You are absolutely right about "why use water when you can add flavour?" I wish I could keep that in mind. It's hard for me to add anything else but water to rice -- you get the picture. I got good advice here on this ng when I asked "does anyone really make chicken stock" and now I have ONE container of homemade broth left in the freezer, plus a chicken carcas ready to make broth. (I'm selfish with this one container.) I used the other container I made for a lentil soup; and I believe I've made stock 2 times so far. The only problem with making broth-stock is that there is never enough when you finish. I really don't care for the beef taste, so that lets beef out for me. I have bought cartons of chicken stock and canned broth-stock, but I started buying them again about 2 years ago, but using them very infrequently; but I did read this week in Cook's Illustrated that they rated the best chicken stock is "Swanson Natural Goodness 100% fat free Chicken Broth in carton" but I've not found it yet. I wouldn't think twice about trying it. I've not eaten cubes of the chicken, etc. for years (at home). But I'm trying to do more chicken, so I'll be able to get more stock without searching the grocery shelves
I usually use for my broth in soups a vegetable concetrate, and to my surprise, it was also 'recommended' by Cook's Illustrated. It is Superior Touch - Better than Bullion." I'm pretty sure they make different concentrated bullions, but the plain vegetable is the one I buy and it's about $5 a jar (8 oz., but small), and I buy them 6 at a time when I see them.
When I make Italian Soups or vegetable soups, I also will use up my Parm Reggiano rinds to flavor the soup water (I see they sell them at Whole Foods for quite a hefty price -- tee hee). And I always use a lot of canned tomatoes in the winter for soups (of course, they will never be as good as your home canned.)
An aside, my grandmother's brother and sister used to can beef even. That is where I learned that beef should taste like home-canned beef! Nothing in all these years has compared: filet mignon - NO! porterhouse - NO! etc. Dee Dee
