If you’ve ever made stock or broth, you know what I mean when I talk about “scum”.
You turn on the heat, the pot heats up, and it’s not long before all that whitish, greyish, or brownish foamy “scum” rises to the top of the pot just as it starts to simmer. What is that stuff, anyway?
Broth scum is simply denatured congealed protein. It comes from the meat, not the bones. It’s not gelatin, which dissolves. It’s mostly the same proteins that make up egg whites.
It’s harmless. It’s flavorless. It’s perfectly fine to eat and probably shouldn’t be given such a derogatory name. Maybe we should call it bone foam or protein puddles or broth clouds instead.
So… why skim the scum?
Some people think it looks gross and just need to get rid of it. Some people do it because of tradition - it’s what their mother and grandmother did. Some people do it because basically every recipe on the internet tells you to do it. And some people do it to achieve a “refined” culinary dish.
If you leave the scum, it will break up into microscopic particles and disperse in your stock, making it cloudy. Straining later, even through layers of cheesecloth, won’t remove it. Once it boils, the scum is there to stay. Cloudy broth is the worst case scenario, and, in my opinion, it really isn’t that bad.
If you skim the scum, you need to do so with a while the broth is simmering, before it boils. The boiling is what breaks up the particles and mixes it up in the pot. If you skim the scum, the end result is a clear broth.
Culinarily, skimming scum to achieve a clear broth is treasured. And it’s really all about the aesthetics.
For darker, heartier dishes like beef bourguignon or minestrone soup, clear broth won’t make a difference. But, for lighter dishes like Vietnamese pho or a chicken noodle soup, clear broth can make a nicer looking bowl.
It seems the choice is your. Skim the scum or not skim the scum? Which do you choose?
If you like making broth at home, Miller’s has agood selection of bones. Or, if you don’t like making broth, Miller’s offersbeef, chicken, and turkey bone broth.
FAQs
While the scum can cloud a broth and generally look unappetizing, food scientist Brian Chau of Chau Time assured us that these fats and proteins won't pose any threat to health. “Skimming the scum is not a food safety issue. If there is some scum left over, the soup is still consumable,” Chau said.
Do you have to remove scum from broth? ›
The short answer to this is yes. The foam on top of chicken broth/stock isn't harmful, it's simply unpleasant. But that unpleasantness is confined to the look (and perhaps the texture) and not the taste, so deciding to rid your stock of this pond-scum-reminiscent substance is purely a matter of preference.
What happens if you don't skim the stock? ›
It's true that if you simmer a stock gently and forgo skimming, you might wind up with an off-putting foam floating around your bowl of chicken noodle soup. But Mamane adds that many recipes opt out of skimming intentionally, and cook the stock more aggressively, which results in an opaque stock with a creamy texture.
Should you skim fat off broth? ›
Not only will skimming fat from your favorite soup taste better (by eliminating that oily mouthfeel), but will also shave off some extra calories.
Should you skim the scum? ›
“If you want clear stock, remove the scum when it rises thickly,” wrote the authors. Today, a quick poll of our test kitchen staff confirmed that this early soup wisdom still stands: Soup scum should be skimmed off and discarded.
Why do we need to remove the scum? ›
Removing the scum makes it easier to control the temperature of the stock so you can maintain a constant simmer. If you don't skim it off, the scum aggregates in a foamy layer on the surface, which acts as insulation. It traps more heat in the stock and can cause your stock to boil when it would otherwise be simmering.
Does scum affect taste? ›
Does scum affect the taste of the food? While scum itself doesn't have a strong flavor, leaving it in the dish can affect the overall taste and appearance. Removing scum can help improve the final flavor and presentation of the food.
Why is it important to skim your stock? ›
Why skim a stock? As stocks start to simmer the proteins and fats in the pot congeal and form a grey foam that rises to the surface. It's important to regularly remove the scum to ensure the stock is clear and prevent it from containing excess fat.
Should I leave the fat in my bone broth? ›
In the theme of traditional cooking, wherein no part of a meal goes to waste, saving the skimmed fat from the top of bone broth is also an excellent way to have yourself a truly nutrient dense cooking fat.
Is cloudy broth bad? ›
Use a fine-mesh strainer, and consider lining it with cheesecloth to catch even more food particles and bits of fat. But really, unless you're making a consommé or other recipe that requires a pristine-looking stock, it's okay if your stock is a little bit cloudy.
“Skimming is most important in the case of clear broths or soups, since the scum can make the soup look cloudy,” said Jessica Botta, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.
What is the difference between a stock and a broth? ›
Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.
How to remove scum from broth? ›
With the mesh sieve in one hand and the bowl of water in the other, start scooping it off. After you pick up the scum, rinse the sieve in the measuring cup (or bowl) and continue to scoop the scum. Keep the liquid at a simmer rather than a hard boil because it will mix up the scum and cloud the soup.
Is it OK to save scum? ›
To answer your question, save scumming is fine, theres no rules against it, no penalty, infact quick saves and loads might even encourage it. But is save scumming disappointing?
What is the stuff floating in my chicken broth? ›
You turn on the heat, the pot heats up, and it's not long before all that whitish, greyish, or brownish foamy “scum” rises to the top of the pot just as it starts to simmer. What is that stuff, anyway? Broth scum is simply denatured congealed protein. It comes from the meat, not the bones.
How do you get scum out of stock? ›
You will need a fine-mesh skimmer and a liquid measuring cup (or bowl) filled with water. When the soup/stock is about to boil, stay around the kitchen. You'll start to see the scum and fat floating and creating forms. With the mesh sieve in one hand and the bowl of water in the other, start scooping it off.
Why do you scoop scum off soup? ›
In addition to the visual impact, Johnson told us that “it's important to skim the scum early in the simmering process if you don't want to have any unwanted mouth feel or flavor affecting your outcome. If you don't skim the scum before it rapidly boils, it can drop back into the soup.”
What is the white stuff floating in my broth? ›
You turn on the heat, the pot heats up, and it's not long before all that whitish, greyish, or brownish foamy “scum” rises to the top of the pot just as it starts to simmer. What is that stuff, anyway? Broth scum is simply denatured congealed protein. It comes from the meat, not the bones.
Is cloudy broth OK? ›
The Taste Is What Matters
At the end of the day, what's really important is how your stock tastes — not the way it looks — so it's okay if your stock turns out cloudy.
