Friday's Frugal Food

Chicken Stock

I make homemade chicken stock and use it in quite a few of my meals.  It's a very frugal thing to do, and is MUCH more nutritious than the chicken stock that is available in the grocery store.  I use chicken stock as a base for most of my soups and for extra flavor in a lot of meat dishes.

You will need:

One whole chicken or 2-3 pounds of bony chicken parts.  (Sometimes I will roast a chicken and serve it as a meal, then use the leftover carcass in the stock.)

4 quarts water

Veggies:

Onion (one medium to large one - chopped)

Garlic (one or two cloves - chopped)

Carrots (2-3 sticks - peeled and chopped)

Celery (3-5 sticks - chopped)

You don't have to be exact with the veggies.  Just use what you like.  As I cook throughout the week, I will sometimes save celery leaves, uneaten veggies, etc and throw them in the stock.

Place everything into a large pot.  Let stand for about an hour.  Then bring it to a boil and remove any scum that rises to the top of the water.  Reduce heat and let it simmer all day.  (At least 4-6 hours, but the longer you let it simmer, the better the stock will be).

Remove all solids out of the stock.  Discard.  (Unless you used chicken with the meat still on - you'll want to save the meat for other meals.  I like to use the extra meat in chicken tacos/fajitas, casseroles, etc).  Strain the stock through cheesecloth or a mesh colander.  Place into your fridge until the fat rises to the top, then skim the fat off.  Put stock into containers and store in the fridge or freezer.