Homemade Ham Stock
Enjoyed ham for the holidays? Don’t throw out that bone! This homemade ham stock recipe is simple to make and great for using in other recipes.
Ingredients
- 36 ounce leftover ham bone, or 2 ham hocks
- 1 large yellow , roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 5-6 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 cups water
Directions
- If you use fresh vegetables, start by rough chopping 1 large yellow onion, 2 carrots, and 2 ribs of celery into large chunks. No need to peel the carrots and you can use celery with leaves and all. Simply smash 4-5 garlic cloves and you can leave the skin on. Toss everything into a large stock pot or Dutch-oven.
- Place the ham bone on top of the veggies and add enough water to cover everything, at least 16 cups if you can fit it all in your pot. If using a frozen ham bone, you don’t have to thaw it first.
- Toss 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 4-5 sprigs of fresh parsley, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf into the pot and begin heating it over medium high heat. Bring it to a low boil, then cover the pot and reduce heat to medium low.
- Continue to simmer at a low heat for 3-4 hours, occasionally skimming the surface to remove any scum that forms. Give it a stir occasionally also, just to keep any vegetables from sticking to the bottom and burning. If the water seems like it is evaporating too quickly, add some more water and lower the temperature slightly.
- Once reduced and finished cooking, turn off the heat and you can remove some of the larger pieces with tongs. Carefully pour the remaining stock through a fine mesh strainer into another pot. You can repeat this process 1-2 times more and/or strain through a cheesecloth if you want a very clear stock.
- Portion the stock into canning jars and allow it to cool completely before refrigerating. You’re now ready to use it for any other recipe you would like.
Notes
1) Ham Bone – Perfect way to use a leftover ham bone from a holiday meal, but if you don’t have one, you can substitute with a few ham hocks instead. Keep in mind that ham hocks/shanks will have a lot more collagen that breaks down as they cook, so the fat content will be higher.
2) Slow Cooker – If you have a slow cooker that can fit all the ingredients, you can also make the stock in there instead. Add everything and cook on high for 8 hours, or low for about 12 hours.
3) Nutritional Information – I didn’t add the nutritional info for this stock because it’s almost impossible for me to give you an accurate amount. Depending on the size and weight of the bone and how much meat is left on it can vary the data significantly. While pre-cooked ham bone doesn’t contribute a lot of nutrients to the stock, it does have a decent amount of protein, sodium, and collagen.
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