Chicken Stock

Directions

1. You should have only chicken bones in foil in your freezer. Hopefully they’re dated but find them ALL! Pull them out an hour prior to starting or you can run them under cold water to help get the foil un-stuck from the chicken.

2. Into a large LARGE stock pot add a few gallons of water and set to boil. You can add the chicken carcasses – bones, skin and any random bits like necks and giblets you froze. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, cloves, parsley stems and peppercorns.

3. Turn the heat to HIGH until it boils, then cover and reduce to low so you have a nice simmer going. You want the stock to simmer gently.

4. Skim the stock as you go with a spoon, ladel, or fine strainer. Usually this will be for the first 15-20 minutes of the simmer to remove any floating impurities.

5. Get a china hat strainer. Chinois is the non-offensive name but you might have to search for both to find one. They will speed up the stock process quite a bit and it’s what the pros use. The best have a nice hook opposite the handle to hold it over the pot you are going into and they are much tougher than what you can find in most grocery stores. I like to go out of the big pot into a smaller more narrow one that will fit in my sink so I can avoid making a huge mess. If you don’t have the gear, just use what you have, I did for years.

6. Transfer the stock into small containers so it cools down faster. Let it cool completely then cover and transfer to the fridge. Once stock sits in the fridge for a few hours or overnight a fat layer will form on the top. Go ahead and remove that fat layer. The stock will be gelatinous and wobbly when cold. that’s a good thing. Use it within 5 days or freeze it for up to six months. Or you can go all out with a pressure canner and after you skim the fat can the stock so it’s shelf stable and save that freezer space. There are plenty of sites that will explain how to do this if you have a pressure canner and want to use it.