(Photo by author)
So you’ve been reducing your meat intake to save money on your food budget, but your inner carnivore is feeling less than satiated by your meatless meals. You’ve tried cooking with meat broths and stocks, but buying good-quality broths can start getting pricey in its own right, and you’re having trouble finding the time to cook up a whole bunch of stock in advance to stash in the freezer. And forget those nasty bouillon cubes – like adding a vaguely chicken-flavored salt lick to your dish! So – what to do, other than wait for sales to stock up on those quarts of broth in the shelf-stable boxes?
Enter "Better Than Bouillon," a line of jarred broth concentrate bases from a California-based company known as Superior Touch. As their product's name boasts, these moist pastes are far more flavorful than bouillon cubes, and while they can still be a bit salty in high volumes, a little of this stuff goes a very long way flavor-wise. Though the label advises using a teaspoon of concentrate to eight ounces of water, you may find that a scant tablespoon of this stuff is more than plenty to give a whole recipe's worth of bean soup just the hit of savory meatiness it needed.
The BTB product line includes both meat/seafood (beef, chicken, lobster, clam, etc.) and vegetarian (vegetable, mushroom, meat-free chicken-flavored, etc.) varieties; they also have an organic line. An eight-ounce jar, estimated at 38 servings, goes for some six bucks and change, and can be found at such San Diego-area natural foods stores as Henry's Farmer's Markets (locations throughout the San Diego area), Windmill Farms (6386 Del Cerro Blvd., Del Cerro), and OB People's Food Coop (4765 Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach).
NOTE: Be aware that, though their labeling proclaims "No added MSG," these bases do contain autolyzed yeast extract, a source of naturally occuring glutamates which can still sometimes cause problems for those highly sensitive to MSG.
Comments
I have always been reluctant to use the cubes and powders on the market as they *are* too salty. This sounds like a great substitute. Good tip!
Oh, this is fantastic! My Mum's always looking for an alternative to the cubes, since they tend to leave chunks in soup, y'know.
Thanks for the tip!
As a child my sister and I tried those beef and chicken cubes straight and I have never been able to look at them since! This alternative offers a great way to add substance to a otherwise lacking veggie dish! Thank you! I did not know this product was out there.
This sounds absolutely heavenly! I have quite a few recipes that will definately benefit from this product! I hope I can find it in my area!!
I've had chicken base in my pantry for years. Well...not the same jar...just that I've been a fan of this product for some time. Great even for things like adding just a smidge when you're cooking rice or noodles. Great article!
This sounds so much "user-friendly" as opposed to those cubes that can never quite dissolve. I hope I can find it in my area.
Good information. I hope that I will be able to find it in my area.
What a great article! It was informative and I'm looking forward to trying out all the different flavors.
I love the chicken base and will definitely try the beef base :D this is a very informative article. THANKS!
Certainly sounds better than bouillion. Is it available outside of CA?
Certainly sounds better than bouillon! Is it available outside of CA?
Looks like I've found that bouillon cube alternative I've been looking for.
I'll have to look for this in my area, it looks like a great substitute for the cubes.
Thanks for all your feedback, folks. For those asking for availability outside California, if your local markets don't stock Better Than Bouillon products, you can always order them online from the company website (click "Superior Touch" in the article). It looks like Amazon also carries them.
I used to use the broths, but as you pointed out, it got too much for our budget. I am currently using cubes. Just ugh! (We try to ignore the problems you mentioned.) Thanks for the heads up on this product - I look forward to trying it!
Thanks for the tip. I've seen this stuff before but never picked it up. Next time I will.
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