Chicken/Vegetable Stock

I love to cook, and I love to use fresh, organic ingredients whenever I can. For years I used organic boxed broths, because I thought that making my own stock would just take too long. So, what can you use broth in really other then Chicken soup? Well, here is a list of things that I have used chicken broth for in the past.

• Soups of all kinds.
• You can use broth for boiling Vegetables, and mixing it in with your sweet potatoes "which taste wonderful."
• Rice cooked with half water, half broth is very yummy.
• American fries, hash browns, and boiled baby red potatoes.
• The list is endless really.

I was shopping for Christmas gifts, and found this lovely cookbook called, Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family . I really don't believe in some of her personal views, but she has some wonderful recipes. I have found many ways to make broth, but this is by far the best, and easiest.

I did change the recipe a little, I wanted to use the chicken meat, make more of a Veggie broth, and make a larger portion. This broth has a chicken flavor for sure so don't worry about that. We have a family of 9 to feed well 10 if we include grandpa, so we make very large portions. 

You can use whatever brands you love. I will say organic is 100% better all around if you can swing the price. Remember all my meals are almost always doubled if not tripled in size. I love to make large quantities and make my meals stretch a few days.

Here is the Chicken/Veggie Stock Recipe. This will make about 8 quarts of broth

You will need

A Large stockpot is needed- 16-20 quarts. (We have a 32 quart stockpot NSF certified, we found at a wine/beer making shop.)

3 organic chickens (about 5-6 pounds each); you could use turkey if that's all you can find. 

4 large organic yellow onions, unpeeled, and quartered

2 stalks of organic celery with leaves on, cut in thirds

10 organic carrots, unpeeled and cut in half 

4-5 parsnips, unpeeled, cut in half

30 springs of fresh parsley

20 springs of fresh thyme

30 springs of fresh dill

2 heads of organic garlic

Kosher salt (we love salt so I put in about 3 tablespoons)

4 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens in your stockpot and all the other ingredients.  I add about 9 quarts of water and bring everything to a boil. Now, in Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family book she says to simmer uncovered, we do not follow this. We cover our pot so our water does not evaporate. We also take our chickens out, after the meat starts to pull away from the bone. I just can't see myself throwing out all that meat. So after about 1 hour your chicken will be close to coming out. Simmer your broth with all the veggies about 4-5 hours covered. After it is ready and the flavor is just were you want it strain the veggies through a colander, and throw away the veggies.

Chill the stock over night. Skim your fat off the top of the broth and use or store your broth for meals.

With the meat you saved from the chickens, you can now make wonderful meals. I use the chicken during this time of year to make chicken noodle soup with our yummy broth.

Here is a picture of our turkey, so you can see that if you don't have chickens, the other bird will work just fine.

We used 1 large Turkey here.

It looks so pretty all dressed in the rich colors of the earth.

This was a rich, bold in flavor, broth. We made turkey noodle soup with our broth that lasted our family 3 dinners.

So, here is what it cost us to make this wonderful broth.

12lb- turkey @ 1.29 a lb = $15.48 (3 5lb Organic chickens would be about $30.00.) 

A 3lb bag of yellow organic onions $2.99 (We only used 4, so you will have some left over.)

2 stalks of organic celery $4.38

A bag of organic carrots $1.19

Parsnips $2.39 (there is enough in the bag for a second time.)

All you fresh herbs about $6.57

2 heads of garlic .70 ($2.49 a lb.)

Salt and Pepper I always have on hand.

Total with turkey - under $34.00

Total with organic chickens - $48.00

We use to buy organic broth in the box. These boxes will give you 1 quart of broth.

If I wanted 8 quarts of broth, I would have to buy 8 boxes which would cost me

$24.00 - $32.00 depending on where I buy my broth from.

Now when you get the boxed broth you don't get all the meat.

 Yes it is cheaper to buy the boxed broth, but the taste is nowhere close. You also would have to buy meat to make your meal, like Turkey noodle soup.

Making your own food from scratch is one of the best things you can do for your family.

Is it really worth making your own broth?

I think so!

Remember to thank the Lord above, for all the yummy blessings he has given to you.

Blessings,

Pamela