How hot does the water need to be when cooking stock?
What's the minimum water temperature for making stock? (from either meat and vegetables, if they're different)
Best Answer
Traditionally, you want it at a very slow simmer, approximately 200 F, 94 C. This is essentially the same for all stocks. This is one case where very few people actually use a thermometer; the visual indication of slow occassional bubbles is a good sign you are the right temperature.
You could probably go lower, but without the visual indication, a thermometer would be required, or even a feedback loup such as is present in a sous-vide setup or immersion circulator. In that case, anything above 140 F / 65 C should be safe, and reasonable extraction amd gelatin conversion times are likely starting around 180 F / 83 C. The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to get a good result.
In the other direction, the main reasons not to go to a full boil are:
- The agitation from the bubbling at a full boil will emulsify and suspend more particles in the body o the stock, leading to a cloudier end product
- The more rapid evaporation may require you to top off the stock pot with fresh water more often in order to keep the ingredients covered by the liquid
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Quick Answer about "How hot does the water need to be when cooking stock?"
Traditionally, you want it at a very slow simmer, approximately 200 F, 94 C. This is essentially the same for all stocks. This is one case where very few people actually use a thermometer; the visual indication of slow occassional bubbles is a good sign you are the right temperature.Do you use hot water for stock?
Start with cold water Plunging vegetables into boiling water causes the surface starch cells to swell. This is a good thing when you want to keep flavor in the vegetables, but for stock you want to leach out the flavor, so cold water is best.How long should you boil stock?
(It helps draw out nutrients and minerals from the bones into the stock.) Simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours, covered, keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays at a simmer. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. Let cool.What happens if you start a stock using hot or warm water?
Start the stock in cold water. As it heats up, blood and other impurities will dissolve in the water and rise to the top. For ultimate clarity, skim off the impurities as they rise to the surface. To avoid a cloudy stock do not stir while it is cooking because the impurities will get trapped in the liquid.Why are stocks started by cold water?
Cold Water for Clearer Stock Certain proteins, most notably albumin, will only dissolve in cold water\u2014and albumin helps clarify a stock. Therefore, starting a stock with cold water helps release the albumin, producing a clearer stock.How to do meat blanching correctly 如何正确汆烫肉类
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