Homemade Chicken Stock
First off, there is a difference between chicken broth and chicken stock. Stock is made more from bones, while broth is more from drippings and fleshy parts. I am here to say, that I call this stock and often use a chicken carcass after I have roasted it and cut the meat off, so it has both bones and some chicken meat bits left.
Stock is an incredible resource for you to pack more “good for you” things in your meals and have them on hand for when you are feeling under the weather.
Ingredients
I have made great stock with just a chicken carcass and water. If I have the veggies, I’ll add them in, but it is not a necessity if that is a barrier. You don’t need to roast a chicken carcass to make stock. You could cut the meat off, then just use the raw carcass. I have found that when I roast a chicken, I don’t waste the carcass. Oh, and you need a Shady Hill non-GMO, pasture-raised chicken, y’all. It’s just better for you and supports our direct-to-consumer movement.
Directions
Place the chicken carcass in a pot large enough for it to be submerged.
Add 4-6 quarts of water and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, bring it down to a steady simmer and put a lid on for 3-6 hours. The longer, the better. *The water will greatly evaporate without a lid so you’ll have less stock if you skip the lid.
Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain the broth into glass canning jars and use it within a few days or freeze.
Special Notes:
After adding stock to jars, let it cool before putting it in the freezer or fridge. It’s a big temperature change and we don’t want the glass to crack.
Consider pint jars instead of quarts. I only ever need 1-2 cups of stock at a time for recipes, so opening a large quart jar is a waste if you don’t need it.
If freezing, put the jar in the freezer without a lid. Once frozen, add the lids. This gives room for expansion and will be less likely to crack glass.
If freezing, fill the jar 3/4 full. Liquid expands, so if you fill it full, then it is bad news.
Defrosting from frozen: 100% it is best to put this in your fridge for 24 hours to defrost from the jar. if you don’t have time, add the jar to a pot of water and bring them up to a higher temperature together to avoid cracking.
You can “can” your stock so it will keep on a shelf. Let us know if you’re interested in that recipe!
