This is one of those amazing things that your mother or grandmother may have passed down to you. I remember my mother making soup this way on occasions when growing up as well. I had no idea at the time what an important skill this was to learn and the nutritional value this technique possesses for the benefit and health of individuals and family members alike.

Preparing meat stocks (chicken, beef, fish, lamb, etc.) in this way has been used around the world for centuries. Ever wonder why we’ve always been told that chicken soup is good for when we’re sick? That’s because when it’s prepared in this way, it really is! “Modern research has confirmed that broth helps prevent and mitigate infectious diseases” (Nourishing Traditions, 116-117). By the way, if you haven’t heard me talk about the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon yet, let me just say that it has completely opened my eyes to what pure and healthy nutrition is. It gave me so much understanding regarding food (and I have researched healthy food for a long time) and has forever changed the way I look at and prepare the majority of our food for my family.

Another great description of the powerhouse qualities of chicken stock is described in this quote. I shared this quote on my Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, but love it so much that I wanted to share it again here. It’s from Hanna Kroeger from Ageless Remedies from Mother’s Kitchen. “Why is chicken soup superior to all things we have, even more relaxing than ‘Tylenol?’ It is because chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs, and calms the mucus lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives…and parasites. Chicken soup…heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength.”

Meat stocks have a great benefit in helping our bodies to more easily digest cooked foods as well. This is partly due to the gelatin contained in meat stocks. Gelatin helps to aid digestion as well as helping with other intestinal disorders. Gelatin is also great for your skin, mainly because (like mentioned above) it helps improve your digestion, and it begins to show in your skin. Don’t believe me? Try it. That was one of the biggest surprises for me after I’d eaten chicken stock three to four days in a row. I’ve heard people say that our skin is our second biggest organ in our bodies, but could it be because our skin is an outward representative of our internal health..? 

Okay, on to the chicken stock! A few items you will need. A large stock pot or crock pot. I currently have and use this stock pot, but in the past have used a large crock pot like this one or this one (the difference between these crock pots is one has a manual control the other a digital control-I have used both in the past and both work great!). The benefits with the crock pot is that it uses less power and I feel comfortable letting it cook overnight. The benefits with the stock pot is that it makes more stock. And who doesn’t love more stock? You will also need a strainer like this one to strain out the chicken stock once it’s finished cooking. Alright, let’s begin! 

Rinse the chicken out, place in stock pot or crock pot. Add the vegetables and vinegar to the pot. (Adding vinegar helps to draw out the minerals from the bones into your stock).

Cut up the neck and gizzard into pieces (you’ll find these wrapped in a small paper bag inside the chicken-make sure these are included when you buy your chicken, they add a lot of nutrition to our chicken stock). You can throw out the liver (the dark one at the bottom left) or save it (for something like liver and onions).

Fry up the neck and gizzards in some olive oil (about 1 Tbsp), until browned, then add to the pot.

Cover chicken with filtered water then put the lid on. Once it starts to boil skim off any scum that rises, then turn heat down to medium low. Allow a small slit in the lid and allow to simmer on medium low until the chicken is fully cooked (about 1-2 hours).

Once the chicken is fully cooked, separate the meat from the bones. Then put the bones and skin back into the water in the pot, cover, and allow to simmer for another 4-20 hours. You can use the cooked chicken now or store it for later.

After you’ve let it simmer for as long as you’d like (between 6-24 hours total), strain out all the bones, skin, and vegetables with a double mesh strainer. Then pour chicken stock into a clean large pot or bowl (I ended up using both a pot and a bowl because of how much it made). Place the chicken stock in the fridge uncovered and allow to cool (the stock will sometimes sour if it is covered before it is cooled).

Once it has cooled, scrape off the fat that has hardened on the top. You can discard this or save it for later to make something like gravy. I have also just left it on a few times and mixed it in when I’ve made soup.

And whala! You’ve just made your deliciously healthy and nutritious chicken stock! You can use it straight away, or store it in freezer safe bags (make sure to label the bags with the name and date of the stock, I put 2-cups of stock per small bag and store them all in a larger freezer bag). Enjoy!!

Chicken Stock (from scratch)

2015-07-27 11:35:45

A highly nutritious, cold and flu fighting chicken broth.

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Ingredients

1. 1 whole chicken (preferably organic) with neck, gizzards, and feet (if you can find them! The feet contain tons of gelatin but they are completely optional)
2. 1 large onion, roughly chopped
3. 2-3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
4. 2-3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
5. 2 Tbsp white vinegar
6. 1 bunch of fresh parsley (optional)
7. filtered water

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken (inside and out). You may find a white package inside the chicken. This contains the neck, gizzards, and liver. Take this out and set aside, (rinse out the chicken after you've taken this package out).
2. Place the whole chicken in the stock pot or large crock pot, add all the chopped vegetables and vinegar.
3. Cut up the neck and gizzards (discard liver or save to use for later), fry in a small frying pan in some olive oil until well browned. Add browned neck and gizzards to the pot.
4. Fill pot with filtered water until it covers the chicken. Bring to a boil and remove any scum that rises to the top.
5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the more flavorful it will be. Once the chicken is fully cooked (about 1-2 hours) remove chicken and separate the chicken from the bones and skin. Place bones and skin back into the pot and continue simmering. You can use or store the cooked chicken.
6. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add optional parsley.
7. Once it's done pour stock through a double mesh strainer to filter out all the bones, skin, and vegetables.
8. Pour strained stock into a clean pot or bowl and store uncovered in the fridge until cooled. (Covering the stock before it is cooled may cause it to turn sour.)
9. Once it's cooled, scrap off the fat that hardens on the top. You can discard this or save it to make things like sauces or gravies.
10. Next you can place the stock into freezer-safe bags (don't forget to label with name and date) and store or use it immediately in your favorite soups or dishes.

Adapted from Susan Branch

Adapted from Susan Branch

My Homemade Heaven https://myhomemadeheaven.com/