America needs more brothals

[KungFuPanda]

I'll admit I read this article because the title was clever, but I found it, and the original article it links, to be very interesting. I do make homemade stock, but only about 1/3 of what I need to avoid buying the canned stuff. I wish I was more motivated to up my game, I KNOW the homemade stuff is better in every way, but I just don't make the time to simmer stock more often. I am lazy. If you are keeping up with your family's broth use with homemade stock, you da bomb

 

http://www.foodrenegade.com/america-needs-more-brothals/

 

Disclaimer: I did not read past these two articles, so if this is a weird or controversial site, I apologize.

[Liz CA]

I love homemade broth / stock but I too find it difficult keeping up, especially since I love to eat soup every night in winter.

ETA: The blog seems to be based on the principles of the Weston Price Foundation, didn't see anything odd or weird.

[Annie G]

I wish I could keep up with our broth needs, but my biggest issue is cost. I stock up on cans of chicken stock for 50 cents a can during November/December when it's on sale. I know, it's the awful canned Swanson broth.  But when I make chicken stock for noodles or dumplings or pot pie, I use a whole chicken, assorted veggies, and get enough stock for one meal. I could dilute it and use it for two meals, but then it tastes no better than store bought.  And buying beef bones to make beef stock is way expensive and reserved for special occasions. 

 

I have tried making chicken stock less rich, or using chicken bones from a baked chicken...and it's pretty weak stock and doesn't make much. What am I doing wrong? 

 

And if those of you who make stock often can give me a cost breakdown, that would be lovely.  I feel like I'm missing something here...or is it really as costly as it seems to be?

 

I make soup every single week. That is a lot of stock. 

[momacacia]

"Good broth can resurrect the dead." --South American Proverb

 

My most gelatinous broth has come from beef bones from grassfed beef. If you can hook up with a farmer via Weston Price Foundation, e.g., this would be your best bet to get such bones at a lower cost. You can also get fish bones/heads very inexpensively at Whole Foods or another fishmonger. I have not tried it myself, as I haven't invested in a pressure cooker, but I know some folks get really excellent chicken broth from the pressure cooker and it of course cooks so much faster and helps them keep up. Really the WAP and Nourishing Traditions lifestyle is all about living in the kitchen.

[Truscifi]

We make stock using the bones from cooked chicken, but we save them up in the freezer until we have a whole bag full so the stock is stronger. We throw in parts no one here likes to eat too, like the wings from a whole chicken, so there is a little meat in there too. And we only use one onion, one carrot, and one celery stalk with the greens for the veggies. It is not quite as rich as when I am able to get very cheap leg quarters and throw one of those in there, but it is still good. And we usually get several quarts. I haven't done a cost breakdown, but it can't be much.

[gardenmom5]

I saw the title - and I saw "america needs more brothels". brothels??????  like the greatest little whorehouse in texas?  or the cheyanne social club?

 

then I saw it was talking about "broth".

 

 

and the only definitions for "brothal" redirect to "brothel".

[Liz CA]

This thread should inspire me to make a stockpot full of the good brew. I too store bones in the freezer but I don't have a simmer burner anymore in this house and a good portion of my stock seems to evaporate even on the lowest setting of the burner.

[Annie G]

We make stock using the bones from cooked chicken, but we save them up in the freezer until we have a whole bag full so the stock is stronger. We throw in parts no one here likes to eat too, like the wings from a whole chicken, so there is a little meat in there too. And we only use one onion, one carrot, and one celery stalk with the greens for the veggies. It is not quite as rich as when I am able to get very cheap leg quarters and throw one of those in there, but it is still good. And we usually get several quarts. I haven't done a cost breakdown, but it can't be much.

 

 

That's probably part of my problem.  We usually eat boneless chicken breasts, and occasionally I bake a whole chicken. So saving those bones up would take forever.  I've had people tell me they eat a whole rotisserie chicken and cook the bones and have fabulous broth. Mine was....weak.  

 

Several quarts at a time from leftover bones is impressive.  Does your broth have the gelatin once cooled? Mine from rotisserie chicken did not. That's how weak it was!

[kewb]

I saw the title - and I saw "america needs more brothels". brothels?????? like the greatest little whorehouse in texas? or the cheyanne social club?

