Nutrient dense chicken stock
Homemade, nutrient dense chicken stock is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. There is no comparison to the store-bought versions which often contain MSG or other chemicals and which lack gelatine and some of the other health-boosting properties of homemade stock.
In selecting the bones for your stock, look for high quality bones from pastured poultry. Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.
There are several places to find good bones for stock:
- Save leftovers from when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey, or goose (pastured)
- From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal
- From local farmers who raise grass fed animals (ask around at your local Farmer’s Market)
- Online from companies like Riverford Organic or Able and Cole.
This is my favourite stock recipe and is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds (or more) of bones from a healthy source
- 2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- Celery – 2 stalks or you can use the bottom and keep the stalks for other things
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, 1 tablespoon or more of sea salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, additional herbs or spices to taste. I also add 2 cloves of garlic for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- You’ll also need a large pot to cook the broth in and a strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.
Method:
*If you are using raw bones, it improves flavour to roast them in the oven first for 30 minutes.
1. Place the bones in a large stock pot. Pour (filtered) water over the bones and add the onion, carrots, celery and apple cider vinegar.
2. Bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 12 hours.
*During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than conventional animals.
3. During the last 30 minutes, add the garlic and parsley.
4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.
How to Use Bone Broth:
Homemade Broth/Stock can be used as the liquid in making soups, stews, gravies, sauces, and reductions. It can also be used to sauté or roast vegetables.
To drink, just like tea. In cases of stomach bugs or vomiting, bone broth often calms the stomach very quickly and helps shorten the duration of the illness.