Recipe: Homemade Chicken Broth

Let’s face it, bullion based soups rock when you are in a hurry, but they aren’t the real deal! This recipe is easy, it uses most things you already have on hand, gives you something to do with the chicken bones and talk about easy! We use things that are getting “long in the tooth” (a mother-in-lawism). A perfect example are those carrots and celery stalks that can sometimes bend… like a gymnast! It is really amazing… or green onions can get a little dry at the tips. Those are perfect candidates for this recipe.

You will never buy that boxed stuff again after you try this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken carcass OR a couple breast, leg, wing, neck, etc. bones
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4large carrots, chopped
4-6 green onions, chopped
4-8 cloves of garlic, quartered
5 or 6 bay leaves
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1 TBSP vinegar

Preparation:
Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and add water until full, 6-8 cups. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. We typically do this overnight just after a dinner of Whole Roasted Chicken. In the morning, let the broth cool off until it is just warm and will not burn you to the touch but is not cold. Strain very well. We use a reusable coffee filter like THIS or THIS. Refrigerate and scrape solid white fat portion away, if desired. Freeze (up to 8 months) in 1 cup portions or in bulk for soups.

NOTE: Refrigerated broth will be gelatinous due to the protein that leeches from the bones in reaction to the vinegar. That means you did it right!