Making broth at home is an effective method to save money and minimize food waste. It allows for complete control over ingredients and flavor. Properly preparing stock ingredients is crucial to avoid bitterness. Key pitfalls include over-roasting bones and vegetables, particularly onions, garlic, or carrots, and simmering herbs like bay leaves too long. It's recommended to roast bones until a deep golden hue without burning, and to maintain a gentle simmer. Rinsing and blanching animal bones before use helps to remove impurities and reduces bitterness.
"Bitterness usually stems from over-roasting bones or vegetables - especially onions, garlic, or carrots - or from simmering herbs like bay leaves for too long."
"Roast bones to a deep golden hue but not burnt," Piva instructs, adding that you must "always maintain a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil, to prevent over-extraction of tannins and other bitter compounds."
"I rinse my bones carefully to remove any blood or scum," explains Ji Hye Kim, the chef and owner of Miss Kim.
"Then I use the Asian method of blanching the [bones] first." The chef notes that blanching leaves fewer impurities to skim off later, and it also reduces the bitterness of stock.
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