How to make your own homemade chicken broth

So this is how to make your own homemade chicken broth!

First off, homemade chicken broth is one of the easiest things to make! But did you know that homemade chicken broth, chicken stock, or sometimes even called bone broth is LOADED with nutritional benefits??

We’ve all heard that chicken soup will help cure your cold, but did you know that it’s actually true?  Chicken broth contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily!! Canned soup is far inferior to homemade soups made from slow-cooked bone broth.

Chicken stock contains minerals our bodies can absorb easily. Here are just a few…

• calcium
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• silicon
• sulfur
• other trace minerals

It also contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons…. like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine!!! Broth helps to promote healthy digestion, inhibits infections, reduces joint pain and helps fight inflammation!! It also promotes strong, healthy bones. And because of all the natural gelatin in broth it also promotes healthy hair and nail growth!! So ditch the store bought… and make your own delicious broth and enjoy the health benefits!!!

Here’s how I make mine…. First I start off with my huge stock pot, so I can double my recipe :-)

• Whole chickens (or saved carcasses from prior meals such as green chicken enchiladas!)
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onions
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Any other herbs you like… this time I used thyme.
• Bay leaves (I forgot them in the picture)
• Whole peppercorns
• Sea salt
• And any other veggies you like. You can even use the ends and scraps of your veggies for making stock.

First I fill my pot about half way full with warm water. I use warm so when I add the salt it helps it to dissolve faster. Then I add a bunch of sea salt. You want to taste the salted water… and it should taste like salty sea water 🙂  Make sure you taste it and it has enough salt! You don’t want tasteless broth!

After your water is salted, start rinsing your chickens. Don’t forget to add the chicken neck to the pot! You want to add all the bones you can!!

Do this to both chickens if you’re using two. Then you can start cutting up your veggies. I NEVER peel my veggies when making broth! You want to add as much flavor and nutrients as possible!

Same thing with the onions! Don’t peel… just cut in half.

Again with the garlic. I don’t peel them… I just slice the head of garlic in half.

Now throw it all in the pot, add your herbs and don’t forget the peppercorns!

Turn your burner on med-high until it starts to simmer, then turn it down to low. I basically forget about it at this point. If I walk by and see some scum on the top, I may or may not skim it off :-)  I let it simmer for at least 2 hours.

You know it’s ready when the chicken is falling off of the bone!

Turn the heat off and get your straining supplies ready 🙂

I try to scoop out most of the big veggies first.

Then I start scooping out the chicken. I put it into the strainer and start pulling out the pieces of chicken to put into a clean bowl.

When I’m all done this is what I have…. one bowl of skin, bones and veggie scraps… and one with the chicken.

Next I start straining the delicious broth by scooping it out with a pyrex cup.

Ta Da!!! This is what I have when I’m done straining!

Now I stick it in the fridge overnight so it can cool and the fat can rise to the top. This is what it will look like in the morning.

Now skim off all of the fat! You’ll notice that the broth has jellied. This is NORMAL. Homemade chicken broth has natural gelatin in it!

When you’re all done you can put it into mason jars, ziplock bags, or whatever you’d like really. This time around, I put my broth in mason jars.

I got TEN…. yes TEN quarts of stock out of my huge pot! (See why I like it so much??) Aren’t they pretty?? Now I’ll put a couple in the fridge to use in the next few days… and the rest will go into the freezer. YUM!!

4.0 from 1 reviews

How to make your own homemade chicken broth

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 10 mins

 

Homemade chicken broth is amazingly delicious and easy to make. Not only do you save money by making your own, but you also get all the added health benefits that you can't get in store bought.

Author: Vixen's Kitchen

Serves: 5 quarts

Ingredients

• 1 whole, uncooked chicken (or saved carcasses from prior meals such as homemade enchiladas)
• 2-3 carrots, unpeeled
• 2-3 ribs of celery, with leaves
• 1 large onion, skins on, cut in half
• 1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• Any other herbs you like... this "thyme" I used thyme 🙂
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. whole peppercorns
• Sea salt to taste.
• And any other veggies you'd like. You can even use the ends and scraps of your veggies for making stock. I like to have a ziplock bag that I keep in the freezer of veggie scraps 🙂

Instructions

1. Fill a large stock pot about half way full with warm water. Add a bunch of sea salt. You want to taste the salted water... and it should taste like salty sea water 🙂 Make sure it has enough salt! You don't want tasteless broth.
2. Rinse your chicken with cold water. Add it to the salted water. Don't forget to add the chicken neck to the pot! You want to add all the bones you can.
3. Roughly chop the unpeeled veggies and add them to the pot. Add in the peppercorns, herbs and bay leaves.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low.
5. Let simmer on low for about 2 hours. You can occasionally skim off any foam on the top layer if you wish, but it's not necessary. The meat will fall off the bone if barely touched, and the broth will be rich with color when it's ready.
6. Strain the broth into another clean, large pot or bowl. Place in the fridge overnight or until the broth has jelled and the fat has risen to the top.
7. Skim the layer of hardened fat off the top of the broth.
8. Pour or spoon the finished broth into jars, tupperware or even ziplock bags.
9. Freeze or refrigerate if using within a few days.

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