Blanching bones for white stock.

Blanching bones for white stock.

• A. To remove impurities and reduce cloudiness, resulting in a clearer stock.
• B. To add color to the stock.
• C. To increase gelatin extraction.
• D. To speed up cooking time.

Answer: (A)

Blanching bones before making white stock targets impurities that cause cloudiness. A quick boil of the bones in water pulls out blood, fats, and other particulates that would otherwise cloud the stock. Skimming off the scum and discarding that initial water leaves you with cleaner bones to start with in fresh water, so the finished stock stays pale and clear. Other ideas don’t fit the goal of white stock. Blanching isn’t meant to add color—that’s achieved by roasting bones for darker stock. Maximizing gelatin comes from long, gentle simmering with collagen-rich bones rather than a blanching step. And blanching adds an extra step rather than speeding up the overall cooking time.

Blanching bones before making white stock targets impurities that cause cloudiness. A quick boil of the bones in water pulls out blood, fats, and other particulates that would otherwise cloud the stock. Skimming off the scum and discarding that initial water leaves you with cleaner bones to start with in fresh water, so the finished stock stays pale and clear.

Other ideas don’t fit the goal of white stock. Blanching isn’t meant to add color—that’s achieved by roasting bones for darker stock. Maximizing gelatin comes from long, gentle simmering with collagen-rich bones rather than a blanching step. And blanching adds an extra step rather than speeding up the overall cooking time.