Here's One Ingredient That Ina Garten Will Always Have In Her Freezer

There are three freezer staples Ina Garten always keeps on hand. But the most versatile, easiest to make, and easiest to freeze is the one that should always be in your freezer too: chicken stock. It's no surprise a woman who's authored books with a focus on making cooking easy and fun likes to have some ingredients prepared ahead of time and ready to go at a moment's notice. It's also no surprise how simple she keeps it when she makes chicken stock. 

She starts with the mirepoix vegetable trio — carrots, celery, and onion — along with parsnips, garlic, and fresh herbs to give her stock a timeless taste. Then, of course, there's the chicken, which she keeps whole. All you have to do is throw everything in a pot and simmer it for several hours (or toss it into an Instant Pot for an hour). Garten doesn't even peel her vegetables — she simply cuts them into large chunks and throws them into the pot. Whole sprigs of thyme, parsley, and dill make the stock fragrant and flavorful. The only other seasonings necessary are good old salt and whole peppercorns. There's no need to be too precious as long as your ingredients are clean. Everything gets strained before it goes into the freezer.

Wouldn't you know Ina Garten even has a stock-related freezer trick to save you time and money? After cooking, let the stock cool down before putting it into a container labeled with the date. Be sure to leave extra room at the top to ensure the container doesn't crack when the liquid freezes and expands. You've probably heard all that before. Here's where her trick comes in. Garten avoids stacking the containers until they're fully frozen so they freeze more quickly. Then when she wants to use it, she allows the stock to defrost in the refrigerator overnight so that she can use it for any occasion.

You can buy freezer-safe deli containers in various sizes on Amazon so you only have to defrost what you need. They come in 1 cup, 1 pint, and 1 quart sizes, and all containers take the same lids. Or you can freeze the stock in ice cube trays for smaller servings you can use to make pan sauces and gravies in a flash. The Doqaus ice cube tray with lids is handy.

Once your chicken stock is frozen, it has unlimited uses in the kitchen as an easy and quick way to add flavor to all sorts of savory dishes, such as ramen and chicken noodle soup broth, rice dishes, curries, and sauces. In fact, keeping chicken stock on hand is one of Ina Garten's many tips for making you a better home cook.