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Take your soups and gravies to the next level with my Ham Stock recipe! Once you experience the amazing depth of flavor of a homemade stock, you’ll never go back. Plus, it’s easier than you’d ever imagine.
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Ham Bone Broth
Up until recently, it had never occurred to me just how important using homemade stock was. After all, I could make delicious soups with just a boxed broth, so why would it matter if I used stock instead?
The first time I popped a ham bone in a pot and tried out pork bone stock, I realized how wrong I’d been. The ham stock soup I made with it was worlds better than anything I’d ever made before. I’m not exaggerating, the difference is huge!
Plus, homemade ham broth is so easy to make, and a great way to eliminate food waste by using every part of the ham. Try it out in your next soup or gravy, and you’ll be just as amazed as I was!
Ham Broth Ingredients
- Ham bone
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bay leaves
- Water
How to Make Ham Stock
- In a large pot add the ham bones, roughly chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, onion, and water.
- Cover with a lid, them simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir the broth well, then remove the bay leaves.
- Pour the broth through very fine strainer or cheese cloth, then use in anything from soup to gravy to sipping from a cup!
Ham Stock Tips
- This recipe is the perfect way to make use of a leftover ham bone. Store the bone in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
- Once the stock has cooked, set the bone aside and let it cool, then pick away the leftover meat. It should fall free from the bone easily and be ultra-tender!
- Vegetables and seasonings add even more great flavor, but in a pinch, you can make this stock with only the bone and water. It’ll still taste great!
I can’t recommend using this stock and the meat from the bone in a soup enough! Use it instead of cubed ham and chicken stock for my Leftover Ham Soup recipe and be amazed at the rich flavor, or use it for Ham Bone Soup!
Ham Stock FAQs
As salt is not necessary to add to bone broth, ham bone broth is typically a lower sodium alternative to jarred and boxed broths and stocks. The flavor instead comes from the bone marrow and leftover meat!
Ham stock is made from boiling ham bones, vegetables and aromatics in water until the flavor is extracted from the leftover meat and marrow. Ham stock uses bone, so it typically has a deeper flavor and thicker consistency than broth without bone.
Homemade ham stock should be used within 7 days. Frozen, stock will last 3 months. I suggest freezing it in cup-sized portions for easy defrosting for soups and gravy!
How to Store Ham Broth
I always find myself with spare stock, so if you end up in that position, I recommend separating out 1-2 cup portions of broth in separate freezer safe containers. Then set each one in the freezer, with labels. Pull out one or more at a time and pop them directly into soups!
If you have a ham bone and won’t have time to make stock soon, place the bone in a freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. It can be placed in a pot to make stock directly from the freezer without needing to wait for it to thaw.
Ham Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you!
📋 Recipe
Ham Stock
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- Ham bone
- 2 stalks Celery halved
- 2 Carrots roughly chopped
- ½ Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Bay leaves
- 12 cups Water
Instructions
- In a large pot add the ham bones, roughly chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, half an onion, and 12 cups of water.Ham bone, 2 stalks Celery, 2 Carrots, ½ Onion, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 Bay leaves, 12 cups Water
- Cover with a lid, them simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir the broth well, then remove the bay leaves.
- Pour the broth through very fine strainer or cheese cloth, then use in anything from soup to gravy to sipping from a cup!
Video
Notes
- This recipe is the perfect way to make use of a leftover ham bone. Store the bone in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
- Once the the stock has cooked, set the bone aside and let it cool, then pick away the leftover meat. It should fall free from the bone easily and be ultra tender!
- Vegetables and seasonings add even more great flavor, but in a pinch, you can make this stock with only the bone and water. It’ll still taste great!
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!