Chicken Stock 101

Gather ingredients, I use whatever I have on hand, carrot, celery, onion and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar. The vinegar pulls the gelatin out of the bones. Don't peel anything, not even the onion, rough chop and throw it in. Add water. Here are leftover chicken bones for today's batch. I usually have the crock pot on the counter and as everyone finishes their dinner they drop their bones into it .

I have a 6 quart crock pot so it make a fair amount of stock. You can do it on the stove but it is suggested to simmer for 24 hours so with a bunch of kids running around I use the crock pot.

They next day you have this: Not very tasty looking but don't worry about that. I stick the whole pot on the deck to cool before I strain it. In the summer you have to find a way to wedge it between the huge watermelon and leftovers in the fridge.

Strain it. Measure it out into your preferred serving size. Freeze or use within 5 days or so. Voila you have stock.

Stock is so versatile and so healthy and so REAL. Go here to learn all about broth or stock.

So what do I do with chicken or beef stock you may ask.

Replace the water in brown rice.

Make a roux and use it as a cream sauce when a recipe calls for a can of MSG, I mean cream of something soup.

Replace milk in mashed potatoes.

Make soup.

Replace water in instant mashed potatoes, shhh don't tell anybody I feed those to my kids.