 

then I saw it was talking about "broth".

 

 

and the only definitions for "brothal" redirect to "brothel".

I also thought brothel.

 

I always save my bones and veggie scraps. I keep the bags on the freezer. When I have enough bones I make a huge pot of stock with my veggie scraps and some extra veggies thrown in.

[milovany]

Does your broth have the gelatin once cooled? Mine from rotisserie chicken did not....

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I made broth from the deli chickens at the store once. It was very gelatinous -- just like what I'd gotten when I made broth from fresh-killed organic chicken bones.  So I guess it varies.  I still think homemade from deli chickens that doesn't get gelatinous is still better than boxed/canned (which is never gelatinous). 

 

Side note: Almost the only chicken I buy anymore is the grocery store deli chickens. Our local store marks the not ones down to half price beginning at 7pm every night (the hot ones, if there are any), so I buy them then, debone them and put the meat in the freezer in quart bags.

[kewb]

Several quarts at a time from leftover bones is impressive. Does your broth have the gelatin once cooled? Mine from rotisserie chicken did not. That's how weak it was!

If I have enough bones and simmer it long enough I will get the gelatin. Even if I don't it still tastes better then the canned stock.

[Annie G]

Milovany, I would LOVE to be able to buy some half price deli chickens and have a stash of ready to go chicken at a bargain price!  It's so good for so many things!  You're lucky to have a store that does that!  In our town the only grocery stores that make deli chickens are Walmart and Cub Foods. And the next larger town than ours is 30+ minutes away. 

 

I think I need to try making stock from a better quality deli chicken carcass.  I suspect Walmart chicken is not the cream of the crop. 

[Truscifi]

That's probably part of my problem.  We usually eat boneless chicken breasts, and occasionally I bake a whole chicken. So saving those bones up would take forever.  I've had people tell me they eat a whole rotisserie chicken and cook the bones and have fabulous broth. Mine was....weak.  

 

Several quarts at a time from leftover bones is impressive.  Does your broth have the gelatin once cooled? Mine from rotisserie chicken did not. That's how weak it was!

 

It does if I have enough bones. For a while we were cooking a whole chicken every week, so it didn't take me long to have enough. I need to get back in that habit!

[athomeontheprairie]

I came expecting a MUCH different thread!

[milovany]

Milovany, I would LOVE to be able to buy some half price deli chickens and have a stash of ready to go chicken at a bargain price!  It's so good for so many things!  You're lucky to have a store that does that!  In our town the only grocery stores that make deli chickens are Walmart and Cub Foods. And the next larger town than ours is 30+ minutes away. ....

 

Have you asked them if they ever mark them down?  It's not something the local store advertises, I just bought a bunch one evening when they'd been marked down and the gal (as we chatted) said they mark the hot ones down every night (again, if there are any left that is). They just throw out any that don't sell by 8 p.m. so don't mind selling them at that point for less. So then one night I was chatting with a different worker, something about the time (because at that point I thought it was 7:30 or 8 that they marked them down and I said something about coming in too early), and they said no, they don't always get around to marking them down but if there are any still in the display case at 7:00 or later, we can grab them, bring them to the counter and they'll mark them down.  That was good to know!  Now I've done that several times and no one bats an eye. They know exactly what it's about -- standard practice.  Love it. 

 

We have figured out that we prefer to make sure the chickens in the packaging are at least 3 pounds; when they are, and when we pay the half price cost of $3.50/bird, it works out to about $2.75-$3.00 for a pound of meat once we have deboned and defatted it all.  That's more than I typically pay per pound for meat, but because it's already cooked (yummily) and makes for an easy addition to a meal, I'll pay it to get stocked up. I think it works out about the same as if I roasted my own -- but it's without the mess. 

[JustEm]

Canned broth is disgusting to me and always has been. In order to get away with avoiding it I roast a chicken weekly and use the bones to make chicken broth.

