Making your own broth/stock

I go through chicken and beef broth quickly. I used to buy it from the store, but most contain additives, and some contain hidden gluten or soy. I started reading The Maker's Diet a long time ago, and started making my own broths/stocks. I do a large amount at once, then freeze it all in small portions. There is a reason why your Mom used to feed you chicken noodle soup when you were sick as a kid. It wasn't the noodles that made you well, it was the broth! Homemade broth can help build your immune system. It also aids digestion. A good broth will congeal or gel when it cools because of the gelatin that is in the broth. The gelatin is found in animal cartilage and connective tissue. The more gelatin there is in the broth, the healthier it is for the body.

When I make chicken stock/broth, I use chicken necks and backs. You can get necks and backs fairly cheap from a butcher because they are considered the "throw away" parts. We butcher our own free-range chickens, so we package the necks and backs separately. I also use one other ingredient that took me awhile to get used to...chicken feet! In his book, The Maker's Diet, Jordan Rubin wrote that Jewish people have used chicken feet in their broth for centuries, and broth made with it is sometimes called "Jewish penicillin". Chicken feet can also be purchased inexpensively at a butcher shop. The first time I ever used chicken feet in my broth, I was amazed at how much more gelatin the broth had. I have to say that it was a little freaky at first. I felt like some mad scientist boiling body parts :).

I have a huge pot of stock on the stove right now. Along with the chicken, I put in some largely chopped up carrots, celery, and onion, and celtic salt. You can also add garlic and other veggies. This picture was taken about an hour after I started cooking it.

 And here are the freaky feet! There are even claws on the end of the fingers. Yep, creepy. But you wouldn't believe the gelatin!

 I love making broth in the winter because after I am finished cooking the broth all day, I stick my stock pot outside on the back deck to allow it to cool. With it being only about 30 degrees outside, it works well! After it is cooled, I put a large, fine mesh strainer over a bowl with a pour spout. I use a large ladel or cup with handle and strain the broth mixture through the strainer to remove any bones or chicken pieces. I keep any chicken I get out of the pot and use it later for casseroles. I save my old Trader Joes almond butter glass jars, and fill them 3/4 full with the broth. They are super strong, and don't break easily.

You want to use glass, not plastic, so that the plastic will not leech into your food. You can use any jar. I have had trouble with quart jars breaking when I put them in the freezer, so I use the 16 ounce almond butter jars, or my 13 ounce ghee jars. After you fill the jars, place the lid gently on top without screwing on. This will allow for expansion, and keep the jar from breaking if the broth expands too much. Put in the freezer. After the broth is completely frozen, close the jars. To use the broth, I put the frozen jars in cold water for a few minutes. Then I replace the water with warmer water, and work my way up to hot water. I tend to not be very patient with this part, and usually end up whacking at it with a knife to get the chunks out. You can also microwave it. With my huge stock pot, I should end up with about 30 jars of broth. If you don't have freezer room for that, you can make it in smaller amounts. Once you try homemade stock, you will never want to go back to the store-bought stuff!