Beef – Right stock color

beefstock

I did beef stock for two times, with more-or-less same ingredients/steps, but the resulting color was different. For the first time, the color was amber, for the second time, it was brownish.

What does participate in the color of the stock and what is the "right" color of the stock, that signalizes, that the result is successful?

The differences between the stocks, that I can tell, were:

  • There was a little meaty part in the second stock, the first was just bones and joints
  • The second had a bunch of thyme
  • The second was simmering for ~36 hours, the first for ~22.

Best Answer

There is no single right color for stock. The color will depend on:

  • How deeply you have roasted the ingredients (which makes the stock more brown) before extracting the stock; and
  • How concentrated or reduced the stock is

If you have a good flavor, your stock is good.