Making Chicken Stock

Here’s how I make chicken stock.

First, I save any chicken bones from roasted (or even fried) chicken. Don’t use anything that was grilled (at least if it was grilled over charcoal!). I just keep a Ziploc bag in the freezer and add to it whenever we have bones. Those rotisserie chickens from the grocery store are perfect for this too.

I also save any vegetable scraps from carrots, celery, onions, and sometimes garlic. When we peel carrots and trim off the ends of celery and onions, they all get tossed in a Ziploc bag in the freezer too. Save herbs scraps too – stems and leaves from parsley, rosemary, and/or any other herbs you like.

I have a big stock pot, that comes with a strainer insert. It’s perfect for making stock.
Toss the chicken bones into the pot.

Next, add in the frozen vegetable scraps.

I didn’t have enough scraps this time, so I added in some fresh vegetables too. First some garlic:

Next, some celery.

I just bought 2 fresh bunches, so I just chopped up all of this leftover bunch to put in the stock.

A couple of carrots and an onion cut in half.

Finally, the best part. Some fresh rosemary just cut off of my plant.

A handful of kosher salt.

A handful of pepercorns.

Then add water. It took 30 cups this time.

Just add enough to cover the bones and vegetables.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so it’s just simmering. The rosemary makes the house smell so good!

I let it simmer for a couple of hours. I give it a taste to know when it’s done. Then I let it reduce a bit to concentrate the flavors. Strain it and put into containers and freeze!

This time I’ll be using a lot of it for Thanksgiving, so I’m just going to keep it in the fridge.

Tagged as: stock