Chicken Stock

My chicken stock won a Blue Ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  The process to make chicken stock is easy.  It requires one or two stockpots and 2-4 whole chickens and various vegetables.

Chicken Stock
You will need:
at least 1 large stockpot
2 whole chickens
3-4 stalks celery, cut in half - leave the leaves on
3-4 carrots, unpeeled cut in half
1 onion - leave skins on, quartered
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, cut in half
a handful of whole peppercorns

Put all of this in your large stockpot.  Fill with water until your chicken is covered and the pot is almost full.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low. Simmer for several hours.  Take out chicken - it will probably come in pieces.  Which is just fine.  Take out vegetables and throw away.  Remove meat from chicken bones and put bones back in the stock.  Save your meat to use as you see fit.  I sometimes put mine in smaller baggies and freeze it.  Put the stock in the refrigerator overnight - making sure to put a potholder underneath your pot.  It will be hot.

 The next day - skim off any fat that has congealed during the night.  Remove chicken bones.  Bring stock to a boil.  When I fill my jars - I also strain it at the same time.  Fill jars to 1 inch headspace.  Put on lids and bands.  All stocks have to be pressure canned.  Check your local extension office for altitude/times.  I am at sea level so I did mine at 10 lb pressure/25 minutes/quarts OR 10 lb pressure/20 minutes/pints.

I use my chicken stock in recipes that call for chicken stock.  I also use it to make chicken soup and gravies.