Difference between Stock and Broth

A lot of people may have thought that “stock” and “broth” were similar terms for the same thing: savory liquid seasoned with vegetables, meat scraps, and bones used as a foundation for soups, sauces, and other foods.

In fact, the method of producing each of these liquids is very identical. So it turns out that there is indeed a slight so important differential in stock and broth.

Stock and Broth have a number of similarities, but they’re really two separate things. There are three essential aspects that differentiate stock and broth: ingredients, processing time, and the existence (or lack) of seasoning.

Stock is made by simmering a mix of animal bones (usually including several bits of meat), mirepoix (a mixture of onions, carrots and celery) and aromatics in water. Stock often contains bones, but not always meat. Often the bones are roasted first, which makes the stock richer, more deeply colored, although this move is not necessary to the process.

Technically speaking, the broth is any substance that has cooked meat in it. My simmering meat (which can include bones but does not have to be), mirepoix, and aromatics are produced in water for a fairly brief amount of time, typically less than two hours.

In comparison to the stock, the broth is normally seasoned. This comes to an end with a thin, delicious liquid that will not gel when chilled, and is used in the same way as the product you might have, for soups, sauces and braises. And because it’s seasoned, it’s tasteful and delicious on its own.