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A Good Housekeeping food editor recommends making a large batch of homemade chicken broth when time allows, then freezing it in portions for later soups. The approach moves the longer cooking step ahead of a soup craving, while letting cooks control ingredients and salt; USDA guidance cited in the report says continuously frozen broth remains safe indefinitely at 0°F or below, though quality is best within two to three months.
A Good Housekeeping food editor recommends making chicken broth ahead and freezing it in portions, so home cooks can use a richer homemade base without starting a long simmer on the day they want soup. The report presents the method as a practical alternative to relying on packaged broth or cooking from scratch when time and energy are limited.
The method is straightforward: simmer a whole chicken with vegetables such as onion, carrots and celery in cool water until the chicken is cooked and the broth has developed flavor. The editor says to check the pot periodically and skim material from the surface. Once the chicken is cooked, remove and shred it; for a deeper broth, the bones can go back into the pot for additional simmering. Strain the finished liquid through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.
After the broth cools, transfer it to freezer-safe containers in amounts suited to future meals. The report describes using several portion sizes: smaller amounts can be useful when making a single serving or a small pot, while larger blocks suit family-size batches. When it is time to cook, thaw and heat the broth, then add ingredients such as chicken, carrots and noodles, or try a different combination, including tortellini with spinach and pesto.
The editor also suggests saving suitable vegetable trimmings, including onion and garlic peels and carrot and celery ends, in a freezer bag for a future batch. Homemade broth gives the cook control over the salt and ingredients, the report says. The supplied article argues that its flavor is richer than many store-bought options, but that is the editor’s assessment, not a measured comparison.
A Longer Cook, on Your Schedule
The central benefit is convenience: the time-intensive part of chicken soup can happen on a day when someone is available to watch the pot, rather than when they are tired, unwell or ready to eat. Freezing broth in portions turns a batch-cooking session into a supply of soup bases that can be used later, with less preparation on the day of the meal.
The approach also gives cooks more control than a ready-made carton may offer. A homemade batch can be seasoned to taste and made with chosen ingredients, while saved vegetable scraps can be put to use instead of discarded. Those are practical advantages; the report does not provide a cost comparison, nutrition analysis or a test measuring whether homemade broth is universally better than packaged products.
freezer-safe chicken broth containers
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From Batch Cooking to Soup Night
The report is a first-person food-editor recommendation from Good Housekeeping, not a new food-safety rule or a formal product test. Its author says convenience ingredients are useful in everyday cooking, but treats chicken broth as an exception because homemade broth, in the author’s view, has greater depth of flavor than broth from a carton or can.
The timing of the method is its main point. Instead of making broth only when a soup craving arises, the cook sets aside a day at home to simmer a large pot, then stores the cooled broth for later. The shredded chicken can be used in the soup immediately or kept for other meals; the report also notes that a cook could use rotisserie chicken when assembling a future soup.
The article cites USDA guidance that broth held continuously frozen at 0°F (−18°C) or below remains safe indefinitely, while recommending use within two to three months for best quality. The source author says broth kept frozen for five months was still fine, but that personal experience does not replace the USDA’s distinction between safety and quality.
““My solution: I make a big batch of homemade broth when I have the time, then freeze it in portions I can pull out whenever a soup craving strikes.””
— Good Housekeeping food editor, in the report
Flavor Claims and Storage Limits
The source does not report a blind taste test or other direct comparison establishing that homemade broth tastes better to all cooks than packaged broth. The claim of greater richness is the editor’s own experience. It also gives no recipe quantities, simmering duration or exact cooling procedure, referring readers elsewhere for a full step-by-step recipe.
The freezer guidance depends on broth staying continuously at 0°F (−18°C) or below. The source does not address what to do after a power interruption or repeated thawing, and it does not specify how long broth may safely remain refrigerated while cooling or after thawing. Readers should follow applicable food-safety guidance and use freezer-safe containers; the report’s broad safety statement is not a claim that quality stays unchanged indefinitely.
Making a Batch for Later
There is no announced follow-up, product launch or scheduled next development. For readers who want to try the method, the next step is to choose a day with time to monitor a simmer, prepare the broth, strain it and let it cool before transferring it to freezer-safe portions. The Good Housekeeping report points to a separate full recipe for detailed instructions.
When using a portion, thaw and reheat it, then add the ingredients for the meal at hand. Labeling containers with the date can help track the report’s two-to-three-month best-quality window. The source does not specify one standard soup recipe or a single ideal portion size, so those choices depend on how much broth a household expects to use at a time.
Key Questions
What is the main chicken soup tip?
Make a large batch of homemade chicken broth in advance, cool it and freeze it in portions. That leaves the broth ready for a later soup without requiring a long simmer that day.
What goes into the broth?
The report describes simmering a whole chicken, onion, carrots and celery in cool water. It suggests removing and shredding the cooked chicken, and optionally returning the bones to the pot for a longer simmer before straining the broth.
How long can frozen chicken broth be kept?
According to USDA guidance cited by Good Housekeeping, broth kept continuously frozen at 0°F (−18°C) or below remains safe indefinitely. For best quality, use it within two to three months.
Can the broth be used for dishes other than chicken noodle soup?
Yes. The report suggests adding ingredients such as tortellini, spinach and pesto, or using the broth as a base for other combinations. It also notes that shredded chicken from the broth can go into dishes such as chicken salad, enchiladas or buffalo chicken dip.
Source: rss
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