[Reflections]

I'll admit I read this article because the title was clever, but I found it, and the original article it links, to be very interesting. I do make homemade stock, but only about 1/3 of what I need to avoid buying the canned stuff. I wish I was more motivated to up my game, I KNOW the homemade stuff is better in every way, but I just don't make the time to simmer stock more often. I am lazy. If you are keeping up with your family's broth use with homemade stock, you da bomb

 

http://www.foodrenegade.com/america-needs-more-brothals/

 

Disclaimer: I did not read past these two articles, so if this is a weird or controversial site, I apologize.

 

Oh, maaaaannnn, I was really hoping this was going to be a great, keeping me busy all through tomorrow, controversial thread.  

 

*Pout*   

[LMD]

Most butchers around here sell bags of chicken bones, about 3 carcasses in each, for a couple of dollars.

[Laura Corin]

I wish butchers around here sold chicken bones.  I think they mostly don't bone chickens themselves - they arrive in pieces or as whole chickens to sell for roasting.

 

I like to poach a whole chicken (the meat is used for sandwiches, risotto, etc.).  The poaching produces wonderful stock.  Then I take the meat off and boil down those bones too.  Stock aplenty, stock galore.

 

L

[Miss Tick]

Okay, who has a great system for storing all this stock? Do you freeze it in 1 cup-sized pucks, or 4 cups at a time, or? Do you freeze it in containers and then move the bricks to storage bags? Particular containers or whatever you have on hand?

 

If your broth gets gelatinous, do you divide that up?

 

I'm intrigued by making a whole chicken once a week, especially in the cold months.

[TracyP]

I make all our own broth. We raise our own chickens, so I can't calculate the cost in a helpful way. I usually throw one whole chicken and the thighs/drummies of another into a stock pot. I simmer the chicken with salt and veggies for 3-4 hours. When it is done I have 9-10 cups of stock which I freeze in canning jars - I do a mix of 3 c. and 1 c. because that is what most of my recipes call for. I also get 9-10 cups of chicken. I cube the chicken and freeze it in 3 c. servings to use in casseroles. I do this about every 3 weeks + each time we have chicken soup to have enough.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

I make broth *all* the time.  I don't store it.  I keep it in 2 quart masons in the fridge and we have broth everyday.  It doesn't last.    I have a 12 quart stockpot and make a pot every week. 

 

I usually do two whole chickens and 2 pounds chicken feet.    I de-bone the chickens after the first hour and reserve the meat in the fridge, that way when we have broth we can throw some meat back into our bowls if we want.    The kids like a little meat and leftover rice in their bowls.   My husband like to throw dried seaweed into his bowls.    

[Annie G]

Have you asked them if they ever mark them down?  It's not something the local store advertises, I just bought a bunch one evening when they'd been marked down and the gal (as we chatted) said they mark the hot ones down every night (again, if there are any left that is). They just throw out any that don't sell by 8 p.m. so don't mind selling them at that point for less. So then one night I was chatting with a different worker, something about the time (because at that point I thought it was 7:30 or 8 that they marked them down and I said something about coming in too early), and they said no, they don't always get around to marking them down but if there are any still in the display case at 7:00 or later, we can grab them, bring them to the counter and they'll mark them down.  That was good to know!  Now I've done that several times and no one bats an eye. They know exactly what it's about -- standard practice.  Love it. 

 

We have figured out that we prefer to make sure the chickens in the packaging are at least 3 pounds; when they are, and when we pay the half price cost of $3.50/bird, it works out to about $2.75-$3.00 for a pound of meat once we have deboned and defatted it all.  That's more than I typically pay per pound for meat, but because it's already cooked (yummily) and makes for an easy addition to a meal, I'll pay it to get stocked up. I think it works out about the same as if I roasted my own -- but it's without the mess. 

 

Walmart packages their day old rotisserie chickens to sell as cold chicken, which means people on SNAP can buy them.  So they don't mark them down.  Cub Foods, the other store in my town, uses their out of date chickens to make chicken salad.   I'm going to have to visit some stores in nearby towns and see what their policy is. 

[KrissiK]

I seldom make broth. That's because I seldom roast a chicken. But, I did roast a chicken last week and made broth, from which I made the best chicken noodle soup I ever has. It really does make a difference.

[SarahW]

To get more gelatin, and stronger broth, put some vinegar or lemon in the water when you simmer the bones. Just a tablespoon or so.

