How long does stock/broth stay fresh in the fridge?

[Michael_in_TX]

Because I am (yet) not cool enough to make my own stock, I end up buying those 32 oz cartons of chicken stock or broth at the store. (Quick aside: I find the Kitchen Basics brand to be the most flavorful.)

I usually only need one, perhaps two cups of the stuff at most at a time and I was googling to see how long that stuff stays fresh in the fridge. Many sites claim it only stays fresh for a week. This really surprised me....I mean, these commercial stocks/broths are filled with salt and the ones I buy are resealable. A week seems an overly short time frame.

Am I missing something here? How long to do you keep it in the fridge?

(Granted, I am also going to start freezing mine.)

[Donw]

https://stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16482

Opened in fridge 4-5 days.
Frozen 4-6 months.
This is after being opened.

[rickgregory]

A week is short. I'd go 2 easily (and have) but I do check for off aromas. Also, making stock is dead easy. Grab a 1-2 gallon ziploc, put bones in it, keep in freezer. Once you have 1-2 chicken carcasses (or equivalent), toss in a pot, bring to a simmer, let it go for a few hours. Strain into a bowl, let cool, chill. Skim solid fat off if you want, boom done.

[Attjack]

Don't forget a second bag for veggie scraps in the freezer for depth of flavor.

[texastweeter]

I like to roast off the bones and veg to almost a char on one side under the broiler first. Just made 4 gallons of poultry (dove, duck, chicken and turkey) stock last night, and a gallon of beef/venison stock. Attjack

[Attjack]

texastweeter I should try that. I usually just go with a roasted chicken carcass into the IP and top with raw frozen veggies from the freezer. It's my go-to lazy homemade broth technique.

[Andrrr]

I do what rickgregory mentioned above and keep carcasses and onion/carrots/celery that is maybe just passed fresh in the freezer till I’m ready to make stock.
A lot of it gets put into quart size mason jars and frozen for soups down the line but like you I was tired of buying the container of stock and only using a portion of it before going bad. Now what I do is I reserve a good portion of my stock and make ice cubes out of it, throw them in a gallon ziplock and store them in the deep freeze. For my ice cube trays 2 cubes is about 1/4 cup so now I can pull out as much or as little as I need at any time. I’m still discovering new ways to incorporate my cubes into my daily cooking, especially as a substitute for water.
I guess that’s a long way of saying you could try freezing what you have left over in smaller quantities and use as needed.

[rickgregory]

BTW, another way to do 'stock' if you don't feel like making some or just don't have any is chicken base, the low sodium stuff like https://www.amazon.com/Minors-Chicke...s%2C144&sr=8-2

No, it's not like homemade stock and you need to get stuff that is actual stock that's been dehydrated and not the 'artificial flavors' stuff but if you just want to add some chicken flavor to a stew it's surprisingly useful. It's not something you'd want to make a sauce from but for soups etc in a pinch? Very useful to have and lasts FOREVER in the fridge (I'm talking months)

[Mosca]

If you have a vacuum sealer, then pour the leftovers into a ziplock bag and freeze it. Once it’s frozen, put it in a vacuum bag and vacuum seal it, then put it back in the freezer. It should stay good for a long time that way. I’ve kept frozen soup for over a year.

[Jessterr]

Outstanding idea, Mosca. Until now I've been filling stocks and soups into rigid plastic containers for the freezer, but they take up a good amount of space and my freezer is small and typically packed to the hilt. I recently bought my first vacuum sealer and used it for the first time just last night. Was trying to think of how to use it for stocks and soups, so problem solved, thanks for posting! 🍺

[Jim White]

I almost always have opened cartons of chicken, beef and vegetable stock in my fridge. I’ve never given any thought to how long they’ve been in there and never had a problem from it. The chicken and beef turn over pretty fast as I use them often in sauces, stir-fries and soups.

[jfmorris]

Yeah - I've never thought about this either. We have the carton of Swanson or whatever broth in there, and just use it till its gone, a cup or two at a time depending on recipe.

[smokin fool]

I'm in this camp, we've kept open tetras of stock for up to6 weeks with no problems or fatalities.
I will say do a test pour before using, looks like gear lube, hard pass.

[Dan Deter]

I use the chicken fast enough I don't worry about it, but I've probably gone 2 weeks at one time or another. The beef or occasional other varieties I write the date I opened it b/c I don't use them as fast, and do worry it might be too old.

[Michael_in_TX]

I really need to start doing the ice cube thing. It just makes so much sense.

And I am getting there as to making my own stock......I have two quart-sized bags of chicken wing tips in the freezer. Slowly but surely.

[Andrrr]

It is so incredibly easy to do, really hard to screw up, and it makes the house smell amazing. Just remember it’s easier to add salt than take it out so start small and do lots of taste tests.

[Andrrr]

Have you made stock yet?

[Michael_in_TX]

Andrrr Not yet, but am getting very, very close to doing it!

[shify]

I probably let those cartons go 2-3 weeks before I chuck any left. Like most use by dates - the "use within 7 days" on the box should be taken with a grain of salt

[acorgihouse]

I am quite lazy, and yet stock is as easy as you can get. I do it in CrockPot or Instant Pot. Stick carcasses in large Ziplocs in freezer till you're ready, then put in pot and cover with water. Throw in the veg like some have mentioned, and if you are like me and live near Asian Mkt, some chicken feet (load of collagen.) I do in IP lately, put on the 60min soup/stew, let it run, if time do it again. Then, if I'm not ready to strain/store, I just put on slow cook for 10-12 hours. If I'm still not ready, or running out door, start again by turning off and back on. I have let stock cook for two days that way, just keep it going, top off the liquid when needed, and don't let it go to where it turns off. It gets better and better, and like someone else said, the house smells fantastic!

[rickgregory]

I really need to start doing the ice cube thing. It just makes so much sense.

And I am getting there as to making my own stock......I have two quart-sized bags of chicken wing tips in the freezer. Slowly but surely.

Don't just keep the win tips - keep ALL chicken bones. I also don't scrape all the meat off. I take off what I want to eat which, of course, is 90% of the meat but if there are bits left, they stay.

Also, if you eat a lot of chicken and eat all of the parts (drumsticks etc too), it's WAY cheaper to grab a whole chicken and break it down. If you do that and debone it too so you end up with boneless breasts and thighs, you'll have raw chicken carcass. Freeze it too, then either roast at 350 for 20 minutes or not depending on whether you want the browned flavor in your stock.

[CaptainMike]

Ima 2weeker+

[SheilaAnn]

+ 1 on all the storage advice. And +100 on the stock making steps. I only whole chicken for this reason. I get quart size zip bags and portion 2c each. Lay flat to remove any lingering bubbles. Freeze flat and they line up like a filing cabinet in the freezer door. I seem to recall the boxed stuff says use 7 days after opening. So I grab a sharpie and write the date I open it. I like keeping the boxed stuff on hand in case I need it. But my go-to is always homemade.

PSA: roast the bones first for a richer stock and you can practically sub for beef stock!

[CaptainMike]

Getting ready to roast some beef bones and making stock for French onion soup in 5, 4, 3,.......

[FireMan]

Ditto on the whole bird.

[SheilaAnn]

CaptainMike I’m right there! I’m making FOS for Dec 24th.

[FireMan]

If’s ya pour the unused stock from a carton into an ice tray, then ya can freeze it. When ya got cacklebird cubes ya can then dump em in a bag & throw em in the freezer. Pull em out as ya need em.

[fzxdoc]

This.