Making Your Own Chicken Stock

It is really easy to buy powdered chicken stock or liquid chicken stock.  However, it is equally easy to make your own chicken stock after you have roasted a chicken (or turkey).

To make your own stock, you just throw the chicken carcass and juice (gross, I know) in a big ‘ol pot with some onion, carrots, celery (if you have it) and spices and let it boil away for an hour.  Then strain all the gunk out, freeze it, and you have some spiffy chicken broth the next time you need it.  I used the carcass from a 3 ½ pound chicken and ended up with 12 cups of broth when I was done - that is 3 of those boxes of broth you buy at the grocery store!  Cool!

Chicken Stock

Parent’s Magazine

Carcass (skin, bones, fat) from a roasted chicken

Juices (from the bottom of the roaster) from a roasted chicken

½ onion

2 carrots

5-10 black peppercorns

½ tbsp coarse salt

2-3 sprigs rosemary

2-3 whole bay leaves

Water

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot.  Add enough water to cover the carcass by at least 2 inches.  Bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, partially covered.  Let cool slightly.  Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids.  (I poured the brother through a colander to remove the large solids and then through my mesh strainer into freezer bags.)

Place in freezer bags or freezer safe containers (I froze 4 cups of broth in each bag.)  Freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw frozen broth, simply place the freezer bag in a bowl of hot water for about 10 minutes and use.

Enjoy!

Amy