After almost a full week of cooking turkey for family, friends and the kids, I was more than ready to move on to something new, but not before I made a delicious Turkey Noodle Soup with the last remaining bits of turkey in the fridge. The kids aren’t really used to soup, so I was happy to see how much they loved it, devouring the whole batch in just two days. Now, with Hanukkah just around the corner, I have Matzoh Ball Soup on the brain and it got me thinking that I don’t have a good Chicken Stock recipe on weelicious. The bonus of this recipe is that you get soup AND fresh cooked chicken out of it, which I put to good use all week in Mac, Chicken and Cheese Bites and Chicken, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas.
Whether you need chicken stock to make Chicken Pot Pie, Risotto Milanese, White Chicken Chili or another favorite recipe of yours that calls for it, this clean, fresh tasting stock is great to have on hand. And with some light seasoning, it’s even wonderful to eat on its own. Especially at this time of year when it seems like everyone around you is getting sick, a good chicken stock, with its medicinal properties, is something you want to make sure is always on standby in your fridge or freezer.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound whole chicken, washed
- 20 Cups water
- 3 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 8 Fresh thyme sprigs
- 8 Parsley Stems
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for a minimum of one hour or up to two hours (the flavor gets better the longer you simmer it).
- While simmering the stock, periodically use a spoon to skim off all the impurities that rise to the top.
- After the stock has cooked, take the whole chicken out of the pot (if simmering the stock for 2 hours, remove the chicken after the first hour, take the meat off of the bones and set aside. Return bones to the pot and continue cooking for another hour). Strain the stock into a container and allow it to come to room temperature.* You can shred the chicken to use for other recipes or just eat on its own.
- Store in the fridge over night.
- The next day, remove solidified fat from the top.
- Store stock in fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
- *You can use the stock at this point or you can continue with the steps for storing.
- To Freeze: Place stock in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, simply defrost.
Hello, I was just wondering if you could give me feedback on what brand of container would you use to freeze this stock.
My kid love cooking food with me or with his grandma. I am quite joyful about that and I really take pleasure in lookng smile during cooking food.
Thanks for posting this, I had been wanting to make some for a while, but some of the recipes actually seemed a little complicated, but I always feel pretty confident when I follow yours. I finally got the chicken bones out of the freezer (just used bones, not a whole chicken), and replaced it with delicious homemade stock! My hubby is much happier now. :o) Thanks for making cooking a little less scary! I also used some of the stock to make your chicken noodle soup – super easy and delicious, even made my own egg noodles!
Also, I read a tip for the bones. Before you boil the bones again. Add a splash of vinegar to the pot. It’s supposed to draw calcium out of the bones and into your stock. I’m no chemist, but I do it with every pot now. Every little bit helps. I don’t get any vinegar undertones because you are using just a splash, not a whole lot.
We do something very similar, though we oven roast the chicken first, have it for dinner, pull the remainder of the meat off the bones for future recipes, and then put the veggies, a little apple cider vinegar, and carcass into the slow cooker for 24-48 hours on low. You really need that length of time to get the absolute best nutrition from the bones. And the ACV to make the broth calcium and mineral-rich.
A good stock is rich in proteins and amino acids, minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and gelatin.
http://www.www.westonaprice.org/food-features/515-broth-is-beautiful.html
Great recipe! I like the family focus of your cooking blog. Kids are sometimes tough customers, so good tips!
cupcake