S/O - Gross or acceptable? (Chicken bone discussion)

[bobbeym]

For those of you that make your own chicken stock, would you please share your instructions? I've yet to figure out how to make a good stock that the family likes.

[JenC3]

I use the carcass AND the entrails for a rich stock. I boil and then low boil for a day, sometimes 24 hrs. I've also added celery, garlic, and onions to the pot. Strain and store in freezer.

[LaxMom]

I usually just pull all the chicken carcasses, onion ends, etc, I've been saving out of the freezer, dump them in a stock pot, water, a head of garlic, simmer...

 

In the winter, I add astragalus root, but that helps boost immunity, so.

 

Is there some radically different way of making stock/broth?

[kewb]

I usually throw the carcass, entrails, feet if I have them into the crockpot with celery, carrots, an onion, garlic, pepper, a little salt, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I cook it overnight. I also usually save ends and tops of celery, mushrooms, carrots, etc in the freezer, and throw that in to the pot as well.

Edited October 11, 2012 by kewb

[*********]

I usually just pull all the chicken carcasses, onion ends, etc, I've been saving out of the freezer, dump them in a stock pot, water, a head of garlic, simmer...

 

In the winter, I add astragalus root, but that helps boost immunity, so.

 

Is there some radically different way of making stock/broth?

 

Yeah, that's prety much what I do, too.

 

I do like CrazyHouse. I store my chicken carcasses in the freezer in a big ziplock until I'm ready to make stock. I also always have a big ziplock going in the freezer that I toss my onion ends, carrot ends, and celery ends into. Then when I'm ready to make stock, I pull it all out, dump it into a huge pot with water, bring it up to a boil, then down to a simmer for several hours. Strain, then either use it right then to make soup, store it in the fridge for a day or so 'till I'm ready, or pop it in the freezer for future use.

[LucyStoner]

All the bones and leftover dark meat and (non-milk) gravy and drippings. In a pot with whatever veggies and herbs I care to use. On low for about a day. Never buy broth.

[TammyS]

First, I roast a couple of chickens. Pull the meat and use for whatever (enchiladas, chicken salad, etc.). At this point you can choose to put the carcass under the broiler for about 15 minutes to roast the bones. This will give a more flavorful stock. I usually skip this step, because I'm lazy.

 

Put both carcasses (ideally with necks) into a stockpot. Add COLD water. Add a couple of glugs of cheap vinegar to the pot (this helps to demineralize the bones and makes your stock healthier). Let stand for 1 hr.

 

Turn heat on to low. Once the stock starts simmering, gently, skim the impurities (that foamy stuff that rises to the top) as they come up for the next 1/2 hour or so until it stops. Add carrots, onions (as long as they are clean, I leave the skin on and just cut off the root), and celery (with leaves). Add spices as you like (I just add whole peppercorns, about a T). If I have them, I also add chicken feet (very high in gelatin and makes much heavier body stock).

 

Keep the heat loooooow. Simmer bubbles should just break the surface, nothing stronger. A hard boil will break down the gelatin and you won't get a good gel on your stock, it's still usable, but will lose some body).

 

Simmer at this very low heat for at least overnight, until the bones are soft. Tiny ones will be crushable in your fingers. Add parsley for the last hour of cooking.

 

Remove bones and large solids with tongs. I toss all the solids outside for the cat, but I live in the woods. If you are in town, your neighbors may not be so understanding. Strain the rest of the stock through a fine mesh strainer or colander or chinois (each has different levels of fineness, so it just depends on how clear you want your stock - I use a fine mesh strainer because I don't want to spend money on a chinois).

 

Here, you have some decisions to make. If you want your stock de-fatted, you can put it in a pitcher or other storage container and put in the fridge. Tomorrow, remove the fatty layer that has hardened on top. The rest of the stock should have a jello like consistency.

 

If you want your stock to be stronger flavored, return to heat and raise temp slightly to medium simmer and let simmer until it is reduced to the flavor you want. You can also do this to reduce the water content and make it easier to store, just cutting with water as needed.

 

You can decide whether or not to add salt at this point. I don't, because I use it for all sorts of things and I may not want more salt in the dish. If you aren't sure if your stock tastes good, remove a cup and add a dash of salt THEN taste it. It's hard to judge the flavor unsalted until you know what you are looking for.

 

Decide how to store it. I store it in small boxes in the freezer that hold about 2c at a time.

 

This looks like a lot of directions, but it's really hardly any work at all once you have it in your mind. Good luck!

 

BTW, I also collect chicken bones from dinners and put them in a freezer bag for when I am going to make stock later. Bone are food and should not lightly be thrown away.

