favorite store bought broth/stock/bouillon UPDATE #38

[Tiny]

Do you have a favorite variety of canned or from bullion bouillon  broths (for soup or rice or lentils or beans or whatever else...)?    

I've been using "better than bullion bouillon" veggie base  but I'm wondering if there are other varieties of "broth" I should try.    (I'm a Flexitarian - so my go to is veggie/vegan products but I do use chicken or beef broths for some recipes. ) 

I use to make my own veggie broth - but I was just too inconsistent and really bland and I didn't always have the quantity I might need on hand.  so the "open a packet/can/jar" when needed was more convenient.    

If you have a recipe for veggie or chicken or beef or other broth and want to share please do!

ETA: fixed my spelling of bouillon.     All those extra vowels thru me for a loop.    

[weltschmerz]

I usually make my own chicken broth and freeze it.

Chicken, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, parsnips, dill, parsley. 
Otherwise, I use Knorr bullion cubes when I run out.

There are a few markets here which sell deeply-discounted, wilted vegetables. That's when I make broth.

[Anne_in_VA]

I make my own and freeze it is 2 cup containers or zippy bags.  I freeze them flat so they take up less space.  I don’t generally like store bought broth although Better Than Bullion (sp?) is an acceptable substitute in a pinch.  

[Deleted]

When I made my own it was just too bland. After too many years of trying to get it right, I discovered Better Than Bouillon. I'm a believer. If there's something better, I want to know about it!

[andi9899]

I just use the Sam's brand. I use a lot of chicken broth so I buy a lot of it at once.

[Tiny]

For those who make their own broth - what kind of quantity are you making?

When I was making veggie broth - the yield was a quart or so. I can use that up in a week - 2 cups for lentils or rice and then 2 cups for, well, soup.

Maybe I need to explore some other bigger yield recipes...

[NoNamePerson]

I make my chicken broth but I keep A box of Progresso Chicken Stock and Broth on hand just in case. Not their soup.  I’ve tried different brands over many years and this is one that stopped the trying out other brands.

[Tennesseer]

I only make a chicken 'broth' when making chicken noodle soup.  I will poach the skin-on chicken thighs in either Swansons' or Kroger's chicken broth and later shred the thigh meat for the noodle soup.

I will chill the chicken broth and let the fat rise and solidify at the top.  I will then scrape off about 95% of the fat and leave the rest for use in the noodle soup.

I don't use bullion because I have heard it is high in sodium.

[buystoys]

Whichever one has the least amount of sodium.  I try to make my own, but we've been eating all boneless meat lately.

[dippyegg]

I use Swanson's.  It's readily available everywhere so it's handy.

[chiver78]

I havent yet started making my own again in the new house, so I've been relying on Swanson unsalted broth cartons for the most part. Unsalted isn't available in cans, so I use the 33% less sodium for that size.

[sesfw]

Whichever one has the least amount of sodium.


   I'm a label reader and the lowest sodium of anything is what I buy. I used to use low sodium 'better than boulion' but I'm having problems finding it.  I found a chicken broth at Fry's and I think the brand is something that has 'Pacific' in it.  it's organic and about 50 mg per cup serving. 

Another one I use is 'Herb Ox' sodium free chicken bouillon powder that I order from internet.  Think you can get it in beef also.  I get this in 50 packet boxes.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 1, 2020 15:39:01 GMT -5 Tiny said:

For those who make their own broth - what kind of quantity are you making?

When I was making veggie broth - the yield was a quart or so. I can use that up in a week - 2 cups for lentils or rice and then 2 cups for, well, soup.

Maybe I need to explore some other bigger yield recipes...

It depends on how much stuff I have....chicken carcass or a few thighs? How many veggies and herbs I have. 
I usually get about 6-8 cups.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I have multiple sources of stock or bouillon.  I have Better than Bouillon in both chicken and beef.  There are times where I use this, rather than my precious chicken stock.  I also have canned stock.

I have about 12–15 2 cup containers of chicken stock In the freezer that I make.  These I try to concentrate them down and I use them as the base for soups and gravies, where you need the flavor.  If the flavor isn’t quite as necessary (like in a stir fry sauce where I also have hoisin, soy, fish sauce, etc) I’ll use canned or BTB.  

When I make stock, I usually have a chicken, onion, garlic, carrot, celery tops, handful of herbs, bay leaves and peppercorns.  That gets me about 2-3 quarts of stock.  If I have a Costco chicken carcass, the carcass will normally give me enough stock for a pot of chicken soup.  

[NastyWoman]

I just use TJs organic low sodium broth but I don't use broth often so I don't know how it compares to any of the others mentioned. Except Swanson - I like TJs better

[NoNamePerson]

Oct 1, 2020 14:32:15 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Do you have a favorite variety of canned or from bullion bouillon  broths (for soup or rice or lentils or beans or whatever else...)?    

I've been using "better than bullion bouillon" veggie base  but I'm wondering if there are other varieties of "broth" I should try.    (I'm a Flexitarian - so my go to is veggie/vegan products but I do use chicken or beef broths for some recipes. ) 

I use to make my own veggie broth - but I was just too inconsistent and really bland and I didn't always have the quantity I might need on hand.  so the "open a packet/can/jar" when needed was more convenient.    

If you have a recipe for veggie or chicken or beef or other broth and want to share please do!

ETA: fixed my spelling of bouillon.     All those extra vowels thru me for a loop.    

