Two questions I get asked more than any others, usually in the same breath. How long does ramen broth take to make? And once it is made, how long does it keep? Here is the straight answer to both, from someone who makes it every week.
How long it takes
It depends entirely on the kind of broth, because there are really two families. The first is cloudy and rich, like tonkotsu, where pork bones are boiled hard until the collagen and fat break down into the water. That one takes us all day, and there is no version of it that does not. The second family is clear, like the broth in our Roast Chicken Ramen, where a whole bird is simmered gently so the liquid stays bright and clean. That is a shorter and quieter job, but it still wants most of an afternoon, and it wants you nearby, because a clear broth goes cloudy the moment you let it boil.
Then there is the seasoning, the tare, which is made separately, and the aroma oil, which is another pan again. So when a recipe promises ramen in half an hour, what it usually means is a soup with ramen noodles in it. Nothing wrong with that on a weeknight. It is just not the same thing.
How long it keeps
If you have made a broth at home, treat it like any other stock: cool it quickly, get it into the fridge covered, and use it within three days. It freezes well, and freezing is honestly the best thing you can do with a batch, because a day of cooking should buy you more than one dinner.
For our kits it is simpler, because we have done that part for you. Every box lands with at least three days on the use-by date, and the date is printed on the pack. Keep it in the fridge as soon as it arrives and eat it within the date. If you want to hold it longer, freeze it before the use-by date and use it within three months.
Why the long version is worth it
Because you taste it in the first spoonful. A broth that has had its time coats your lips a little and stays with you between mouthfuls. A quick one is gone as soon as you swallow. That difference is the whole reason we cook all day and ask you for 10 minutes.
All four of our bowls are here, every one of them with the broth already done. Order by Sunday 8pm. Delivered Thursday or Friday.
