Concentrated broth

[MaryIsobel]

I have been buying this lately rather than the 1 litre boxes of broth. Of course homemade is always better but one doesn't always have that on hand. This takes up much less space, somtimes, if I don't need four cups - I throw the concentrate in the freezer.

[Darienne]

I've never seen that item before.

 

We've been using Better Than Bouillon for a while now.  It certainly doesn't take up any room.  Mostly I keep an assortment of chicken pieces in the freezer and make broth.  

[Anna N]

I just checked my online grocery store and it is available but I also use Better Than Bouillon and usually use the vegetarian version even when chicken/beef is called for. It just seems tastier to me. 

[btbyrd]

The best products of this type are made by More Than Gourmet. They come in small 1.5oz pucks or in a 16oz tub, the latter of which will make 5 gallons of stock. That's 19 liters. But I never use it that way... I just add it to stocks, stews, or sauces to enrich the flavor and add body. It's very high in gelatin, and sets up *very* firm in the fridge, where it keeps basically forever. 

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, btbyrd said:

The best products of this type are made by More Than Gourmet.

 

I bought a shit-ton of these at the beginning of lockdown; lots of different flavors to play with.

 

But after using them for a while, you do get the sense that everything tastes sort of the same, maybe?

Edited March 26 by weinoo (log)

[btbyrd]

Maybe. I don't know, I've just tried the chicken, beef, and veal products. I usually keep a roast chicken one on hand and either a beef one (like glace de viande) or veal demi glace. If you use them kind of straightforwardly for pan sauces, I suppose they can taste similar because they're all reductions made from roasted bones. But the veal demi is probably the most neutral, followed by the chicken. The beef one I usually buy is roaster and meatier tasting than those two, but is still in a similar ballpark.

 

I like them mostly because they're reductions of well made, gelatinous stock that isn't full of yeast extract and hydrolyzed soy protein or whatever. That stuff is fine, but if I'm buying stock, I'd rather buy actual stock than water that's been tarted up with exogenous glutamatic acid and had a chicken waved over it.

[BeeZee]

Thanks for the reminder on More than Gourmet, they usually have it at my local supermarket and it will come in handy for enhancing some chicken soup I need to make for Passover.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

Thanks for the reminder on More than Gourmet, they usually have it at my local supermarket and it will come in handy for enhancing some chicken soup I need to make for Passover.

 

As if your (or my) bubbe would ever...

 

4 hours ago, btbyrd said:

If you use them kind of straightforwardly for pan sauces, I suppose they can taste similar because they're all reductions made from roasted bones. But the veal demi is probably the most neutral, followed by the chicken. The beef one I usually buy is roaster and meatier tasting than those two, but is still in a similar ballpark.

 

I like them mostly because they're reductions of well made, gelatinous stock that isn't full of yeast extract and hydrolyzed soy protein or whatever. That stuff is fine, but if I'm buying stock, I'd rather buy actual stock than water that's been tarted up with exogenous glutamatic acid and had a chicken waved over it.

 

I just checked my pantry and found a well-expired assorted 6 pack! I guess I went through a phase due to reasons beyond my control.

 

 These are undoubtedly more "natural" than Better than Bouillon's stuff.... 

 

 

However, I still find a flavor profile that is distinctly not "home cooking," if that makes any sense.

[weinoo]

It's great for reverse-engineered Rice-a-Roni!!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Since I seem to use "boat"loads of chicken broth, lots more than I can easily create at home, I have been using Swanson's version of the OPs concentrate.    Really handy, proper portions for us.    And a pretty hefty but neutral flavor.    ie., no extraneous spices or herbs.    I like this product.

re reliance on these concentrates, powder or liquid, while I rely on them, I have to agree that they can become the shadow flavor profile of your cooking if not used judiciously.

[heidih]

8 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

re reliance on these concentrates, powder or liquid, while I rely on them, I have to agree that they can become the shadow flavor profile of your cooking if not used judiciously.

I noticed that too and went more neutral, relying on the taste of the ingredients. Re-introduced as you note, judiciously. It was like the crutch of cream when I first started cooking. Tastes good but flavors get blurred.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

(I still love cream and butter.)