Frozen Stock Cubes

Submitted by Stuart Broz on Thu, 02/12/2009 - 7:12am
Foods: 
Soup
Sauce
Rice
Stock
Topics: 
Freezing
Soups

Over the weekend, I realized that my vegetable scrap box was getting full, so I made some stock.

I also noticed that I had some frozen chicken bones, so I tossed those in and ended up with chicken soup for dinner.

Usually, when I make stock or soup I stash leftovers in freezer safe containers. This time, I reserved some and froze it in an ice cube tray.

Now I have some small, frozen chunks of broth in a freezer bag. They're the perfect size to use for making small quantities of sauces. Alternately, I can toss one in when I'm making rice for a bit of extra umami flavor. Last night, I tossed a couple of them in with a roast that I was braising. Really, they will be good for most places where I need to add a bit more liquid, but don't want to dilute flavor.

Comments

Submitted by matt (not verified) on Wed, 03/11/2009 - 6:38am.

Ice can go a bit funny after a while, odd smelling.
How long would you keep stock frozen for?

Stuart Broz's picture

Submitted by Stuart Broz on Wed, 03/11/2009 - 7:02pm.

If you keep it airtight, it should last a very long time. It shouldn't become unsafe, but flavor might suffer if it is allowed to dry out. How long that will take will depend on humidity, temperature control, and how often you open the container that the stock is stored in...

I wish I could give you a more precise answer. I use my frozen stock quickly, but I've had some that was frozen for several months and have never had a problem.

Submitted by Jack (not verified) on Sat, 12/12/2009 - 9:02am.

Ice, as in frozen water, will (at least in theory) store indefinitely. The odd smell you're referring to is due to the ice absorbing the smell as well as the flavour of other frozen foodstuffs that are stored near it. That is why you should never prepare too many ice cubes in advance or let them sit in the freezer for extended periods of time.

Any food that is properly (and constantly) frozen at or below 0 degrees F (-18C) should always remain safe for consumption. Which is not to say that it will still taste good; most sources don't recommend storing meat products for more than 4-6 months. If you store them longer, the quality is likely to deteriorate, although it will still be edible.

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