[KungFuPanda]

This time of year, I think our best bet is to buy some turkeys for stock. The turkeys are cheap now and the stock is richer than chicken stock. However, those of us without an extra freezer can't really stock up on whole turkeys :-/

[Artichoke]

Okay, who has a great system for storing all this stock? Do you freeze it in 1 cup-sized pucks, or 4 cups at a time, or? Do you freeze it in containers and then move the bricks to storage bags? Particular containers or whatever you have on hand?

 

If your broth gets gelatinous, do you divide that up?

 

I'm intrigued by making a whole chicken once a week, especially in the cold months.

.

 

I don't know if my system is great, but here's what we do:

 

Quart size mason jars in the fridge for "drinking broth" ( occasionally some frozen )

 

1/2 gallon jars in freezer for "soup broth"

 

Freeze in ice cube trays and package in ziplocks for smaller uses

 

 

Ball recommends only using the wide mouth jars for the freezer. HTH

[KungFuPanda]

That's probably part of my problem. We usually eat boneless chicken breasts, and occasionally I bake a whole chicken. So saving those bones up would take forever. I've had people tell me they eat a whole rotisserie chicken and cook the bones and have fabulous broth. Mine was....weak.

 

Several quarts at a time from leftover bones is impressive. Does your broth have the gelatin once cooled? Mine from rotisserie chicken did not. That's how weak it was!

[KungFuPanda]

I've never gotten several quarts from a rotisserie chicken, but it does always gel for me. How long do you cook yours? I'm a fan of letting it simmer forever in the crockpot.

[Laura Corin]

This time of year, I think our best bet is to buy some turkeys for stock. The turkeys are cheap now and the stock is richer than chicken stock. However, those of us without an extra freezer can't really stock up on whole turkeys :-/

 

Great idea - I'll watch out for cheap turkeys next week.

[FaithManor]

Dh was reading over my shoulder and choked! There is now coffee sprayed across the screen.

 

Thanks for the laugh! :biggrinjester:

 

As for actual broth, I have made my own before...a nourishing bone broth which took hours, smelled bad, and required more skimming than I care to think about. Now that said, if I had another sick patient in the house as sick as the person I made it for, I would go through that again in a heartbeat. Whatever was in it, was like magic to a person who'd lost a boatload of weight and had no appetite. But, it's not something I could possibly have the time to do on any regular basis.

 

I make less nourishing, simple broths...roast a whole chicken, save the juice, that kind of thing, and I do like a good soup, so I do chicken, beef, and vegetable broth on a fairly regular basis but mostly by slow roasting and saving what's left which means I either end up making a cream soup and add milk, or add a commercial broth for more volume. I do try to buy organic broth when I can. There is a huge, noticeable difference to my palette when soup is made with homemade broth vs. commercial.

 

I've also been known to put the water from boiled potatoes into the blender with some sautéed celery and chicken and puree. It makes a nice base for chicken soup even if it isn't as robust a flavor as having a lot of chicken stock.

 

If you have a pressure canner, you can make a lovely chicken soup, full flavored, with a small amount of chicken breast, lots of veggies, two garlic cloves, a little rice, whatever other spices you like, and water. Just pack the jars about half full of a blend of the chicken breast and again, you can get away with as little as two ounces per quart with veggies, garlic, spices, and then fill the rest of the way up with water, and pressure cook at 10 lbs. of pressure for 90 minutes and don't start the timer until you've vented the valve a couple of times just to make sure you build up an even head of steam in the canner.

 

My family loves this. I also do beef and the wonderful thing about a pressure canner is that you can use a fairly tough, not too primo cut of beef, and it will fall apart due to the pressure so you don't have to get an expensive cut in order to make a good soup or stew.

 

[Susan in TN]

All my broth is turkey broth. When turkeys go on sale before Thanksgiving, I buy 4 or 5 and put them in our deep freeze. Every 2 or three months we have a roast turkey and I make usually 2-3 gallons of broth from the turkey carcass and vegetables the next day. I freeze it and it is usually enough to last 3 months until the next roast turkey.

 

I am very grateful for my deep freezer!

[*Inna*]

I came expecting a MUCH different thread!

 

Me, too! :leaving: