Chicken broth is super easy to make.  I learned how to make it just this year and want to pass on my skills to others!  Since I’ve learned it, I have been making it just about every week.  It’s that easy.  The broth not only taste good but it’s great for the whole body: immune system, digestive, bones, etc.

With my recipe I make it on the stove top.  However, you can make this in the crock or instant pot.  I haven’t tried it in either… I actually don’t own an instant pot but have read really good things about them!  Usually you can get the broth in about 4 hours.  Crock pots I believe take longer…just set on low and let it cook most of the day.  The nutrients from the bones and the vegetables will be drawn out going into the liquid.  Here is what I do…

I place my chicken carcass on its back into a stock pot, cover almost all of it with water except for the sternum (that lump protruding out in front of the chicken). I leave a little bit of the sternum exposed.  While it’s cooking it will “fall” in.

 

 

Once I have my water in the pot, I add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (either white or apple cider). I allow it to sit for one hour.  This will aid in extracting minerals and the nutrients from the bones and collagen.  After an hour, I add vegetables and seasonings.  The only vegetables I had on hand while taking these pictures for this post were celery and carrots.  I used four carrots and three celery stalks.  I wash both the celery and the carrots.  I grate the skin off my carrots, chop them up (not into small pieces as you can see in the picture but into big chunks).  With the celery I do pretty much the same, I chop it into large pieces.  I like to cut off the very tip of the celery with the brown on it.  My seasonings I use are 1/2 teaspoon: oregano, basil, pepper, salt, garlic, and chopped onion.

I allow the water to reach boiling point then I will turn down the stove eye down a simmer and cover.  I cook my broth for a little over 6 hours.  When the broth cooks, the water will boil down and look like this picture below:

Once the broth is made you will strain the broth into a new bowl and the broth will look like this:

When I make broth I usually get around 3 cups.  It depends on how many bones, vegetables, and water you add.  If you add more water The more you add then the more water and seasonings you can have in there but this recipe has always worked out best for me when making chicken broth.

 

Here is the run down:

  • Place bones into pot
  • Fill pot up with water, covering bones
  • Add 2 tbsp vinegar
  • Let sit for an hour
  • Add seasonings and vegetables
  • Bring to a boil then simmer and cover
  • Cook for 6 hours or more
  • Strain

The seasonings I use are 1/2 teaspoon: oregano, basil, pepper, salt, garlic, chopped onion.

Isn’t that easy?  Yes! 🙂  The best part about making broths is that it’s hard to mess up.  You can add whatever seasonings you and your family enjoy!  My family enjoys those seasonings that I put in the broth in other dishes so that’s why I picked those.  You can also add whatever vegetables you want!  I love to add in raw onion and mushrooms but didn’t have any at the time of making this broth.  I use whatever I have in the fridge.

If the broth comes out watery, then I add more seasonings and vegetables and cook longer.  Don’t have time to make the broth this week but have bones?  Then freeze them for later use.

After reading this, you may have been wondering: What do I do with the leftover vegetables, bones, etc.?  The bones are now soft and the marrow can be eaten.  The vegetables and little pieces of meat really don’t have much taste.  I give it to the chickens to enjoy!  🙂