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How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

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chicken stock recipe mason jars

Chicken Stock Recipe with How To Instructions

Chicken stock from scratch is one of the most under-rated, and under appreciated beauties in cooking.  This winter I have been making lots of soups and they all seem to require some form of soup stock.  Then I got kinda cheap, and thought…man, 4 bucks for some chicken flavored water…  So I began making my own.  Then I started canning it too.

I have utilized a pressure cooker to make this a quicker process, but you can do it with traditional methods as well.  I have included timing notes below for alternative methods.

Another beautiful thing about homemade chicken stock is that when you splurge on an organic chicken, you can really get your money’s worth.  I have started a bone bucket, a Gladware 8 cup tub, that I toss all my chicken scraps into throughout the week and then store it in the freezer.  When the bucket is full its time to make some stock!  Also I have began keeping a veggie scrap bucket with things like kale stems, onion trimmings, carrot scraps, parsley stems, etc.  This practice of saving the both the chicken and veggie scraps gives me plenty of stock material and I barely have to use any new ingredients.  In other words, think of the stock as a your fresh food garbage disposal!

Ingredients

  • Bones from a whole chicken
  • 2 – carrots
  • 1 – onion
  • Leftover kale stems
  • 1 Tablespoon – Herbs de Provence or a general Italian Seasoning
  • 10 – black peppercorns
  • 2 – bay leaves
  • 12 cups – water (approximately)

 

Chicken stock recipe canned in mason jars

How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

Tom Schmidt (eatwithtom.com)
Chicken Stock
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • Bones from a whole chicken
  • 2 – carrots
  • 1 – onion
  • Leftover kale stems
  • 1 Tablespoon - Herbs de Provence or a general Italian Seasoning
  • 10 – black peppercorns
  • 2 – bay leaves
  • 12 cups – water approximately

Instructions
 

Pressure Cooker Method

  • Add all ingredients to the pressure cooker. Add water and heat over medium-high heat. Water should fill the pot to about 2/3 full. The pressure cooker requires some airspace to get up to pressure and work properly, so don’t get too ambitious.
  • Once stock has begun to boil, cover with lid and lock the handle. Set your pressure gauge to “high” pressure or 16 psi. Reduce heat to medium until the pressure release valve begins to hiss. Your pot is now up to pressure.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low heat. This should maintain enough heat to hold the pressure. If your pot stopping releasing steam, increase heat slightly. Cook for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and release the pressure valve. Be careful of the escaping steam!
  • Once the pressure has released, unlock and open the pot. Place a large bowl or second stockpot in the sink with a colander on top. Dump the entire pressure cooker contents through the colander into the bowl. Throw out all bones and veggies.
  • (optional) Return stock back to the pressure cooker pot. Rinse out your bowl and find your fine mesh sieve. Pour stock through sieve to remove all remaining small pieces of spices, etc. I usually do this if I am going to can the stock just to make it more versatile.
  • Stock is DONE!

Variations

  • Cook in crockpot / slow cooker for 6 hours on low. You may need to adjust your water and other ingredients to fit in your cooker.
  • Cook in a traditional stockpot on a low simmer for 2-3 hours.

Storage methods

  • Canning - Chicken stock is one of the easiest things to can in Mason Jars, but for this you need a pressure cooker. The pressure cooker on high (16 PSI) reaches a temperature of 240F / 116C which kills the botulism spores, making it safe to store without refrigeration.
  • Freezing – Stock freezes well and keeps for a few months. I like the freezer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VSZGRA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008VSZGRA&linkCode=as2&tag=eawito0f-20" data-mce-href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VSZGRA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008VSZGRA&linkCode=as2&tag=eawito0f-20">Gladware 8 cup containers</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=eawito0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008VSZGRA" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" data-mce-src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=eawito0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008VSZGRA" data-mce-style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;">.
  • Ball also makes <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008586V6Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008586V6Q&linkCode=as2&tag=eawito0f-20" data-mce-href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008586V6Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008586V6Q&linkCode=as2&tag=eawito0f-20">freezer safe 24-ounce Mason Jars</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=eawito0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008586V6Q" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" data-mce-src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=eawito0f-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008586V6Q" data-mce-style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;">. This method of canning, does not require any special equipment or treatment. Just be sure to leave ¾ inch headspace to allow for expansion.