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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Adventures in the Kitchen: DIY Chicken Broth

You may remember a few weeks ago I posted the recipe on how to make a whole chicken.
In that post I mentioned that I like to use the leftover bones from the chicken to make my own chicken broth. 
Here are the specifics about 
DIY Chicken Broth
What you will need:
A stock pot with a lid
chicken carcass (a yucky word, I know, but that is what it is)
water
veggies and spices (if you want ~ today I used 1/2 onion, 3 carrots, 1 T of parsley, basil, oregano, and garlic)

Directions:
(I didn't take that many pictures, because can you honestly say you want to see a pot of water with a chicken carcass in it! Yucko!)
After you have removed the meat you want to eat from the cooked chicken carcass, save the rest of it and put it and everything else into the pot. 
Cover with water, and simmer for 3 hours. 
After 3 (or more hours) strain broth and put into containers. 


That's it!
Really, that is all there is to it!




Here are some tips:
1) If you add 2 T of vinegar to the water it will draw the calcium out of the chicken bones. This means more nutritious broth! (I learned this from my friend Mrs. Iler!) 
2) Put a lid on your pot so all of the water doesn't boil away.
3) Freeze broth in empty sour cream containers - they are easy to stack in your freezer. When you need to thaw some broth, just run the container under warm water and it will pop right out. 
4) If you leave the broth sit overnight in the refrigerator, any fat will come to the top and solidify. You can scrape it off the top and then strain the rest of your low fat chicken broth!


What is your favorite recipe that uses chicken broth?

6 comments:

  1. I always make broth from chicken or turkey. It is so good in soups or other dishes that need a little water.

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  2. Great idea!!!

    I've also seen people use Ice Cube trays to freeze the broth off in. Once frozen put the cubes in a zip top bag and then you can portion them out pretty easy.

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  3. Well that's just smart! I kind of despise the word "carcass" too!! LOL. I've got to remember this one the next time I cook a chicken! Or a turkey!! Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!

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  4. Great tips, esp to let us know you can freeze it. I didn't know about the calcium, although it does remind me of a science experiment to rubberize the bones, lol. I will enJOY this recipe because who doesn't like to know what goes into their food? Found you on http://www.momnivores-dilemma.com/ party, Thursday.

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  5. I love when I'm able to make my own chicken broth. It is so much better and a great savings. Thanks for sharing it this week at Allergy-Free Wednesdays. We hope to see you back again next week.
    Have a good weekend!
    ~Michelle, AFW Hostess

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  6. Homemade taste soooo much better...Thanks for linking up @CountryMommaCooks...have a nice weekend:)

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