Please recommend a commercial chicken stock

11 years ago

I generally use my own stock made from the carcass of pastured poultry chicken, so I'm pretty fussy. But I'm expecting five friends who don't eat red meat and they'll be visiting for 5 days, and I don't have nearly enough of my own stock. I have no idea what store bought stock is good and what is lousy, and I know they vary considerably. Cooks Illustrated did a taste test some time ago, but I didn't pay attention. Now I need advice. Please recommend a good brand that I'm likely to find at Kroger.

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User

11 years ago

Someone did a taste test and recommended Rachel Ray's stock (???) which was a surprise, at least to me.

I buy Knorr concentrated stock - it comes in cute little containers.

Knorr concentrated chicken stock

I also found this the other day, and they make a chicken version, too

Concentrated stock

I doubt any of them are nearly as good as yours.

If there's a small gourmet market in town, they may make their own and sell it in quart containers. A lot of them cook their own chickens for whatever, and have lots of stock left. That's the good stuff.

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Comments (10)

foodonastump
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I don't know if it's CI's current favorite, but not long ago when I subscribed it was Swanson's Certified Organic. That's what I've been using since. Chickeny, mild, no off flavors or bouillon cube taste that I've found in other brands.
sushipup1
11 years ago
Trader Joe's has a very good boxed stock that is very very low sodium. I have trouble with the excessive saltiness of most brands, and the "reduced sodium" products are still loaded.
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laceyvail 6A, WV
Original Author
11 years ago
Keep the suggestions coming. Unfortunately, no Trader Joe's for many, many miles. Kroger probably has the Swansons.
sushipup1
11 years ago
Our Safeway also carries a very low sodium boxed stock. Not sure of the name of it, but my friend says it's good. By very low, I mean, less than 100 mg per serving. Check the labels.
bbstx
11 years ago
Like FOAS, I started using Swanson's because it was recommended by CI. I must have missed the part that said "organic." I use Swanson's Low Sodium Chicken Stock or Broth in the aseptic package (box). I also use their beef broth and stock. Last week I wasn't feeling well. One day I had a cup of Swanson's chicken broth for lunch. For my palate, it was perfectly fine.

DD tried Pacific Organic chicken broth once. She didn't like it and switched back to Swanson's.
Lars
11 years ago
I do not trust CI because they use way too much salt in their recipes, whereas saltiness is an issue for me. I have bought Imagine brand, which I thought was acceptable, but I prefer the Trader Joe's low sodium, although I seldom buy chicken broth - only at Thanksgiving or Christmas when I have run out of my own. I never put salt in stock that I am making, and I'm not sure why bought stock has to have any salt in it either - maybe it is a preservative.

Lars
adja
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Hi there! When I'm rushed to buy CS, I buy either the Costco organic brand or Kitchen basics which you can find at Kroger's. Good luck!
mike_kaiser_gw
11 years ago
I usually use Swanson's "Natural Goodness" chicken broth. It's "lower" sodium and fat free, available in both cans and cartons almost everywhere.
arley_gw
11 years ago
Ditto on both the Trader Joe's and the Costco chicken stock, and ditto on the lower salt versions; most commercial stocks are way too salty, and I never buy the regular versions. You can always add salt if you need it, but I use so little salt in cooking that regular versions seem excessively salty.

Please recommend a commercial chicken stock

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foodonastump

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laceyvail 6A, WV
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Please recommend a commercial chicken stock

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laceyvail 6A, WVOriginal Author

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