Chicken stock is something that I use all of the time. Lucky for me, it's so incredibly easy and cheap to make! You might wonder what the big deal is because stock is readily accesible at the grocery store and it has a long shelf life. Well, you are right! However, making your own stock enables you to take ownership for the amount of nutrients provided in that pantry staple while also avoiding MSG and controlling the sodium content.
I bet most of you buy chicken broth, I use to. I honestly didn't know there was any difference at all between the two. For the most part, the two are very similar. The difference lies in that stock is made with bones and broth is made using only the meat. There are nutritional differences that make stock a better choice, but I'll get to that later.
If you can, it is best to use bones from organic, free range chickens. This will definitely boost the cost of dinner but it also boosts the quality of the stock. You can also increase the benefits by adding chicken feet. The feet are excellent because of all of the connective tissue and added collagen. The best place to find such a delicacy is at a large Asian Market - typically the prices will be very good here as well. You know you have a good quality stock when it gels as it cools. The collagen will make the stock look like gelatin. Ah, success!
Nutritional Highlight: Bones. The reason bones are significant in broth is because there are uncounted healing properties that come from bones. Most of the health benefits are attributed to the bone marrow and cartilage. From these two parts of the bone, you get several different minerals, collagen and amino acids. Bone broth has the power to strengthen the immune system and is good for joints and ligaments.
Chicken Stock (makes 10 cups)
Chicken Carcass, with skin & juices
Chicken Feet, *optional
4 Stalks of Celery, broken in half
1 Yellow Onion, quartered
3 Carrots, washed but unpeeled
1 bay leaf
Leaves from 1 sprig of Rosemary
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1 tsp peppercorns
splash of Vinegar
3 quarts Cold Water, *4qts w/chicken feet
Start with carving your chicken. I like to make this stock when I've just bought a chicken from the store for dinner. I take the meat and divide it for two meals and then get ready for some stock making! If you don't have the time to put in to making the stock, I have also made a 'stock kit' by placing the carcass, vegetables and seasonings in a gallon ziplock container to freeze until I have the time or need to make more stock.
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Pour cold water in last (it is essential that the water be cold, this is the best way to extract all of the minerals and collagen from the bones). Bring the water to a slight boil and immediately turn down the heat to low. As the stock begins to simmer, skim the scum occasionally, 3-4 times, off of the top. Continue to simmer the stock for 6-8 hours, uncovered (You don't have to keep watching it at this point).
When you are ready, strain the stock. Cool the stock by placing the stockpot in an ice bath in the sink. Let it come down to room temperature and then place in the fridge to rest overnight. Scoop the fat from the top of the stock. Now divide the stock into containers to freeze. You can divide by the cup(s) or even by placing some in an ice cube tray for dishes that require very little stock like a pan sauce.
Nutritional Analysis:
***It's hard to calculate the nutritional value of the stock due to not actually consuming the ingredients but extracting nutrients from them instead. I will post the nutritional stats for Swanson's Chicken Stock and make some comments as to what the differences could be.
Per cup: 20 calories, 0g fat, 510mg sodium (21% daily value)*, 1g carbohydrates, 3.9g protein.
*I don't add any salt to my recipe so I know that will be significantly less (like under 100mg).
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