Basic Chicken Stock

I make this every couple of months to have chicken stock/broth on hand for recipes. I can use the cooked chicken for recipes, and all the sodium and preservatives are eliminated from my chicken stock. The smell in your house while this is cooking will make you hungry! It smells wonderful. For convenience, I freeze the stock into ice cube trays and then put them into freezer bags. 5 to 6 cubes is equal to one cup. The stock will be good in the freezer for about 6 months.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 11 cups

Ingredients

• 1  roasting chicken, about 6 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, giblets reserved
• 12  cups water
• 2  medium yellow onions, quartered
• 3  medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4  whole garlic cloves
• 2  whole bay leaves
• 6  sprigs parsley
• 1  teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4  black peppercorns
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the chicken and giblets (except the liver) in a large stockpot. Add the water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, skimming off all scum.
2. Adjust the heat so that the water still bubbles gently, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, occasionally skimming off the scum.
3. Pour all through a large colander or sieve set over a very large heatproof bowl. Save the chicken to use in soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. Discard the other solids. Let the stock cool. Cover it with plastic food wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
4. In the morning, uncover the stock and discard the fat that has solidified on the top, then ladle the stock into ice cube trays for freezing. Once frozen, store in freezer bags and use in recipes!