Topic: Stock. I've never really had an answer to this.

[tim]

How different in real terms is a can of beef or chicken stock from a dissolved cube?

[katynewbie]

 ???

Wish I knew! Have often wondered myself, must read the label next time I see some.

[Trevor_D]

And how different again is home-made stock with home-grown veggies in?

[MrsKP]

lots of salt in cubes i think !

[debster]

ok hubby again to the rescue says that there is absolutely no substitute for home made stock however if what is available in the tin is home made stock or the equivalent with little salt then it is far superior to cubes you can also use boullion but all pre prepared ones are salty (not sure about tin ones as there are so many) all add flavour but home made wins hands downs.
might not be able to help with gardening questions but have my own expert on food so ask away  :D

[tim]

Good!

Yes, I always make my own when the goods are there. How else can you get the jelly! (***)

What I'm trying to clarify is whether a Cube is dehydrated bought-in ready-made Stock - ie the same thing without the water?? If so, you're paying a lot for the water!!

And, with Cubes, yes -- I always go for 'low salt' &/or Organic.

(***) Added this remark after the rest & perhaps I've partially answered my own question??

[legendaryone]

Could you not look at the ingredients ?

[tim]

Quite a good idea, really!  For example:

Stock. Beef Stock 6%, Beef Bouillon 5%. (What's the difference, please?)

Cube. Beef Fat 3%. Powdered Beef 4%.

In both cases plus Vegetable Stock or Extracts.

Just wondered whether they start in the same way as we do, with the real ingredients, & then 'spin dry'.

[tim]

Missed the point a bit there.

Which is - discounting the amount of salt, are you really getting something very much better paying £1.45 for a can, rather than a cube (same end quantity) at 1/6th the price.

If not, why buy water??

[Debs]

I ALWAYS make stock from leftover carcass bones - although I do use the cubes in emergencys.

I personally PREFER to use reduced, home-made stock than a salty stock cube.

Debs :)

[tim]

I prefer the stock from a raw carcass/bones.

[Jeannine]

I like to use raw bones, especially beef and well brown them on a high heat in the oven, then make them into stock. Half an hour in the prssure cooker.

Tim, re cubes versus cans. I rarely use either but I have noticed that some brands of  tinned seems to taste less man made than the cube if that makes any sense.However the price makes a difference so considering that in too I would probably use a cube rather than a cheap tinned,or a better quality tinned which can be expensive.

xx Jeannine

[asbean]

We always make our own, it is far superior and we have control over the salt content.    We make about 5-6 litres at a time about every three weeks and freeze it. 

[rosebud]

How do you freeze 5/6litres please.

[asbean]

In 5 or six one-litre containers  :) :) :)

[euronerd]

I'm not going to attempt to answer Tim's question but, with regard to freezing large quantites, after boiling and straining the stock, I drastically reduce it to maybe about a third or a quarter the original volume before freezing it in small containers. I doubt I'd even fit five or six litres in my freezer, even before the bean/ tomato/ harvest comes along.  :-\

   As an aside, I would guess that the dominating taste of bought-in stock is good old monosodium glutamate (E621 from memory). Asian stores usually have it if you need it.

Geoff.

[Melbourne12]

How different in real terms is a can of beef or chicken stock from a dissolved cube?

I know a little about the manufacture of canned soups and bouillon, but nothing about stock cubes.

But I found this amazingly frank  ;D website: http://www.stock-cubes.com/formulas.html which tells you how to start manufacturing stock cubes.  They have nothing to do with stock, and a lot to do with flavourings and colourings (and of course MSG).

If you buy a canned or bottled liquid product it may well have dried ingredients, flavourings, and colourings in it, but it won't be exclusively artificial.  By and large, the more you spend, the higher will be the proportion of "real" meat and veg.  But the meat may well be bulk-canned (preserved beef and chicken are imported from the Far East and South America for this purpose).  The stock will have been pressure cooked, which can impart an odd odour and flavour, and the fats may well have started to oxidise, which makes it taste slightly rancid.

Of course, home-made isn't necessarily perfect.  If you boil bones for too long, you get off-flavours.  The fat content of home-made meat and chicken stocks will tend to be high, and the danger of rancidity, even in the freezer, is correspondingly increased, especially as home cooks don't use anti-oxidants.

[tim]

Very helpful.

So one does not need the actual meat in anything - just the smell of it?

Rather like this - does it say FISH anywhere?

And still can't figure the difference between Bouillon & Stock??

[Melbourne12]

I've always understood a "bouillon" to be a clear liquid, whereas stock can be cloudy or thick.

The label from your can is interesting.  Apart from the tomato puree and the herbs & spices it looks as though it's entirely artificial.  I guess that in that case you might just as well use a cube!

[asbean]

Or make your own  :P :P :P