Do you have frequent trouble where your homemade broth doesn’t gel after being chilled in the refrigerator? This is a problem to solve quickly, as correct preparation is one of the foundational techniques of Traditional Cooking.
So critical is properly made, gelled homemade stock to the ongoing maintenance of health that Dr. Francis Pottenger MD, author of the nutrition classic Pottenger’s Cats, considered the stockpot the most important piece of equipment in the kitchen.
Homemade stock is so essential because it contains ample amounts of gelatin, a colloidal substance that attracts digestive juices to itself and prevents gastrointestinal bugs from attaching themselves to the gut wall and wreaking havoc. Natural gelatin both assists digestion and keeps you well!
In addition to gelatin, stock contains minerals such as calcium, silicon, sulphur, magnesium, phosphorus, and trace minerals all in a form that is incredibly easy for the body to absorb.
Do you take expensive supplements for joint pain or arthritis?
Simply adding homemade stock on a frequent basis to your diet will do your cartilage, tendons, and joints a world of good as stock also contains collagen, chondroitin sulfates, and glucosamine.
With homemade stock such a critical food to health, it is important to make it correctly. One sign that you have indeed performed the task well is that your stock gels beautifully once it is chilled in the refrigerator.
If you find that your stock won’t gel most of the time, here are the 5 typical reasons why as described by Monica Corrado, MA, CNC, and author of the blog Simply Being Well. Monica teaches cooking classes and does consultations, so be sure to check her website for this information if you could use some coaching.
Reasons Why Stock and Bone Broth Won’t Gel
- The stock rolled at too high a temperature. If stock or broth is simmered too high, the heat will break down and destroy the collagen. To see what the perfect simmer on your stock should look like, see my short video on the subject by clicking here.
- The stock did not roll long enough. Once you get that perfect simmer or “roll” going, be sure that chicken stock rolls for 6-24 hours and beef stock for 12-50 hours. Less than that will likely not draw enough gelatin into the stock from the bones.
- Not enough of the right kind of bones were used that yield gelatin. To get the right mix of bones that yield gelatin versus other types of bones that add flavor and color, make sure you use one of the following methods: 1 whole, free-range layer hen with neck and wings cut up, 3-4 lbs of boney chicken parts which includes a combo of necks, backs, and wings, OR the picked carcass of 2 meat chickens. For beef stock, use about 7 lbs bones total (4 lbs of boney bones and 3 lbs of meaty bones).
- Too much water was used in proportion to the bones. For chickens, the correct proportion is 3-4 lbs of bones per 4 quarts of filtered water. For beef stock, the correct proportion is 7 lbs of bones per 4 quarts of water or more to cover.
- Using bones from battery chickens or chickens raised in cages. Conventionally raised chickens or chickens raised in cages typically yield little to no gelatin. It is worth the extra money to get quality when you buy meat especially if you will be using those bones to make stock.
To get additional gelatin, add 2-4 chicken feet to the stockpot or even the head for even more! If your chicken is a rooster, add the comb. This will also add gelatin along with testosterone to the stock which adult men may find appealing as levels tend to decline with age.
Failsafe Solution If Your Stock Won’t Gel
If despite all your best efforts, you still come up with a pot of stock that does not gel, add 1 TBL of powdered gelatin per quart of liquid.
Vetted sources of good quality gelatin are available under the Supplements Section of my Shopping Guide.
Hopefully, these tips will help you solve the riddle of why your stock doesn’t gel so that the time you spend on this age-old culinary tradition is well spent producing the most nutrient-dense stock possible!
More Information about Gelatin
The Reason You Need More Gelatin in Your Diet
Gelatin and Collagen Hydrolysate: What’s the Difference?
The Benefits of Gelatin and How to Get More in Your Stock
Video: Stock that Gels!
More Information on Broth and Stock
How to Make Turkey Stock
The Healthiest and Best Bone Broth
How to Make Duck Stock
Rabbit Stock
How to Make Beef and Chicken Stock
How to Make Shrimp Stock
Confused about Stock versus Bone Broth?
The Perfect Simmer on Your Bone Broth
I didn’t realize several of the areas for stock making which you suggested, thanks for adding these. When I baked my 7lb pastured chicken, I saved all the “juice” it turned out that was solid gel. I made my stock and added the 2 cups of “juice”. However, the stock had very little taste even with the onions, celery, spices, and 2 cups of chicken. How do I get more chicken flavor? I ended up adding 1 teas curry and a quart of home canned tomatoes; it passes but…
Great post –
2 questions:
1. Can you tell me more about adding gelatin to the stock. I just purchased some from radiant life. For best results, when do you add it? When it is still hot?
2. I often make stock from a chicken carcass that has been previously roasted. For example, I’ll roast a chicken with butter or oil one night, eat most of the meat as dinner, and then add water to make a stock with the leftover fat and carcass. What are the thoughts on this approach?
Many thanks.
I have the same question–I’ve been using previously roasted chicken carcasses for my stock the same way as Sharon described. The leftover broth/gravy from when I originally roasted the chicken usually gels but not the stock made from the leftover bones. Why is that?
Great post….learned a lot. I make beef and chicken stock and sometimes they gel, sometimes not, but this helped me understand why it may not be gelling! Thanks!
A perpetual stock is not a high quality stock?
I’ve never done a perpetual stock. I just make huge batches and that seems to work fine for us.
I have a friend who makes a perpetual stock and she loves it.
I have now made chicken broth and beef broth, both by stockpot and slow cooker. Never been gelantinous. I’m so discouraged. I follow the recipe in Eat Fat/Lost Fat. I buy online the best source of bones or carcass. I’m beginning to wonder if I am using enough bones? But I’m not going to give up! My stocks taste good but they don’t have gelatin.
If I make stock in the crockpot on low, it won’t gel. Maybe the temperature is too low. I’ve been sticking with the stovetop and it always gel, but next time I’ll try my crockpot on high.
The pot in your picture looks just like one from a set my mom has had for as long as I remember. She bought them over 30 years ago for $200 (criticized by family for spending so much at the time), but she still uses them! It’s so hard to find a heavy duty stainless steel pot like that now. Any suggestions on a brand?
I’ve had my set since I got married almost 21 years ago! Wedding gift … they have been fantastic. Don’t know much about current brands as I’ve not been in the market.
For my gas range, I stack the cover plates or frames on top of each other which gives a couple of extra inches from the flame and allows for a slower boil
GREAT idea 🙂
You do not have to take the fat off if you don’t want to. Personal preference. Some folks find the fat makes the broth too oily; others love it that way. If you do remove it, save that fat as it is spectacular for sauteing veggies..
Just want to make sure – so adding the vinegar won’t harm the process? Also, what do you do after you chill it, scoop it out and warm it back up to drink in individual proportions? And do you HAVE to take the fat off if you know the source of the meat? I was thinking it was good for you, but I mostly read to remove it.
Of course add vinegar. The directions for making it are in the video link in the first part of the blog post. This post was just about the reasons why it wouldn’t gel.
My actually completely gelled up the first time I made stock from chicken. I even did it in a crockpot so I wasn’t expecting it to turn out right, but it did!
You’re a natural Kelli!