Chicken Stock

Want to get the most out of your Pastured Poultry?  Whether you get your chicken pieced or whole, this is a great way to utilize the cuts of meat that most recipes ignore.  This allows the chicken meat to be easily removed from the bone, and it and the completed stock can be stored in the freezer or pressure canned for use in other recipes.

Print Recipe

Chicken Stock

Cook Time

2 Hours

Servings

Pint (16oz) containers

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs chicken backs and necks Note: a whole 3-4lb chicken (or stewing hen) can also be used
• 16 cups (one gallon) water
• 2 stalks celery with leaves
• 2 medium yellow onions, quartered
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt (optional)

Cook Time 2 Hours Servings Pint (16oz) containers Ingredients 3-4 lbs chicken backs and necks Note: a whole 3-4lb chicken (or stewing hen) can also be used 16 cups (one gallon) water 2 stalks celery with leaves 2 medium yellow onions, quartered 10 peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and simmer for at least two hours (or until chicken falls from the bone). Remove from heat.
2. Remove the chicken, celery and onion from the stock pot, reserving the chicken meat for another recipe.
3. Strain the stock in batches through a gravy separator, or through a doubled-over cheesecloth or strainer/sieve to remove any remaining particles.
4. Allow the stock to cool until the fat solidifies and can be skimmed off; skimming off the fat once cooled.
5. The stock can be stored in freezer containers leaving 1" headspace, or processed in prepared hot canning jars with 1" headspace in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 20 minutes for pints or 25 minutes for quarts.

Helpful Hints

1. If you have a deep steamer basket for your stock pot, place all ingredients in the steamer basket and submerge in the water in the stockpot to make straining your raw ingredients and chicken bones out of the finished stock easier.
2. The more skin and fat on the uncooked chicken, the more fat the final product will have. If you want to skin the chicken it will reduce the fat, but we find this an unneccessary step as you skim the fat off the final product before storing regardless.
3. You can also use a chicken previously prepared for a meal (bones and any remaining meat still left on the bones) and use the above recipe to make stock, but instead of using 16 cups water, use just enough water to cover the chicken by one inch.