What is ‘Perpetual Stew’ And Why Is Everyone Talking About It?
Just the name has me curious: Perpetual Stew.
Is it really — as the dictionary describes — never ending or everlasting stew?
The answer is yes. This 14th century medieval Polish stew gets its name because it slowly simmers continuously — for days, weeks even.
You might be thinking, “That’s silly. It’s going to run out at some point.”
Well, nay-nay, my friends.
The beauty of this stew is that you keep adding to it with new ingredients, and keep it simmering away.
It definitely takes care of the problem of food waste. All your odds and ends can go in the soup!
This Perpetual Stew has a rather complex flavor from all of the ingredients that have previously been added, and from the new ingredients that you throw in the pot.
Annie Rauwerda is documenting her experience making “perpetual stew” on TikTok — it’s rather famous now.
I’ve always wanted to do it. I’m finally doing it. It’s perpetual stew summer.
Annie Rauwerda
She has invited friends over to add their own random ingredients and sample a bowl of this medieval stew — that kind of started the whole thing.
It was going to be a week-long perpetual stew experience, but it has taken on a life of its own — now cooking for over a month!
There have even been a couple parties in the park, where ANYONE could show up and participate in this wild concoction by adding their own tasty bit of morsels to the stew.
How To Make Perpetual Stew
Grab a big pot. You’re going to need it.
Then you just start adding ingredients to the pot. Celery, Potatoes, Onions, Seasonings, Cabbage, Green Beans, Mustard Greens, Tomatoes, Sausage, Stew Meat, Macaroni Noodles — literally anything and everything.
Don’t forget the water or broth to make it soupy!
Now you are going to bring it to a simmer — and keep it there.
According to How Things Work, you want to keep the soup simmering at a temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Celsius) so it doesn’t start to grow bacteria.
Perpetual stew is continuously skimmed and strained to leave behind that rich flavorful broth that holds the entire stew together.
While you can make this soup in a Crockpot, it is recommended that you simmer this perpetual soup on the stove, because you can more easily control the simmer.
You can visit Annie Rauwerda’s TikTok page HERE to follow along the journey of the perpetual stew.
