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Why Should I Make My Own Chicken Stock?
Since stock is available so readily from any grocery store, what's the point in making your own? If you're someone who likes to waste as little food as possible - like me - then making chicken stock can be a great way to get a last breath of life out of that whole chicken you roasted or out of those leftover vegetables in your refrigerator. Plus, it barely requires a recipe and takes almost no effort. It's as close to a "use whatever you have" recipe as you can get.
What is the Difference Between Chicken Broth and Stock?
Many people, including myself, often use the two terms interchangeably. But there are a couple of subtle differences between the two. Stock is always made using bones once the meat has been removed and simmering it in water and aromatic vegetables - often celery, carrots, and onion. Broth is, technically, any liquid that meat (not bones) has been cooked in, and broth is often seasoned with salt and other spices while stock is usually left unseasoned.
Because the bones release gelatin and collagen into the water, stock ends up being a bit more robust than broth. And did you know that bone broth and stock are essentially the same thing? Bone broth has recently been touted as a (buzzword alert) superfood, and it includes the same ingredients as stock. The main difference between bone broth and stock is the cook time. Stock is traditionally cooked anywhere from 3-6 hours, while bone broth simmers for 12 to 48 hours, resulting in a thicker consistency from the collagen and gelatin that is pulled into the liquid.
How Do You Store Homemade Chicken Stock?
After letting the strained stock cool for a bit, I pour it into some mason jars and store it into the refrigerator. I typically use it up in a day or two in a big ol' pot of soup, though it will keep for 3-4 days. You can freeze chicken stock by placing it into a Ziploc bag, lying it flat onto a baking sheet, and freezing. Then you have a nice space-efficient package that won't take up much room in your freezer. Never freeze stock in glass jars.
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How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 mins
- Yield: Roughly 8 cups 1x
Ingredients
- Bones from 1 whole chicken, meat removed
- 1 onion, cut into fourths.
- 3 carrots, washed and cut into thirds
- 1-2 celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-6 whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- ** see notes
- Water to cover
Instructions
- Place the chicken bones and vegetables into a stock pot and cover with enough water to have an inch or two of space above the chicken.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 3-6 hours.
- Remove the larger bones and vegetables and pour stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove smaller bits. If you want a totally smooth stock, you can strain the liquid through a cheesecloth.
- Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze.
Notes
The vegetables listed are the ones traditionally used when making stock, but please just use whatever you have. Leek caps or greens, leftover ends of onions, shallots, or - in a pinch - dried minced onion or onion powder. Have leftover frozen veggies at the bottom of the bag in your freezer? Throw 'em in. Seriously, use whatever you have, it'll be great.
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