I’ll admit. I was scared. I mean, there had to be a reason stock is sold in stores in huge varieties – all sized cartons and cans, flavorings and brands. But then, I dug my heels in and said, I can do this! And I made my very own, homemade chicken stock.

I’ll tell you a secret: it was super easy.

No, really, it was. I think those chicken stock companies are sitting back watching all of us who buy or bought their products and laughing a happy laugh. I would be!

Because it really is very simple. So I’ll share with you now. And would you please do me a favor? Please share this with a friend or two: because nobody should ever have to buy chicken stock again! Homemade Chicken Stock-makers – unite!

Besides being easy, it’s cheaper. I can make stock for much less than $5 – and it’d cost me about $20 to buy the organic, free-range stuff! Plus, even the organic containers have been processed and often contain yucky ingredients I don’t want in my food!

Homemade wins again!

Get Ready

Well, here’s my first bit of advice. If you don’t end up carving the cooked chicken, please tell your carver to not toss the bones. Yeah. My first attempt actually failed because I forgot to tell my husband to save the carcass of a dead bird. And yes, he was wondering why I was so very disappointed he threw it away. Poor guy. Poor me. (Really, though, poor bird. It sure was tasty, though…)

Anyways. Be clear about that, ok? Good!

Now, I highly recommend a good stock pot. I just recently got a 12-quart pot and I love it. Seriously, this pot and I may be in love. For good. It’s so much better than the cheap-o one I was using and is pretty and massive. My only complaint is that it’s hard to wash. But that’s because my sink is on the smaller side. Wait till I tell David what my solution is for that!

If you don’t have a good stock pot, don’t let that stop you! Use your crock pot – or a smaller pot on the stove (just know that it will affect the amount of stock you end up with).

And, of course, I would encourage using a pastured, organic chicken and organic vegetables. But, in a pinch, homemade from a conventionally-raised bird is still better than store-bought!

How-to

Basically, you are throwing everything into the pot and letting it simmer a good, long time. Now, if you want to gain more nutrients and flavors, you can do a little more. So I’m going to tell you how to do this “little more.”

Preheat the oven to 350˚ and lay the chicken bones on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so. Take them out of the oven and place in a stock pot, add in any additional bones or organs (neck, comb, feet, etc.).

Fill your beautiful, tall stock pot with water till the bones are covered and stir in the ACV. Let this sit for about 30 minutes (this will draw the minerals into the water).

Add some carrots; toss in some celery. And stir in a crunchy, chopped onion. And bring the pot to a boil.

Now when it boils, you’ll see some nasty scum rise to the surface. Take a spoon and skim the foam off – these are all the impurities that so nicely make it easy for you to get rid of!

Cover and turn down to a simmer for about 24 hours. You want to give it a good, looong chance to pull every last nutrient out of the bones. I typically get it started before bed (after a good pulled chicken dinner!) and let it go all night, all the next day and then finish it the following morning – about 36 hours. The stock is nice and dark at that point – full of flavor and happy nutrients waiting to boost our health!

After 24 hours (ish), stir in some parsley and let sit for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; strain over a bowl. Pour into storage containers.

I like to pour some broth into a few ice cube trays – once frozen, I pop them into a storage container and pull out for sauteing veggies, etc.! The rest I pour into quart glass mason jars (I love these). I fill to the 24 oz line, cool for a bit and pop them in the freezer! The key to glass jars not breaking in the freezer? Wide-mouth jars!

Homemade Chicken Stock – Uses

Now you have gorgeous, nutrient-dense, flavor-packed stock to use whenever you need to make anything! You can make soups, use it to saute veggies or meats, pour over chicken to roast, add to rice or quinoa instead of just water. The possibilities may be endless!

What’s your fave way to use homemade chicken broth?

Homemade Chicken Stock

2013-08-15 20:45:04

Nutritious, homemade chicken stock!

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Ingredients

1. 1 whole chicken carcass, meat removed
2. Any other chicken bones or organ meats
3. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4. 2 cups organic carrots, roughly chopped
5. 2 cups organic celery, roughly chopped
6. 1 onion, roughly chopped
7. 1/4 cup parsley
8. Filtered water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Lay the chicken bones on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so.
3. Remove from the oven and place in a stock pot, add in any additional bones or organs (neck, comb, feet, etc.).
4. Fill the pot with water till the bones are covered.
5. Stir in the ACV and let sit for about 30 minutes (this will draw the minerals into the water).
6. Add the carrots, celery, onion.
7. Bring the pot to a boil.
8. Skim the foam off the top and discard.
9. Cover and turn down to a simmer for about 24 hours.
10. After 24 hours, stir in parsley and let sit for about 30 minutes.
11. Remove from heat; strain over a bowl.
12. Pour into storage containers.

Notes

1. If you don't have anything but the chicken bones, make stock, anyway! The more ingredients you have (and really, add anything you feel like!), the tastier the stock will be.

By Jennifer Fountain

Growing Up Triplets http://growinguptriplets.com/

Foodie Friday Linky

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