Ina Garten's Smart Suggestion If You're Forced To Buy Store-Bought Chicken Stock

The ease with which a person can make chicken stock is in the eye of the beholder. While one home cook might chuck a bunch of poultry parts into a pot of water, the next might study what liquid to meat ratio yields the best possible outcome. The wide variety of readymade stock options at the grocery store or supermarket can also make the whole endeavor seem somewhat suspect, especially when the liquid is getting buried in a big recipe, rather than starring in something like a soup. And one might assume that Ina Garten, who is as synonymous with the notion that store-bought is fine as she is with the Barefoot Contessa brand, would take a pretty firm side. But one would be clucking wrong.

"I actually really prefer homemade chicken stock," Garten said in a segment for Today. "But if you absolutely have to [buy it], just make sure it doesn't have a lot of salt in it," she clarified. The rapid-fire bit in which Garten similarly rules on other foodstuffs (store-bought puff pastry, yea; grated parm, nay) doesn't allow her to elaborate, but it's easy to glean why she prefers less salinity.

Many people monitor their sodium intake for health reasons, which should always be prioritized. And, just like the choice between salted or unsalted butter, there are also culinary considerations to take into account. An unsalted ingredient is going to be the more versatile pick across the board.

Let's say you are making a soothing chicken noodle soup. (Quality store-bought soups are a Ina Garten yea, by the way.) If you're starting out with a salted stock, that base can only become saltier from there. Aside from diluting the whole pot with some water, you cannot walk the salt back. It is better to add, instead. Starting with an unsalted chicken stock lets you actually follow that classic cooking guideline: season to taste. It's just easier to build your flavor enhancers than to have to scramble to dismantle them.

It can frankly be a great idea to wait to add salt to all of your season-to-taste recipes. This obviously won't work in most baked goods, casseroles, or anything that's almost finished by the time it hits the oven, but it keeps dynamic preparations like chilis, stews, and sauces a little more adaptable until the very end. Definitely add a shake along the way as advised and keep sampling to refine, but save some to toss for good luck if you find you just don't need it all.