Brown soup stock is made from dark colored meats and various vegetables. A part of the meat, or fish and vegetables, is browned before it is added to the water. White soup stock is made from light-colored meats, as veal and chicken; no vegetables that give color are used. Onion and celery are the vegetables most often used in making white soup stock. The stock may be thickened, or served without thickening. In hot weather stock needs to be scalded each day, but in winter it will keep several days.

Clearing Stock

Sometimes a soup is served that presents a clear, sparkling appearance, or stock is moulded into a clear jelly (aspic). To secure this condition, the stock is cleared. For this purpose a substance rich in albumen, as the whites of eggs, also the shells to which considerable white adheres, or raw meat, chopped fine, are used. In ordinary home cooking, the whites and shells of eggs are oftenest used.

Suppose the stock has been made according to the direction given above and is now cold. Remove the fat; if the stock has jellied, wring a cloth out of warm water and gently wipe over the surface; the cloth will take up any particles of fat remaining upon the jelly. If the stock be liquid, lay a piece of tissue paper upon it, press it lightly upon the liquid and the fat will adhere to it. Now very carefully take off the top of the stock, leaving the portion that is less clear and contains sediment in the bottom of the dish, for some other variety of soup. To each three cups of stock add the crushed shell and the white of one egg, slightly beaten; mix together thoroughly and set over the fire to heat, stirring all the time until the fluid boils. As the liquid becomes heated, the egg coagulates, combining with itself any fine particles floating in the stock, these it either brings to the top of the liquid, or it sinks with them to the bottom. Let boil vigorously five minutes, then add half a cup of cold water and set the saucepan aside, or on the back of the range for about five minutes. Skim carefully, then strain through cheese-cloth spread over a colander or sieve. Reheat and serve. If it be desired to use the stock before it has become thoroughly cold and the fat " set," with a spoon dip the fat from the top, then cut a piece of ice wrapped in a cloth into the stock, holding it near the top, and the remaining fat will cling to the cloth and may be removed with the ice.