When to add herbs for vegetable stock?

Question

So I making a stock, or maybe it’s a broth, with some leftover vegetable that I have. I don’t really know if it’s a vegetable stock or broth?

 It has carrots celery onions tomato, and some asparagus stems. 

I also have, but haven’t yet put in, parsley and dill.

 I see some recipes for making chicken soup say, to put in the dill and the parsley at the end. Should I also do that if I’m making a stock? Is there a certain time that is the maximum for fill or parsley to be cooking in a broth?

Would love to hear any thoughts or tips, or even better an explanation about how/why it makes a difference, regarding when to add the dill and the parsley.

Answer

I agree with Cygnus. I keep a one gallon freezer tray and fill it with carrot, onion, leek, and celery ends, lettuce cores, wilted greens, mushroom ends, and tomato navels. When it is full I toss the contents in a little olive oil and roast them on a jelly roll pan until lightly browned. Add a handful of herbs de Provence, about a dozen pepper corns, a bay leaf or two, and salt to taste. Cover with water and simmer about two or three hours. It is the most versatile stock in the house. 

I think the "add it at the end" approach makes sense if you are using a fresh herb that you want to be able to taste distinctly. 

I leave vegetables with very strong tastes like asparagus, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts out.

Answer

Dill and parsley can get a bit bitter, especially if you let the stock/broth on to boil for a bit rather than carefully simmering. That may be why the recipes you reviewed said to put in later. Or it could be what Tim's thinking, that these were recipes where dill/parsley were supposed to shine.

But if you just carefully simmer, I don't think they'll get bitter. 

Also, (for next time) I would avoid the asparagus and only use it in an already completed stock if I was making an asparagus type of dish or soup, as I gather some other commenters were thinking as well.

Answer

The issue of the simmer versus the boil that Cooking Chemical Engineer notes is IMO important with all stocks, more so if there is meat, where the motion of boiling will cloud the stock. CCE is right that a full boil will extract more bitterness, too. Over on the Cookware board I have observed the value of a very evenly heating stockpot, including the sidewalls. This ain't making spaghetti!

Answer

There is no hard rule for any of this, just what you prefer. 

If you put raw food in cold water and turn the heat up, the water will take on the flavours of the food. This is basically stock making in a nutshell. 

So if you put in parsley at the start, the stock will take on the parsley flavour. If however you're eating a soup and you'd like bits of fresh parsley in it, then only add parsley as you're serving. 

There is no point in adding parsley at the end of making a stock, and then discarding the parsley. There hasn't been enough time for the stock to take on the parsley flavour, so you're wasting perfectly good parsley. 

As for roasting veggies before making a stock, again that's a personal preference. Roasting will make veggies sweeter so the stock will have a more bold taste, but roasting will also cloud some of the pure veggie flavours. So if you want a delicate broth, don't roast. 

A good stock should be a symphony of flavours imho, where no single flavour dominates. So, yes be careful with strong herbs like dill, but it might make sense to try it out and see for yourself. It's a good way to learn! Oh and finally, don't forget a fresh bay leaf!

Answer

My favorite soup recipe from Moosehead for "mock chicken soup" calls for dillweed. I love the flavor. Dillweed is added with other seasoning before simmering. I would not use asparagus stems and I would not use dill seed. I agree that fresh herbs are good added at the end but dried herbs can be added before long simmering.

Answer

generally speaking, dried herbs and seeds are added at the beginning and fresh herbs towards the end.

agree with most here that parsley, dill and asparagus should only be used if this batch of stock is for a specific recipe. they can be overpowering.

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