[Kathryn]

Hmm, I do as above, but I was taught to then refrigerate and skim the fat off once it congeals.

[LucyStoner]

I also always have a big ziplock going in the freezer that I toss my onion ends, carrot ends, and celery ends into.

 

Brilliant! I am so starting this. Thanks for the great tip. I have tended to use fresh whole veggies for my aromatics but that is wasteful.

[LucyStoner]

Hmm, I do as above, but I was taught to then refrigerate and skim the fat off once it congeals.

 

I skim the fat off after a day in the fridge before freezing or using.

[*********]

I do mine in the crock pot. I usually use a combination of saved bones and a couple of leg quarters (I buy tons of them when they are on sale). I add in cut up veggies, but just a few. I don't put onion in mine because I hate onions, but basically I put bits of whatever I happen to have (carrots, stalks from parsley, celery, etc.). I cover that with water. After the chicken is cooked (couple of hours) I take the chicken off the bone and throw the bones back in. I reserve the chicken for the soup. Then I let the bones sit in the crock pot all day and night. I let it cool down a bit, strain everything out and then use the broth. I don't skim the fat on mine.

 

When I reserve the leftover chicken bones, I often save whatever collected at the bottom of the pan too. I just scrape that all into a ziploc bag and throw it in the freezer. I'll also dump in any leftover gravy if there is any.

 

Hey Wendy, I'm not a fan of onion, either. I like sweet onions sometimes, but I'm still kinda onion-picky. :D I don't put diced onion in my soup. But putting some onion in the *stock* doesn't really make it taste oniony. It just adds a layer of flavor.

 

But maybe if you don't like onion, you don't have onion ends around to stash in the freezer, hunh? :tongue_smilie:

[*********]

Brilliant! I am so starting this. Thanks for the great tip. I have tended to use fresh whole veggies for my aromatics but that is wasteful.

 

Another tip I once had a friend share with me for if you routinely keep carrot and celery sticks in the fridge to munch on.

 

If you ever have sticks that are getting a little 'less than fresh/crispy' so that you don't want to eat them raw, but the're not spoiled so that they need to be thrown away, you can dice them up, freeze them, and then use them in your soup when you're ready to make it.

 

I'm all for cutting down on waste. :001_smile:

[Mekanamom]

I am a fairly lazy cook.

 

I pop a whole chicken into the crock pot; season it, and add whatever vegetables we want to eat with the chicken (potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, onions, etc.) I do not add water to this; it provides its own cooking juices.

 

Cook on low for 8ish hours.

 

At dinner time, I remove the chicken and vegetables and serve them for dinner. (Just can't beat one pot cooking that provides a main dish and a side dish, that pretty much cooks itself all day.)

 

Then I simply strain the cooking juices into a mason jar to get my chicken stock. I do not re-cook the bones or anything... I figure after 8 hours in the crock pot with the whole chicken and veggies, the stock is pretty nutrient rich. It is certainly tasty. After it cools, I remove the fat that has risen to the top.

 

I almost always have another meal planned that uses the chicken stock later that week; so the mason jar goes into the fridge. But mason jars can be frozen for longer term storage as well. Just don't overfill the jar. ;)

[aggieamy]

I am a fairly lazy cook.

 

I pop a whole chicken into the crock pot; season it, and add whatever vegetables we want to eat with the chicken (potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, onions, etc.) I do not add water to this; it provides its own cooking juices.

 

Cook on low for 8ish hours.

 

At dinner time, I remove the chicken and vegetables and serve them for dinner. (Just can't beat one pot cooking that provides a main dish and a side dish, that pretty much cooks itself all day.)

 

Then I simply strain the cooking juices into a mason jar to get my chicken stock. I do not re-cook the bones or anything... I figure after 8 hours in the crock pot with the whole chicken and veggies, the stock is pretty nutrient rich. It is certainly tasty. After it cools, I remove the fat that has risen to the top.

 

I almost always have another meal planned that uses the chicken stock later that week; so the mason jar goes into the fridge. But mason jars can be frozen for longer term storage as well. Just don't overfill the jar. ;)

 

This is exactly how I do mine as well.

[ScoutTN]

I do the crock pot overnight. (7qt. size) I usually get about 7-8 C. of stock from this. I do not skim the fat - chx fat is GOOD for you! Especially from pastured chickens! Makes your soup or stew or whatever more satisfying and tasty.

 

If I want to do a larger batch, I use 2 carcasses and my stock pot, which is huge.

 

I use whatever veggie ends I have available. I like fresh thyme and lots of celery. Carrot gives a darker color and some sweetness.

 

We use it up fast, so I make stock every couple of weeks. I cool it, pour into Qt. size ziplocs and store in the freezer. 2C per bag.