Your new kitchen best friend: the stock pot.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of my slow cooker (I have a
Cuisinart) but, I am also just as much a fan of the humble stockpot. Mainly because you can achieve a massive batch of stock or even soup or casseroles in much less time than a slow cooker. You also have the convenience of being able to store it in your fridge afterwards.
Why make your own stock?
No nasties. No added salt.
For a number of years I’ve been making my own chicken and vegetable stock, the reason being, I don’t like the extra salt and I like to know what’s in my stock. I control the herbs that go into the stock, which means I control the flavour, whether I want it more classic or if I want to add Asian flavours to it.
Save your scraps.
I save the tops and tails of veggies such as carrots, onions, celery, zucchini, broccoli stalks and the bones of uncooked chicken. I pop them in the freezer in a bag (one for veggies and one for chicken bones) and as the weather cools down, I use them to make stock. This means making stock is a very cheap exercise. You can even use the bones from a roast chicken.
Why use a stockpot?
Well here’s the thing, when I make my chicken stock, I use 4 chicken carcasses and a whole heap of veggies. To make that worthwhile doing, there needs to be a lot of water in there. You want to have at least 5 litres of water in the pot with the other ingredients, so it’s important that you have a big enough pot (with a lid) to handle that. Ideally, you’re looking for a pot like the
Le Creuset stock pot in the pictures, with a 7.6L capacity.
But aren’t they a pain to store?
No more so than your average deep saucepan and to be honest, the amount you’ll use it, it won’t be stored much. Think winter soups, casseroles, chicken stock, veggie stock, tomato sugo, they can all be done in a stock pot and in bulk, so you’re able to stock up your fridge or freezer.
What to look for in a stockpot
For me, it’s all about the capacity and the construction. I like a good quality stockpot like this Le Creuset one that allows for good heat transfer. The enameled interior is perfect for cooking stock.
Make sure your stockpot comes with a lid or purchase one for it, as the goal of making stock is to create a lot of liquid rather than having it evaporate. The domed lid of the Le Creuset makes it perfect for stock as the evaporated liquid hits the lid and runs back down into the pot.
Don’t worry, this stock pot isn’t made of cast iron, so it is easy to lift and carry.
How big does my stockpot need to be?
Basically, a 7.6 litre stockpot will make you up to 6 litres of stock in one sitting. That’s a lot of stock! So you have to factor the size of your freezer and your family into your purchase decision. I find it takes about 6-8 weeks for my family of four to use 6 litres of stock. So think about what you use stock for and how many people you’re feeding to work out what size you need.
What else can I use my stockpot for?
Double batching! A stockpot means you can double or even triple batch your favourite casseroles, stews and soups. This is my favourite hacks for dinners, double batching so that you can put some away for other nights when you don’t feel like cooking! Basically I do this all the winter and stockpile the second half of each batch, freezing for times when we are super busy, or everyone has a cold or we just can’t be bothered. It makes everything a lot easier when a warming winter dinner can be on the table in minutes.
Kylie used a Le Creuset 7.6 litre stock pot in Cerise red.
To view our range of stockpots click here
About the Author:
Kylie blogs about kids and family foods at
Kidgredients, she loves cooking family friendly meals that everyone will enjoy and has a passion for making family favourites that are healthy, fun and delicious.
