how to: make chicken stock

so today we are going to make chicken stock or chicken broth. i use the words "stock" and "broth" interchangeably. not sure if i'm supposed to.

why, you ask, should i make my own stock when it is super easy to buy a can or box at the store? well, because this chicken stock doesn't contain MSG or anything like it, it tastes better, it is easy and it is cheap. and it has medicinal benefits from the garlic, onions and even the chicken bones. gross but true. basically, it is magic. let's get started:

first - pull your tupperware full of nasty parts out of the fridge. if it has been in the freezer, let it defrost before you make your stock.


second - put the parts in a big pot and cover them with about 2-3 inches of cold water. sometimes i will save the parts from 2 chickens and make lots of broth all at once. anyway, put in a splash of cider vinegar (about 2 TB per gallon of water) and then let it sit for about an hour.


third - after your chicken has sat in the water for an hour-ish, turn on the heat. you want the temp to come up slowly. i usually turn mine up to a med-high and it takes awhile for it to start boiling.

fourth - add anything you want to your broth. i usually add 2 peeled carrots (peeling is important) or the equivalent in baby carrots. (i'm lazy). add a few peeled garlic cloves. toss in a bay leaf. chop 3 celery ribs into smaller pieces and toss them in. quarter an onion and toss it in. with the onion i usually cut then ends off before quartering it. OR - don't add anything and just make a "pure" chicken broth. the choice is yours.


fifth - as the heat increases in your pot it will start to froth. just skim this off. you don't have to get every little bubble - but if you don't skim it will negatively affect the taste. or so i hear.


sixth - bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. ignore it. this is mine after being ignored for several hours. you can let it simmer anywhere from 6-12 hours. i usually let mine simmer for a few hours and then cover the pot if i think it is "reducing" too much. sometimes i forget to do that - but you can always add water again. or just add water later when you cook with it.


seventh - now it is done simmering. i use a big slotted spoon to pull all the big nasty stuff out and throw it away. then pour the broth through a strainer to catch the smaller nasty stuff. some people strain theirs through cheesecloth or something akin to it. i don't.

eighth - put it in the fridge to cool. i usually do this step overnight.

ninth - good morning! pull your bowl of stock out of the fridge. the fat should have risen to the top. this is GREAT on morning cereal! (just kidding) scrape it off and throw it away. your stock, depending on how much it "reduced" might appear somewhat gelatinous. this is good and apparently part of it's medicinal qualities. something to do with the minerals in the bones? honestly, i try not to think about it.

tenth - after scraping the fat off, i like to stick mine back on the stove and heat it up a little. it WILL need some salt in order to taste good - so i like to heat mine up and add salt to taste.


eleventh - now it is time to pack it up and freeze it. my stock is pretty dark because i let it reduce quite a bit. sometimes i'll add water when cooking with it - or if i want a lot of flavor i just use it straight. it is perfect for rice, gravies, soups, etc.

kind of makes you feel like your grandma, right?

if you have more questions, i think these links have good tutorials:

http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/homemade-chicken-stock.html
http://www.amandascookin.com/2010/03/homemade-chicken-and-beef-stock.html