How Many Stock Cubes Should You Use Per Litre of Water?

Stock is a savoury seasoning liquid that forms the base of many dishes such as soups, stew, and casseroles.

Stock can be made using vegetables, meat, or a combination of them all. Stock is different to broth because at a chilled temperature stock does not set to a jelly-like consistency.

Stock cubes are made up of dehydrated vegetables, meats, fats, and seasonings to create a little block that can then be dissolved in boiling water or used several other ways to create flavoursome tasty dishes.

They are dry to the touch and when crumbled have a slightly powdery granular texture that becomes a stock when mixed with boiling water.

How Many Stock Cubes Per Litre?

To form a basic stock liquid, you dissolve one stock cube in approximately 500 ml of boiling water. Using this common ratio, you would use two stock cubes to make up one litre of stock.

Different stock brands may have different dilution rates or suggest that one stock cube should be dissolved in two cups of boiling water.

One cup is just under 250 ml, so using this dilution rate it would still work to use two stock cubes for one litre of boiling water.

 

Stock Cube Dilution Guide

Here is a simple reference list for stock cubes:

• 1 pint of boiling water = 1 stock cube
• 2 cups of boiling water = 1 stock cube
• 500ml of boiling water = 1 stock cube
• 1 litre of boiling water = 2 stock cubes
• 2 litres of boiling water = 4 stock cubes

Do You Have to Dilute Stock Cubes According to the Packet?

The great thing about making up stock is that it is not an exact science. Altering the dilution of your stock will not have a huge effect on your recipe.

If you want a more subtle flavour or want your dish to be less salty then you can use more liquid than suggested.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a very strong flavour then one stock cube will dissolve well in as little as half the amount of liquid.

It is worth noting that different brands of stock may have different liquid recommendations. In general, they are all similar in the amount of liquid they suggest, varying only a little and not enough to make a drastic change to your recipe.

For best results it is always worth reading the packet for information when diluting and considering the flavours you’d like in the dish you are creating.

 

Do You Have to Dilute Stock Cubes in Water?

Traditional stock has a watery base and so to make what is considered a simple stock then you need to dissolve your stock cubes in boiling water.

However, stock cubes will dissolve in any liquids providing they are hot enough and the stock cubes are stirred well through. Stock cubes can be added to cream, or liquids such as tinned chopped tomatoes.

Overall stock cubes are a convenient and quick way to add flavour to a dish and are simple to dilute with effective results.