I forget who it was that asked where to find my bulk-cooking secrets; this is one place. I thought it would also make a good place to stash a tip I posted elsewhere.

We have an old, unused coffee urn. You know, the cheap aluminum tower your lcoal thrift shop will have, plus a power cord our local hardware store had.

Since we haven't been hosting the larger Mudcat Gatherings, it's just been gathering dust. One morning an image of a huge speckled-pot canner came into my mind-- I had lusted after one, years ago, that had a SPIGOT to drain off water or stock. With this image, the next image to float into my mind's gallery was that coffee urn. "Yeah, I could put a hinged STEAMER basket into it to catch the bones and vegetable debris from making stock!"

By the time I dug out the urn I had realized it comes with a strainer-- the coffee basket that fits so nice and tight. So Hardi sawed off the metal post that holds it, so it will sit an inch above the heat element in the urn.

And viola! Stock the easy way, any time! Reboiling of old stock to keep it from spoiling! Reboiling old stock with new goodies added for richer flavor! Stock frozen in containers that will fit back in the urn to thaw them! Ai-eeeeeeeeee!


PS, alas our beloved goddess Sophie is selling up. I never figured she'd retire!

~Susan