So, as I mentioned earlier this week, there is a trend in the food blogger network of making your own stock. These trends happen. There was ricotta a couple of months ago, baguette before that, and I am sure a million others.
These trends are fun because you get so many different takes on a recipe, it is easy to form your own ideas and give it a shot! So onward to stock making I went! There are a couple of awesome things about making your own stock. Firstly, it is CHEAP!! You use a whole chicken carcass that you hopefully made for another dinner. The other ingredients are staples in most pantries.
My recipe made about 14 cups of stock, which is about 8 cans of store-bought stock. PLUS, I know where the ingredients came from, PLUS, it tastes really, really good. After completing this project, I would say that I will NEVER go back to store-bought stock again. I would like to say that, however, convenience is a very nice thing. And I might not always have all day to skim and simmer, so I will never say never!
Chicken Stock Recipe
NOTE: This recipe is based on using the chicken carcass and drippings from my Simple Roasted Chicken Recipe. If you are starting without the roasted chicken, you may instead use a whole chicken. You may just need to adjust the salt.
Ingredients:
- 1 4-5 lb chicken carcass
- Drippings from the Simple Roasted Chicken Recipe (optional)
- 1 large parsnip (peeled and quartered)
- 3 medium carrots (peeled and quartered)
- 2 stalks of celery (quartered, including any leaves)
- 2 large garlic cloves (peeled)
- 12 sprigs of thyme
- 12 stems of parsley
- 25 peppercorns
- 2 Turkish bay leaves
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- Water
Directions
- Place all ingredients, except for water in a large stock pot.
- Cover with water so all ingredients are covered
- Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a VERY slow simmer
- Allow to simmer for 4 hours
- Every 15 – 30 minutes, skim the top of the broth for fat and schmutz
- After 4 hours, place a strainer over a large bowl, pour the pot into the strainer, VERY slowly!
- Discard everything left in the strainer.
- Re-strain broth if needed
- Refrigerate broth overnight and skim off the fat that solidifies at the top.
- Put stock into storage container.
- Stock is good in the fridge for about 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months!
I love homemade stock! My mom makes it in mass quantities and pressure cans it so I almost always have it on hand, it’s the best!
Homemade stock is so easy! Sadly, my freezer space is tight, so I just make it whenever I have a leftover carcass and save it for a recipe that really needs the great flavor (like my recent Italian Wedding Soup). Good for you to make your own! It’s hard to use the box stuff after that!
I wish I had more ambition to make homemade stock. I know it’s so worth it but it always seems to labor intensive… clearly I’m wrong, though, because yours looks doable! Maybe this weekend I’ll give it a go!
I like to make Turkey stock after thanksgiving. Waste not, want not!
Oooh I’m not in on the trend! haha
I love those mason jars…
I am completely addicted to mason jars right now!
This is fantastic! I’ve always wanted to know how to make chicken stock, but it always seemed so daunting. Your recipe seems totally doable. I’m going to give it a try!
YES! Awesome. I love making chicken stock. I think my next post is going to be a chicken stock post. Now you’ll have to start using it, or else you’ll end up like me and be a candidate for an episode of Stock Hoarders.
I really need to get on the homemade stock wagon. It’s just too good to pass up!
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