Homemade Chicken Stock: Health-Giving Liquid Made from Scraps

I’ve always thought store bought chicken stock was just fine– and it is. That homemade stock, or broth or bone broth, was more trouble than it was worth, until I started making my own. It turns out, that making stock is even easier than I thought. No need for any fuss, just a chicken carcass, water, salt, and maybe some parsley stems or carrots I grabbed from the garden. The finished product is always exceptional and now I get to utilize and appreciate every part of the chickens I raise, even the scraps.

The truth is, stock is also as easy to make as it is useful to have around – it’s liquid gold. You can replace water with stock in any savory dish. Try it in soup (of course), rice (do it), chili, pasta sauces, gravy, and stewed or braised meats. Homemade stock kicks up both flavor depth, and texture in most dishes. It's so good that I drink bone broth for a warm nutritious breakfast on cold mornings; I even drink it for electrolyte replenishment when sweating in the summer. How do you make chicken stock from scraps? Check out this simple recipe below for your own ready-to-go ‘liquid gold’:

Instant Pot: Bones, parsley stems, a bay leaf, water. High pressure. 1 hour.

Chicken Stock Guide: "Liquid Gold"

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken's worth of carcass, bones, and scraps

• Water, ~4 qts

• Salt

• Optional aromatics, dice for optimal flavor: carrots, parsley, bay leaves, onion, celery stalks, garlic

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add chicken parts and diced aromatics if using. Fill with water until chicken parts are covered.

2. Stir in 2 generous pinches of salt. Cover. Bring to a boil. Stir.

3. Simmer for ~90 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Remove large chicken parts with tongs or slotted spoon.

5. Strain the liquid into a large pitcher or pot. Add salt to taste.

6. Ready!

   1. Immediate use

   2. Store in the fridge

   3. Freeze in soup containers, bags, or ice cube trays