Freezer Food Friday – Chicken Stock

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday.. please share you recipe for anything that can be made ahead and frozen for later use.  Link it below using Mr. Linky and post a comment. Let’s help make dinner time easier on us all.

This recipe for chicken stock is very much how I make mine, except I toss it all in my crockpot.  

 

 

Chicken stock

Carcass of a 4-pound chicken
1 onion, quartered
1 or 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 stalks of celery or two good handfuls of leaves from the top
6-10 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs of fresh parsley, if you have it

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Don’t bother peeling the onion or carrot. Cover with water — about 12 cups should do it, but add a little more if you need to.

Bring the pot to a boil, skim off any foam, then turn the heat down to let it simmer. It should bubble very gently. Cover with a lid, but set it slightly askew to let a little steam escape. Simmer for 2 hours, or longer for a richer, more reduced stock.

Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then pour stock through a strainer into a large container. Press slightly on the bones and vegetables in the strainer.

Add salt as desired, about a teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go.

Put stock in 2- or 4-cup containers and refrigerate. Any fat will form a layer on top; you can remove this. Also, don’t be alarmed if the stock congeals when it’s cold. That just means it’s a rich, flavorful stock.

Keep stock in the refrigerator for up to three days, or you can freeze it for several months.