The Store-Bought Pantry Staple Frugal Shoppers Typically Avoid

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We get it. When dinnertime strikes on a weeknight, busy home cooks don't always have hours to devote to building a slow-and-low stock. Convenient, ready-to-pour broth may save time, but it also made our overpriced roundup of six common store-bought foods that frugal shoppers always avoid. Beyond picking your pocket, it also costs your meal major dimensionality.

Making homemade stock isn't just a sustainable exercise in zero-waste cooking; it's also (basically) free. By stashing stray vegetable odds and ends in a resealable gallon bag in the freezer, when stock o'clock strikes, home cooks will already have everything they need on hand. From onion scraps to bits of shallots, celery, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, herb stems, and even peels and roots, you can toss it all in the bag, and (later) into the stock pot. Pro tip: If your finished stock is feeling a little "blah," just add Tasting Table's tried-and-true aromatic stock-saver trio: Ginger, garlic, and scallion (you can thank us later).

Prefer a meaty broth? Freeze the marrow-packed beef bones, picked-clean wings, or whole chicken carcass from a dinner you've already eaten. Then, later on, just set the heat to low and step away while that simmering stock transforms into something magical. The rich, flavorful collagen gelatin in those bones releases into the cooking liquid, creating both a robust depth of flavor and a full-bodied texture. Opting for the homemade route also allows greater control over the tasting profile, skipping additives and excess sodium while retaining precious nutrients.

A Reddit thread in r/Cooking asks, "Is making [your] own stock worth it? Have been watching a bunch of videos on making your own stock and it looks simple enough but quite time consuming." The top comment (with over 100 upvotes) answers, "It takes time, but it takes very little effort. It's nearly all hands-off time. It just does its thing. And it is absolutely worth it if you want real, quality stock." Indeed, you can literally set the pot to simmer and walk away. The only other step is a final strain at the end. To expedite the process, enlist the help of an appliance — in an Instant Pot, homemade chicken stock comes together in just 35 minutes. 

Multiple commenters mention Better Than Bouillon as a solidly reliable alternative to homemade stock (and indeed, here at Tasting Table, we're outspoken fans of the ingredient). Regarding budget, an 8-ounce jar of premium roasted chicken Better Than Bouillon base currently costs $4.49 on Amazon. At 38 servings per jar, that shakes out to less than $0.12 per serving — a lot more attractive than, for instance, a 32-ounce box of ready-to-pour chicken broth by Swanson (currently $4.19 at Target, $1.05 per serving). Still, making homemade stock from the ingredient scraps you already have is ultimately the cheapest and most flavorful route. Keeping a resealable stock bag in the freezer can save mucho money in the long run.