# Chicken Stock



## Anne (Sep 30, 2006)

*CHICKEN STOCK*

*Everybody has their favorite chicken stock. This is mine.  It keeps very well in the freezer. If you'd like to keep it in the refrigerator, you'll need to boil it for 10 minutes every three days.*

*12 cups water*
*5 pounds chicken parts*
*2 onions, cut in quarters*
*1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste*
*3 stalks celery, cut into chunks*
*3 carrots, cut into strips*
*Several sprigs fresh parsley*
*2 bay leaves*
*Small sprig of thyme*
*1 teaspoon salt (Add more later, if desired)*
*Freshly ground black pepper*
*1/4 of a lemon*

*Place all ingredients into a 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the surface and reduce heat. After 15 minutes, skim foam off again. Simmer for 3 hours, partially covered. *

*Strain. Remove as much fat as possible with a large spoon, and chill overnight. Remove the rest of the fat.*
** 
**


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## Alix (Sep 30, 2006)

Why would you need to boil it for 10 minutes every three days Anne?


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## skilletlicker (Sep 30, 2006)

Alix said:
			
		

> Why would you need to boil it for 10 minutes every three days Anne?


Kills the cooties.
I make stock almost the same way except after 30 minutes I pull most of the meat off the bones.


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## Anne (Sep 30, 2006)

*It kills the bacteria, Alix.   Any kind of foul spoils quickly.  It's only good for about three days, and the same for its broth.  It's a matter of safety.*


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## Wino (Sep 30, 2006)

Here's my favorite -- it's a little simpler than yours:


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## Alix (Sep 30, 2006)

Anne said:
			
		

> *It kills the bacteria, Alix. Any kind of foul spoils quickly. It's only good for about three days, and the same for its broth. It's a matter of safety.*


 
OK, thanks Anne. I don't think that boiling would do it though. Jennyema has got me converted. She told us about the toxins that are released by the bacteria that aren't killed by boiling. I'm a strict freezer girl now. It skeered me.


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## Ishbel (Sep 30, 2006)

I'm with you and Jennyema, Alix.  I'm too frightened of food poisoning to do anything other than freeze the stock once it's cooled sufficiently


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## Ellen (Sep 30, 2006)

Putting an appropriately cleaned soda bottle (plastic) filled with water and frozen into a stock brings down the temp quickly for freezing.


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## QSis (Sep 30, 2006)

Wino said:
			
		

> Here's my favorite -- it's a little simpler than yours:


 
I saw today that America's Test Kitchen rated this brand the best in their tests, too!  

Of what they tested, of course.  Homemade, and my aunt's beloved College Inn were not in the tests.

Lee


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## Andy M. (Sep 30, 2006)

I was a died-in-the-wool College Inn user uintil I did a side by side taste test a couple of years ago.  Now I use Swanson's.

My supermarket now carries Emeril's and Kitchen Basics chicken and beef broths.  I'll have to try them now.  And College Inn has an organic broth...


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## scott123 (Sep 30, 2006)

Alix said:
			
		

> OK, thanks Anne. I don't think that boiling would do it though. Jennyema has got me converted. She told us about the toxins that are released by the bacteria that aren't killed by boiling. I'm a strict freezer girl now. It skeered me.



Jennyema's right.  Boiling doesn't kill all the critters.

Make the stock, use it within about 5 days or freeze it.  Boiling is only asking for trouble.

If you want to extend the life of the stock, reduce it and add extra salt- but only if you know that the recipes you'll be using it in can handle the salt. Otherwise, use it freeze it.

Gelatin (collagen) is what many labs use to grow bacteria. Bacteria LOOOOOOVE growing in stock. You don't want to mess around with these buggers.


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## jkath (Oct 1, 2006)

This is my favorite! I get it at Trader Joe's, but I know some markets carry it too. Once you taste it, you'll be amazed! (PS: the beef is tasty too)


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## Mr. D (Oct 1, 2006)

I would have to say I prefer a stock made from scratch. I would suggest reducing your stock to a nice thick demi then freeze in icecube trays wrapped in the freezer. This way you can add one icecube instead if a boullion cube in which is filled with who knows what kind of chemical. Which would you rather put in your mouth.


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## FraidKnot (Oct 1, 2006)

Freezing stock in ice cube trays is a handy dandy thing, for recipes calling for small amounts of stock as opposed to cups or quarts of it.

Fraidy


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## XeniA (Oct 1, 2006)

FraidKnot said:
			
		

> Freezing stock in ice cube trays is a handy dandy thing, for recipes calling for small amounts of stock as opposed to cups of it.
> 
> Fraidy



Now, now FraidKnot ... who said you can't pop _more_ than one cube of stock into your recipe?!

As a stock-freezer-in-cubes person, I swear by it. The alternative (shove a big container in the freezer) IS just fine if you need a large quantity, but it's significantly less versatile. Need a much smaller amount? Get the huge stock-ice-cube out and hack away at it with your bread knife?