That wasn't necessary!! Everyone here knew what you were talking about. But I am surprised a spelling Nazi didn't appear  And yep, there are so many vowels that I've considering going to google to see it if originates from Hawaii. Heck, I had to think about how to spell Hawaii   

[daisylu]

I usually make my own, but for recipes using small amounts I use Better than Bouillon.

I use roasted bones (make both beef (usually marrow bones) and chicken), carrots, onion, celery tops, rosemary, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, lemon balm, & fresh ginger. Sometimes add fresh turmeric.

[nittanycheme]

I've started using a brand of concentrate from a company called More Than Gourmet.  Its a jelly like consistency that you then dilute with water.  They have a bunch of different types - mushroom stock, veggie stock, chicken, seafood, etc.  I actually tried it the first time in one of the Blue Apron meals; it was the mushroom one and it was really good!  So, I've gotten the other types and I like them as well.  Some of them are available in my local stores, but I needed to get the mushroom one online.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We've been using 

[Anne_in_VA]

When I make my own stock or broth I make several quarts of it.  I usually freeze the bones from chicken and use them when I have enough from 3 or 4 chickens.  I have a big stockpot and make stock in that.  It makes a lot that I freeze.  

[Tiny]

Looks like I'm in pretty good company with my preference of the "Better than Bouillon" products.

(Bouillon is French...   shouldn't there be a WEE in there with that oui   LOL!)  


I think I will start saving/freezing veggie odds and ends again and take another try at making broth. 

Do any of you use/save the peels from veggies - like onion skins/paper or potato peels?  in your broths?  

[weltschmerz]

Oct 3, 2020 22:55:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Looks like I'm in pretty good company with my preference of the "Better than Bouillon" products.

(Bouillon is French...   shouldn't there be a WEE in there with that oui   LOL!)  


I think I will start saving/freezing veggie odds and ends again and take another try at making broth. 

Do any of you use/save the peels from veggies - like onion skins/paper or potato peels?  in your broths?  

I don't. What I DO save is shrimp and seafood shells in the freezer. They're packed with flavour.
I cook them down with some garlic and use as a base for a seafood sauce or broth to cook clams or mussels.

[irishpad]

Omg, I have been so totally educated with this thread.   I consider myself a good cook but have always just used basic stock/broth products.   You all have shown how naive I am!   Great for you all who do their own stock.   The closest I come to that is when I do a turkey and then make a soup stock from it.    I probably will not make my own stock in the future but will check out the Better than Buoillon products if I can find them on the shelves of our rural stores.   

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 3, 2020 23:34:03 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Omg, I have been so totally educated with this thread.   I consider myself a good cook but have always just used basic stock/broth products.   You all have shown how naive I am!   Great for you all who do their own stock.   The closest I come to that is when I do a turkey and then make a soup stock from it.    I probably will not make my own stock in the future but will check out the Better than Buoillon products if I can find them on the shelves of our rural stores.   

If you have a Costco membership, they carry it and it’s about half the cost of the grocery store for a bigger container.

[irishpad]

Oct 3, 2020 23:41:01 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 3, 2020 23:34:03 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Omg, I have been so totally educated with this thread.   I consider myself a good cook but have always just used basic stock/broth products.   You all have shown how naive I am!   Great for you all who do their own stock.   The closest I come to that is when I do a turkey and then make a soup stock from it.    I probably will not make my own stock in the future but will check out the Better than Buoillon products if I can find them on the shelves of our rural stores.   

If you have a Costco membership, they carry it and it’s about half the cost of the grocery store for a bigger container.

I do have a membership.   Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[NastyWoman]

Oct 3, 2020 23:41:01 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 3, 2020 23:34:03 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Omg, I have been so totally educated with this thread.   I consider myself a good cook but have always just used basic stock/broth products.   You all have shown how naive I am!   Great for you all who do their own stock.   The closest I come to that is when I do a turkey and then make a soup stock from it.    I probably will not make my own stock in the future but will check out the Better than Buoillon products if I can find them on the shelves of our rural stores.   

If you have a Costco membership, they carry it and it’s about half the cost of the grocery store for a bigger container.

And it is on sale

[irishpad]

You all are great!

[stillmovingforward]

Oct 3, 2020 22:55:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Looks like I'm in pretty good company with my preference of the "Better than Bouillon" products.

(Bouillon is French...   shouldn't there be a WEE in there with that oui   LOL!)  


I think I will start saving/freezing veggie odds and ends again and take another try at making broth. 

Do any of you use/save the peels from veggies - like onion skins/paper or potato peels?  in your broths?  

I do. The onion skins and the like are where most of the flavor resides. However I don't recommend potatoe skins as they are so starchy and thicken things. Freeze the veggie bits until you have a bunch, brown them in the oven, and cook in a pot id water on low all day. I really cook it down because you can always add more water but it's hard to remove any 😁 . Then freeze.

[tractor]

Every time I read the title to this thread I see Bourbon, not bullion and I get excited. 🙂😞

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Like others, I make my own and use it for things where the stock is a primary flavor (soups, sauces, etc.).  Funny enough, I have a pot of chicken stock simmering on the stove now because we had a roasted chicken the other night.  I tend to make stock as the opportunity arises, like today, and freeze it for when I need it.  I don't follow a recipe.  I just throw in large chunks of onion, carrots, celery and a bunch of spices and then fill with enough water to cover the carcass and then simmer for hours. 

If I don't have any homemade stock or the flavor isn't a highlight, I have to buy prepared stocks carefully.  Some companies throw unnecessary ingredients like soy protein concentrate into their stocks or bouillions and, well, as you know, we have food allergies.  I buy the jarred Better than Bouillion products and/or the Pacific Foods organic, low salt, free range stocks.