Making Your Own Chicken Stock

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

angelovearth — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:14:52 GMT

I've always found that if you first bake the "picked over bird" in the oven for a half an hour and then boil it, it really gives the broth an intense flavor. Much stronger than just using the left over chicken.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

Russ Bianchi — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:35:59 GMT

Let me guess...tastes like CHICKEN?

;-)

Uncle Russ

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

jlillge — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:05:31 GMT

I love that there are a lot of articles here about preparing safe and healthy foods ahead of time and freezing them for later. My problem is that no one says WHAT TYPE of container to freeze it in. Mercola has published many articles about the toxins released from plastic when frozen and when heated. If I can't put food in plastic to freeze it, what am I supposed to freeze it in???

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

hugboysmum — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:33:16 GMT

Greetings from Australia
I am sure this "recipe" was posted by the lovely Lucy quite some time ago so is just a repeat. I get my "boilers" from an organic free range farm at the farm gate. They are chooks that have finished laying and if you have the stomach for it, you can pluck and clean your own for cheaper. I boil up 2 or 3 at a time depending how big they are and freeze the broth. I also use the "ends" of veges and whole onions, including the skins and lots of garlic. (hey I'm italian what do you expect) all home grown or locally sourced. In winter we practically live on soup and homemade bread, (yes I know bread is not really the best food but I can't have soup without bread) haven't had a cold in years and my mother in law is 93 and refuses to have a "flu injection". She just asks me for some broth if she is feeling "fluie" and drinks the hot clear broth and little else for a couple of days.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

Go with God — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:14:26 GMT

Is there anything dangerous about using the boxed organic broths I find at the health food store? I don't have the time or energy to do everything I eat from scratch, so I rely on these soups. They're not in aluminum cans, but boxes. Is that okay?

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

OscarCisco — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:13:22 GMT

We have been making homemade chicken broth over a year now for a cat with kidney problems. It's been a great help to increase his fluids and improve his appetite, since he really likes the chicken fat. The humans in the house do not eat meat and haven't tasted the broth.

We use Free Range, no hormones/antibiotics organic chicken, cover with filtered (RO) water (at least an inch above), bring to a boil and simmer about 4 hours. After draining the liquid, I add a little more water and mash the meat/skin/bones and simmer another 30 minutes. This mixture is strained, the liquid mixed with the rest, the solids disposed of.

We freeze the broth in 8 oz glass containers. Since we use the broth within a couple months, I'm not sure how long it would last in the freezer.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

maxree — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:01:28 GMT

re: long term freezing of meat....An old shrimp fisherman told me to freeze them whole, in water. I've done this with shrimp, fish and chicken. The ice keeps oxygen from reaching the food so there is no freezer burn and it works well. Have not tried it with beef yet. As someone said, think of the frozen Wooly Mammoth's !!!!

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

Vonne — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:43:54 GMT

Cooking the poor old chook (chicken) for 24 hours is somewhat of an overkill - particularly if there are vegies in there too. You'd get flavour for sure, but the nutrients have been cooked out of existence.

G'day Dom.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

FRUMPO — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:38:38 GMT

If one adds two tablespoonsful of vinegar or lemon juice to the water before heating, the added acidity will draw out more minerals from the bones. This is an old trick Grandma used to use. The sour taste will not be noticeable in the final broth.
Also, if PASTURED chicken is used, there will be so much gelatin that TWO boilings will still yield a very rich broth.
Also, feel free to add the feet to the stew pot. They contain a lot of gelatin and collagen.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

Randy Engheben — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:15:44 GMT

I noticed there was nothing specific about how much more water can be put in and how much longer it can be simmered when adding water. Also, I'm wondering how much longer the stock can be kept in the freezer. Ages could be minutes if it's the life of some insects or decades if it refers to a human or animal. I am most interested in a more specific timeframe because I'd like to make some stock and freeze it in mason jars for future use.

Thanks,

Randy

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

JustWrite — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:49:30 GMT

Interesting that Lucy uses the Brita pitcher for her filtered water. It's made of Lexan (polycarbonate)-- one of the plastics to avoid (according to info found on the Mercola website). I also have that pitcher and was going to toss it after reading the article on the harm caused by plasticizers. But I wonder if the benefit of filtered water outweighs the exposure.

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

seajayp — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:43:13 GMT

I noticed that, in the demonstration, the lady was using a PLASTIC ladel. (more estrogen simulation????) Are there no Stainless Steel ladels availaible????

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

notig — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:05:09 GMT

I wish they still gave the whole chicken with the head and feet still.... Our broths are suffering because of it! The feet which are gelatin rich... and the head as well rich in other minerals

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

Judita — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:49:54 GMT

Wonderin' why you don't list "straining" the broth???

re: Making Your Own Chicken Stock

neroli moonstone — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:50:22 GMT

Awesome , bring back the whole foods. The glucosamine is in the jelly from your home made chicken , fish and meat stocks. Who needs to waste money on these supplements when you can do it better yourself!