How will reducing and freezing affect the flavor of stock?
I have been working on making beef stock for about a month now. I am happy enough with the outcome that I would like to make larger batches and preserve it. It is currently the consistency of jelly after bringing down its temperature and letting it cool in the fridge overnight.
I am considering reducing the stock down to about 25% of its volume, letting it cool and set. Then I want to cut it into pieces, vacuum seal them and freeze them. Then, when I want to use it, add water to it until it is back to its original volume.
I am wondering how much this will affect the flavor of the stock.
Best Answer
I've certainly never detected any adverse effects on the flavour from freezing and/or reducing stock.
However I no longer reduce stock before freezing as it seems like a waste to boil off loads of water only to add it later, when the only benefit is saving surprisingly little freezer space. It comes out a little more concentrated from my new slow cooker anyway, as it's hotter than the old one.
Stock is simmered for hours anyway; getting it very slightly hotter for a few more hours won't do any harm.
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How can stock flavor be reduced?
Date the bag, and store the broth in your freezer for up to 6 months. If you want to freeze in larger portions, that's easy, too! Just pour as much chicken broth as you want into a Ziploc freezer bag. This is one time you'll want to splurge and use actual Ziploc bags instead of store brand.Can I freeze homemade broth?
Either pour into jars at this point, or if you want, what we like to do is to boil the stock on high heat for 1 hour, to reduce it by about half. This way you are storing concentrated stock, which takes less room in the freezer or refrigerator. When you are ready, pour into jars.How much should stock reduce?
How long does cooked chicken stock last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 4 to 6 months, but will remain safe beyond that time. The freezer time shown is for best quality only - cooked chicken stock that has been kept constantly frozen at 0\xb0F will keep safe indefinitely.Bag and Freeze| Part 3| How to Freeze and Defrost Stock and Soup
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