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To the best of my knowledge, broth is simply a seasoned stock, that has had salt, and/or spices added to it, and stock is just that - the broth without any seasoning.
The body of stock comes from gelatin from the bones, so it takes a lot longer to make. When I make it, I usually use a chicken carcass from a roast chicken and some veggie odds and ends I saved in the freezer (celery, onion, and carrot ends and parsley stems mostly). If I want to amp up the chicken flavor, I will add a small package of cheap raw chicken such as drumsticks.
Broth is made more quickly because otherwise you'd overcook your meat. I like to poach 2 bone-in chicken breasts, and make chicken salad with about 1.25 -1.5 of them, and a small pot of chicken tortilla soup with the rest of the meat and the broth.
The boxed stuff at the store is labeled chicken broth, but I just read the label and chicken stock is the second ingredient! In general, just think of stock as a little more concentrated, but I'm not so sure there's a big difference between the broth and stock at the grocery store.
Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
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Originally Posted by gentlearts
Ohhh. Silly me, I thought any decent broth or stock would have both. So, which would you buy? For more flavor?
Store bought "stocks" and "broths" are interchangeable. So, doesn't matter in the least. The naming is basically meaningless on the grocery aisle, I promise. It's just marketing.
Broth can be stock and stock can be broth, but not necessarily.
Broth is any liquid that is cooked with meat in it (a very general term). Stock is specifically referring to simmering bones for a length of time, which releases collagen and creates a richer texture (more gelatinous, higher viscosity), as well as releases specific minerals into the liquid (like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus). You're not going to be purchasing any products that reflect these characteristics of stocks at the store. Some health food stores and specialty food websites now sell what they like to call "bone broth", which does retain some of those characteristics and nutritional qualities, but none of the varieties you find in cans or cartons on the standard shelf are going to be as such.
At the grocery store, go with Swanson's low-sodium broths. They have a very decent flavor, are reasonably priced, and you can best control the seasoning if you buy low-sod.
Every time we eat chicken (whole, legs, bone-in breast, whatever...), I save bones in the freezer until I have enough to justify a couple of hours of my time to throw together a stock. I store homemade stock in the freezer, in ice cube form for easy thawing and use in any quantity. Makes a world of difference to have that rich textured stock to use. And it doesn't cost me a penny since I'm using leftover bones, anyway. That said, I always have a few cartons of Swanson's on-hand too.
To throw into the mix and confusion I saw Bone Broth in tetra packs at Costco the other day.
If I want more flavor I use stock, especially if it's a main component like French Onion Soup. If I'm using it as something for some flavor but not the main like in a risotto or to make a quick sauce I use broth.
To throw into the mix and confusion I saw Bone Broth in tetra packs at Costco the other day.
If I want more flavor I use stock, especially if it's a main component like French Onion Soup. If I'm using it as something for some flavor but not the main like in a risotto or to make a quick sauce I use broth.
Really though, when do you want LESS flavor? I guess I'll buy stock from now on.
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That said, I always have a few cartons of Swanson's on-hand too. 
