How/Why Does Broth Burn?
When simmering a basic chicken or beef broth (bones/meat/onion/carrot/spices) the result generally improves with time until, often, after a long time (on the order of 12-24 hours) the broth and solids change color significantly in the 'dark' direction and it smells a bit, well, burnt. Not 'gross throw it out', but definitely a 'darker' aroma and appearance.
I'm confused about how this happens. There's still significant liquid in the pot so why is anything burning? The temperature should still be hanging out close to 100C/212F. If color wasn't developing before, why does it eventually develop now? Does it have to do with any solid pieces poking up above the waterline? I wouldn't expect those to have such a different temperature.
Any tips to prevent this? Or is this normal/expected/desired for long 'bone broth' type soups? (Or does this only happen to me?)
Best Answer
Brown meat broth is a traditional recipe in Brazil, where bones and vegetables are roasted in the oven with some olive oil, before they are used in making the broth. This "caramelizing" effect turns the broth brown.
In your case, and as observed in the comments above, when the brothgets "thicker", some pieces of vegetable and bones have reacted at the bottom of the pot with the strong direct heat, getting a bit roasted/burned, which gives you the same "caramelizing" effect as in the Brazilian brown broth recipe described above.
hence you describe in your question:
and it smells a bit, well, burnt.
stirring regularly, to make sure no heavier parts of the broth stay in direct contact with the bottom of the pot for too long, avoid the broth "burning".
photo credit: https://www.temperando.com
Pictures about "How/Why Does Broth Burn?"
Why does my broth taste burnt?
Potatohead Rescues Burnt Soup. If you are using potato in your soup or stew, know that the potato absorbs flavors from the pot, including the burnt flavor. Remove the infected potatoes, switch pots and add a new, raw potato sliced in quarters to the mix. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.Is it possible to burn chicken broth?
When simmering a basic chicken or beef broth (bones/meat/onion/carrot/spices) the result generally improves with time until, often, after a long time (on the order of 12-24 hours) the broth and solids change color significantly in the 'dark' direction and it smells a bit, well, burnt.Can broth be overcooked?
Simmer Your Bones Long Enough, But Not Too Long Yet, if you cook your broth too long, it will develop overcooked, off-flavors that can become particularly unpleasant if you've added vegetables to the broth pot which tend to break down, tasting at once bitter and overly sweet.How do you fix a burnt stock?
It's good to note the steps I took in case this can help the next cook:How to Make Rich \u0026 Gelatinous Beef Bone Broth - Bone Broth Recipe
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Pixabay, jenvit keiwalinsarid, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska