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I've heard that some Chinese Master stocks are 100 years old. If so, how did they store their master stock before the refrigerator was invented?

user3980196
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    Are you sure that we are talking about a real time span? [100 yo eggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg) are fermented for just a few weeks... – Stephie Nov 13 '17 at 10:47
  • Yup, it's the actual timespan. If you research about Chinese master stock, you'll be surprised to learn that. You can look up Master stock on YouTube. – user3980196 Nov 13 '17 at 11:29
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    I don't know, but my theory would center around salt content, boiling, and continuous use. – moscafj Nov 13 '17 at 11:47
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    Different standards and the factors moscafj mentions are you likely keys, but also realize, refrigeration existed long before electricity and refrigerators. There were ice boxes, ice houses, etc. There are evaporation coolers still in use in many places. Not as effective or as safe as modern appliances, but they were known and used and still are in many places. – dlb Nov 13 '17 at 16:41
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    Possibly related https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/37243/is-there-any-danger-to-letting-food-cook-in-a-slow-cooker-for-a-very-long-time/58101#58101 – rackandboneman Nov 13 '17 at 19:26
  • It's old, but it's like the Ship of Theseus. They are boiling 24/7 (boiling liquid does not ferment), and the chefs keep adding more broth to it. I am not sure how much of the original broth would be left after 100 years! – xuq01 Jul 05 '18 at 14:47

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The thing here is to use the stock often. Add to it often with other juices. Keep it at or above 160f. Filter often to keep impurities out. At 160f bacteria does not form in it. If let set bring to boil. Skim & filter. The cook stoves or heat never shut off. If stoves ovens cooled to fast they could crack. So were always kept warm. Then came refrigeration. Modern ovens & stoves. Brick & stone stoves are like that. It takes 3 days to bank down the heat before you can cool them or they crack or fall apart. Fire clay. Turn of the heat cool fast. The clay will turn to powder. So to use the banked down heat. overnight sauces could be kept warm. Meat slow cooked in them at night. To use that heat.

J Bergen
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