storing stock

The Best Way to Freeze Broth

When we make rich broths we always make plenty so we'll have extra on hand. In the past we would freeze broth in plastic containers, but the variety of lumpy shapes—round, rectangular, tall, short—made them hard to fit in the freezer without wasting space. Then we discovered the solution: Ziploc Double Zipper heavy duty freezer bags are the best way to freeze broths. We've tried other brands of sealable plastic bags for this purpose but they've proven to be less sturdy and sometimes leak.

First, we label and date each bag with a permanent marker (otherwise we'll never remember what the broth is or when we made it). Then we stand the bag up in a large metal mixing bowl to support it and pour the broth right in. We use quart-size bags, which fit a little over 2 cups, but use any size bags you need. We seal the bag up slowly, gently pushing all the air out. When all the bags are sealed, we make sure they're dry so they don't freeze together. Then we lay the bags one on top of the other—like a stack of books—on a sheet tray that fits in our freezer. Once they are frozen, the tray comes out and the bags are stored neatly thanks to this space-saving trick.