This winter I have made an insane amount of soup, which means Ive gone through A LOT of chicken stock.   Regulary I would buy 5-6 boxes of organic stock at the store for $4-$5 a piece. But after reading Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions I was convinced that homemade chicken stock was the way to go. So now when I go to the store I buy a whole, pastured (meaning the chickens are raised outside where they can roam freely and eat grass and bugs, rather than being cooped up and fed corn and soy), rotisserie chicken. Jordan and I eat the meat for lunches and dinners and then used the scraps and carcass to make a rich, nutritious stock. We not only make three or four meals out of the chicken meat, but we use what is left over to make 8-12 cups of stock which can later be bases for soups and stews! This way of cooking has definitely allowed us to save a few bucks each week. Not only is homemade stock a frugal choice it is also a healthy one. Most stocks in grocery stores have been processed, watered down and packed with sodium. Yuck!

Although making your own stock can take some extra time out of your day there are many benefits to it as well:

1. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”   - Sally Fallon

2. Bone stock supplies amino acids that help the body detoxify.

3. Bone stocks are remarkably inexpensive to make. Many times you can prepare a decent broth for the cost of energy used to heat your pot alone. By using the bones from leftover roast chickens matched with vegetable scraps you’ve saved, you can make a gallon of  stock for pennies. In getting to know your butcher or local rancher, you can often acquire beef or lamb bones for free.

4. Further, homemade bone stocks are often rich in gelatin. Gelatin is an inexpensive source of supplementary protein. Gelatin also shows promise in the fight against degenerative joint disease. It helps to support the connective tissue in your body and also helps the fingernails and hair to grow well and strong.

5. It is very satisfying (and fun) making something from scratch!

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Homemade Chicken Stock

1 whole free-range or pastured chicken 
4 quarts cold filtered water or enough to cover the chicken and veggies
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12-24. (I usually make mine for a god 24 hours) The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional minerals to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl ( use cheesecloth) and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.*

*I usually get 8-12 cups of stock out of one pot. I store the broth in quart sized mason jars and place one in the fridge (if I will cook with it the same week) and place the other jar in the freezer. If you put the stock in a glass jar and then place it in the freezer MAKE SURE the stock has cooled off and that the jar is not completely full. The stock will expand as it freezes and if the jar is too full then it will explode. Believe me it has happened to me twice!

Enjoy!