To make the bouillon cubes, is simple and they work really well. Yes, they take a bit more time to prepare than just running to the store and buying the commercial bouillon cubes, but having them prepared will save you time in the kitchen.
First you can buy organic no preservative stock or …
Make Your Own Bouillon Cubes:
Step 1- Drain off solids from the stocks and run through a flour bag kitchen towel or cheese cloth to get the stock as pure as possible.
Step 2 -Put the stock into a clean pot and let the stock cook down to where it’s really thick (molasses thick).
Step 3 – Pour into mason jars or let the stock cool completely and then pour into ice-cube trays and place in the freezer.
Step 4 – When the cubes are solid remove them from the trays; wrap each one in foil and store in a freezer bag. Label and date, use within 6 months.
Note: Each cube will make 1 cup of soup.
Here’s my reasons for making my own bouillon:
I’ve experimented with many different ways to make chicken broth/stock and bouillon cubes, but the following recipe for bouillon is my favorite method. It balances expense and taste. I personally find that using some leftover bones and some raw bone in chicken pieces make the best tasting bouillon. But why go through the (very little) trouble of making your own bouillon? Let me give you 6 reasons.
1) Better use of Resources
Throwing away the bones of chickens is truthfully a terrible waste (though it occasionally happens even in our home). Those bones are full of minerals such as calcium that can be used to nourish your family. I am not a vegetarian, however I feel that we should treat the death of an animal with respect and part of that respect is utilizing every part of that chicken as much as possible.
2) Saves Money
And when we do that, we win be saving money too! We don’t have to buy those expensive “natural” boxes of chicken broth in the store.
3) More Nutritious
Not only do we save money making our own, but it’s so much more nutritious. Even the natural brands are very watered down and poor nutritionally speaking. They use coloring (natural ones) and “natural flavorings” often to make up for the poor quality of the stock bouillon. Less natural brands can be full of refined salts and MSG. Making your own broth and bouillon gives you a mineral rich, nutritious base for all sorts of wonderful meals.
4) It Tastes Better
Are you really that surprised that homemade broth and bouillon tastes better? Good nutrition is most always paired with superior taste.
5) Improves Your Cooking
A good homemade broth bouillon gives you the foundation for making delicious soups and sauces and a myriad of other uses. You can cook your grains and legumes in it for extra nutrition and taste (which helps improve mineral absorption if you are concerned about phytic acid’s impact). You can flavor stir fry’s, chicken pot pie, taco filling and many other dishes with it. Having chicken broth bouillon on hand gives you the ability to make some wonderful dishes easily.
6) Gives You Many Health Benefits
Besides the rich nutrition you get from it, you also get other health benefits. An excellent (long) article on the topic was published by the Weston Price Foundation, called Why Broth is Beautiful. Here we learn that the gelatin rich broth helps the digestibility of our entire meal, supports liver function, as well as aiding bone and teeth health through the easily absorbed minerals.
I hope I’ve sold you on the idea!
Northerly Nosh 