Lid or No Lid? That is the Question?

Putting a lid on saves energy. The stock may not cook down in volume as much, however, in that some of the evaporated liquid will return to the pan.

According to Paul Greenberg, who wrote a helpful short piece for Food52 last spring:

When we cook we can lose as much as 50 percent of our cooking energy to the ambient air when we leave our pots exposed. It’s a little tricky adapting to lid-always cooking, and, yes, there is a time and place for cooking off excess liquid. But if you’re doing stovetop for an extended period of time, lid-on is best.

I highly recommend his article, which suggests 7 ways to cook more sustainably: https://food52.com/blog/26190-how-to-cook-more-sustainably

Happy Thanksgiving! ;o)

Hi Mike,

Emma makes her Garlic Stock in a large pot uncovered (no lid needed!). Hope that answers your question.

Happy Thanksgiving!