Test Kitchen tips

Store stock in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; boil before using. Freeze in portions for up to 6 months. Keep a container in the freezer for oddments to be used for stock – onion skins, celery tops, less-thancrisp carrots and peelings, parsnips, green end of leeks and herb stalks. Don’t peel vegetables, just wash and chop. Include onion skin for colour. Parsnips, mushrooms and tomatoes can be used; avoid starchy vegetables and beetroot. Parmesan cheese rind is a delicious addition to stock. Keep chicken bones and meat or fish bones; freeze these separately, until you have enough to make stock.