Nope.


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## auntdot (Oct 1, 2006)

Will often use ths stuff in the can or box when we just don't have the time.

But do love to make stock, although I usually roast the bones or chicken pieces first.  It makes the house smell so nice.


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## Gretchen (Oct 1, 2006)

Some bacterial toxins are killed by heat. Some aren't.  All are NOT the same.   You will have no doubts  if your chicken stock is spoiled. It stinks to high heaven.
I boil whole chickens for stock all the time. The broth/stock will keeep in the fridge for a number of days if left under the solidified layer of rendered fat, but there is not much reason to do it. I defat and put in ZipLoc bags for storage. Freeze flat and then stack.
I also concentrate the stock for freezer space and then dilute it when I use it.


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## Anne (Oct 1, 2006)

*Let me clarify what I do.  I never, EVER leave chicken stock in the refrigerator. As soon as it's cool, it goes into plastic containers and into the freezer.  I am not an expert in Food Safety, but I would certainly advise everyone to freeze their stock right away rather than refrigerate it.  You can't fool around with poultry, and it spoils so easily.  It's far better to err on the side of caution and freeze it.*


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## kitchenelf (Oct 1, 2006)

auntdot said:
			
		

> Will often use ths stuff in the can or box when we just don't have the time.
> 
> But do love to make stock, although I usually roast the bones or chicken pieces first.  It makes the house smell so nice.



auntdot - I'm a bone-roaster from way back!!  I also like to cut an onion in half and literally burn on the griddle - this doesn't add any kid of burned flavor at all but gives the broth a warmer, richer color.  But roasted bones is the key in my house.


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## Nicholas Mosher (Oct 1, 2006)

Here are my two western chicken stock recipes...


> *Chicken Stock*
> 
> Chicken stock is the workhorse of the kitchen.  Stripped down, it's essential components (like all good stocks) are clean water (filtered if necessary, but not distilled), bones/joints, aromatics, herbs and spices.  It's essential that high quality ingredients are used, as the flavors derived are subsequently reduced and condensed which will magnify any shortcuts taken.  The mouth-feel of a good stock is created by collagen in the connective tissues breaking down into gelatin.  Some flavors and aromatics are volatile, and care must be taken not to boil them away.  Boiling is bad not just for flavor, but also decreases the clarity of the final product.  If simmered properly, there should be very little evaporation.  Frequent skimming is also necessary to remove foam and scum which will reduce the stock's quality if left to break down and suspend itself.  Stock should be started cold and cooked at a bare simmer.  Cooking time begins once the stock reaches a bare simmer.
> 
> ...





> *Brown Chicken Stock*
> 
> Brown chicken stock is used for hearty poultry or vegetable based dishes.  Stripped down, it's essential components (like all good stocks) are clean water (filtered if necessary, but not distilled), bones/joints, aromatics, herbs and spices.  It's essential that high quality ingredients are used, as the flavors derived are subsequently reduced and condensed which will magnify any shortcuts taken.  The mouth-feel of a good stock is created by collagen in the connective tissues breaking down into gelatin.  Browning the bones and aromatics not only brings color, but makes use of the Maillard and Caramelization reactions to increase flavor complexity and depth.  It's important that sufficient browning is reached, but care must be taken not to burn anything.  Burnt items create a bitter flavor in the stock which is unpleasant and gets worse as the stock is reduced.  Some flavors and aromatics are volatile, and care must be taken not to boil them away.  Boiling is bad not just for flavor, but also decreases the clarity of the final product.  Frequent skimming is also necessary to remove foam and scum which will reduce the stock's quality if left to break down and suspend itself.  Stock should be started cold and cooked at a bare simmer.  Cooking time begins once the stock reaches a bare simmer.
> 
> ...



I often use a separator to degrease my stocks rather than chilling in the sink and then refrigerating overnight to wait for the fat to stratify/solidify.  Then I freeze in 2-C containers.  Personally, I think that reconstituted stock tastes different than stock frozen at it's normal concentration.  Reducing stock to a glace causes it to lose alot of the volatile flavor compounds of the herbs/garlic/spices.  You can reconstitute it and then simmer for an hour with a fresh sachet, but I like the convenience of pulling out the container, microwaving for 3-4min (bringing it to room temp) and then using it.

I'm not overly worried about contracting Ebola from my cooked stock.  I'm _always_ careful about cross-contamination with raw and cooked products, but a cooked chicken stock (especially when cooled and stored in the fridge) takes a while to go bad.  Sometimes I'll let a few containers defrost in the fridge on Monday to use throughout the week, and then use them the following weekend when I clean out my leftovers into a soup or stew.  This is one area I think Americans go a bit over-board on.  When you're wearing a biohazard suit with a scott-airpack in your kitchen transferring a frozen turkey leg into a pot I think it's time to get out and breath in some good-ole germs for awhile...


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