using kitchen string or in a cheesecloth, so they can be easily removed once the stock is done.)

After your stock has simmered, strain it through a cheesecloth or even a thin kitchen towel. (If you are going to use the stock, as I often do, in the bottom of a pan to help steam/infuse meat that you are cooking, you can just use a colander to strain your stock.) Refrigerate the stock overnight, after which you can easily skim off the congealed fat that has moved to the top.

You can control the ingredients that go into your stock when you make your own. You can also make it healthier with more flavor than any that you might find in the store.

References:
Rogers, Jean, ed. The Healing Foods Cookbook. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1991.

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