Preservatives Would Certainly Be Easier

I grew up using those little red and yellow bullion cubes, and while they're really, REALLY salty, I can understand why they were such a hit.  Because this

is the alternative, and it takes about 5 1/2 hours.  Thankfully, 4 hours of it is "simmering," but it does make one plan ahead.  This is vegetable stock, which doesn't taste nearly as good as the chicken stock I made for the homemade chicken soup, but this also didn't involve mangling a chicken carcass, and there's a LOT to be said for that.