I learned how to make my own stock and quit the boxed stuff for good

• Stock is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make at home because you can use just about any combination of bones, vegetables, and herbs you have on hand.
• The easiest way to cook stock is to use the bones, cartilage, or carcasses from a meat dish — so whenever you have a chicken dinner, you can put the scraps to good use.
• It lasts for a while in your freezer, too, so you can make it and defrost it whenever you need.
• Check out our guide to the best stockpots you can buy.

Stock is one of those pantry staples that professional chefs always suggest you should have on hand, thanks to its versatility.

Sure, it serves as a base for soups and stews. But stock can also be used instead of water to add major flavor to things like sauces and risotto. "We like to call it liquid gold," says Paige Riordan, owner and executive chef of Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge in Mission Viejo, California.

That being said, there is one major misconception about stock that we should clear up: vegetarian versions of it don't actually qualify. "It requires bones and cartilage because they're high in gelatin," Riordan says. "Vegetarian stock doesn't exist. It's marketing. You can get a lot of flavor out of veggie broth, but it will never truly be stock."

So what goes into a stock? The basics are meat bones or carcasses, vegetables, herbs, and spices. But when it comes to specifics, there's plenty of room for improvisation. "Most people use onion, celery, garlic, and pepper," Riordan says. "But if you have some squash in the fridge that you won't use before it goes bad, you can slice it up and throw it in there. You can use an entire carrot, including the greens."

I like to roast a chicken, eat it for dinner, and then use the carcass to make stock, leaving some meat and cartilage on the bones for a deeper flavor. If you have a butcher or a fishmonger debone your meat for you, just ask them to keep the bones — you can even store them in the freezer until you're ready to use them.

How to make stock

While stock may seem impossible to mess up, there are a few things to keep in mind. "You can use cooked veggies, not just raw," Riordan says. "You just have to halve the cooking time of your stock, or else the vegetables will break down and become bitter."

You also don't want to stir, because the motion will cause your stock to turn cloudy. If you notice a film developing along the top of the stock as it bubbles, don't worry. "You'll just skim that off when your stock is done cooking," Riordan says.

Finally, make sure not to add salt. According to Riordan, "You're going to use your stock in a dish, and you'll season the dish while you're cooking. Salting the stock can result in an over-salted dish." It's like when bakers tell you to use unsalted butter in recipes — the same logic applies.

It seems easy, right? But just in case you need some guidance, Riordan has shared her recipe for stock below. Just remember that your measurements don't have to be precise, and if you don't have all of these ingredients, you can swap in whichever veggies and herbs are in your fridge.

Ingredients

• Turkey or chicken carcass (if you're making beef or veal stock, use any of the bones)
• Celery tops and 1 large celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces, with top stems still intact
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of any aromatics, such as parsley, tarragon, or dill
• A handful of whole peppercorns
• Any additional vegetables you may have in your fridge, such as turnips, shallots, onions, etc.
• Cold water

In need of groceries? Here are the best places to buy groceries online.

What else you'll need

• One large soup pot or Dutch oven with lid

Steps

1. Place bones and skin from chicken or turkey carcass into a large pot.
2. Add vegetables and herbs, and then cover with cold water.
3. Add peppercorns and bring to a boil.
4. As soon as the water hits a rolling boil, bring the heat down to a simmer.
5. Simmer partially covered for at least 3-4 hours, occasionally skimming the top to remove any film. Do not stir. You can cook for up to 24 hours, so long as you aren't using cooked vegetables.
6. Remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon and discard or compost.
7. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.
8. Once strained, allow your stock to cool completely before storing it in the vessel of your choosing. (I like mason jars for this.) Stock can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days, in the freezer for 6-9 months, or pressure-canned for up to a year.