How to Make a Clear Broth

Soak meat/bones for at least 1 hour to get rid of excess blood and impurities. This includes chicken/chicken bones, pork/pork bones, and beef/beef bones, etc. Change the water out 1-2 times, and once soaked, thoroughly rinse clean.

After soaking and washing, you must also blanch the meat/bones. Simply add the meat/bones to a pot along with enough cold water to fully submerge. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under clean running water.

When vegetables are used, it’s important not to cut them too small. It’s best to keep them around 2 in/5 cm. Small pieces of vegetable will dissolve when simmered for a long time and make the soup cloudy.

Always start with cold water along with all the ingredients in the pot. Once it’s been brought to a boil, immediately turn down the heat to simmer. Stay close-by while waiting for it to boil so the soup does not have a chance to boil longer than that.

Here’s how you know if the stock is simmering at the right temperature: there should be a very slow bubbling from the stock. If there’s absolutely no movement in the liquid, the heat is too low and the “cooking” is not happening. If the soup is bubbling quickly, there is too much disturbance in the liquid, and the stock will reduce faster and lose clarity.

Be sure to simmer with the lid on!