Chicken Stock

This is the key to so many recipes, I make gallons of chicken stock and store it in the freezer for up to sic months.  The difference between home-made and store-bought is striking and I really cannot imagine the process to make chicken stock by a commercial manufacturer.   Not pretty.

Use the biggest stockpot you have.  I use an 12 3/4 inch copper pot which can hold up to 28 quarts.  This should yield 18 quarts.

Ingredients

•  12 pounds of chicken legs and wings or whatever is on sale at the market.  I usually make stock when I see chicken parts marked down at supermarket.
• 4 yellow onions quartered
• 8 carrots chopped in on inch pieces
• 3 parsnips quartered
• 5 celery stocks
• 1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
• 12 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 bunch of fresh dill
• 2 heads of garlic cut in half, exposing the garlic cloves for cooking
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixed peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• 2 lemons cut in half (if the stock is for soup only)

The Tools

• Stock pot
• Cooking tub
• 32 oz plastic deli food containers
• Black Sharpie Pen

Making It

Put all of the ingredients in the stock pot and fill with water leaving two inches at the top, roughly 18 quarts.  You do not need to peel the onions carrots nor garlic.

Time to Cook

• Put the stock pot over high heat until it comes to a rolling boil
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 4 hours
• Strain and discard all solids and put the stock in the cooking tub, cover and refrigerate for 36 hours.
• Discard the fat that has formed on the top and either use the stock or put it in containers, label and freeze.