It's been raining here in Middle Tennessee for quite some time now and my family is getting in the mood for those delicious soups.
I think I could live off of soup alone, I love it so much.
What makes a great pot of soup?
I think homemade chicken or beef broth can make or break a great bowl of soup .
During Fall, Winter and partly into Spring, making a big stock pot full of chicken broth is a weekly event at our house. Every Monday, our large pot, and the ingredients are set on the stove to simmer for at least 12 hours and sometimes 24 if I can make it work into our schedule.
This year, I have decided to do things a little different. I'm making multiple batches of broth and canning it. So the weeks that may be a challenge to make broth, such as weeks we are sick or whatever may come up, I can just pull out a couple jars of homemade chicken broth and make my soup or chicken pot pie.
If you are accustomed to buying your broth at the store, try a batch of homemade and see if you can tell the difference.
Here's how it's done my friends
Gather these ingredients together:
1 whole free-range chicken (any chicken is fine but free-range will give you a better broth)
Chicken feet (ok, this one is optional, but I do put these in mine because they are full of gelatin)
4 quarts of cold filtered water
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
Follow these instructions:
I think I could live off of soup alone, I love it so much.
What makes a great pot of soup?
I think homemade chicken or beef broth can make or break a great bowl of soup .
During Fall, Winter and partly into Spring, making a big stock pot full of chicken broth is a weekly event at our house. Every Monday, our large pot, and the ingredients are set on the stove to simmer for at least 12 hours and sometimes 24 if I can make it work into our schedule.
This year, I have decided to do things a little different. I'm making multiple batches of broth and canning it. So the weeks that may be a challenge to make broth, such as weeks we are sick or whatever may come up, I can just pull out a couple jars of homemade chicken broth and make my soup or chicken pot pie.
If you are accustomed to buying your broth at the store, try a batch of homemade and see if you can tell the difference.
Here's how it's done my friends
Gather these ingredients together:
1 whole free-range chicken (any chicken is fine but free-range will give you a better broth)
Chicken feet (ok, this one is optional, but I do put these in mine because they are full of gelatin)
4 quarts of cold filtered water
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
Follow these instructions:
Take your whole chicken and cut off the wings and legs and remove the neck, and gizzards from the cavity.
Place the chicken pieces, neck and gizzards in your stock pot with the water, vinegar and all the vegetables except the parsley.
Let it all stand for 30 minutes to an hour.
Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer (as low as it can go) for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock/broth, the richer and more flavorful it will be.
Add the Parsley about 10 minutes before finishing the broth. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
Remove whole chicken, pieces and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Remove the meat from the carcass for other uses (I use mine for chicken pot pies or enchiladas).
Strain stock/broth into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals.
I then skim off the fat and reserve the broth in 1/2 gallon canning jars in the refrigerator and use throughout the week.
Freezing:
If I know I will not use all the broth in one week, I store the broth in the freezer in freezer bags.
Canning:
Like I said earlier, I am canning most of my broth now. If this is something you would like to do, it's best to make a double batch so you have enough to load your canner with 7 quarts with a quart or two left over for the refrigerator or freezer.
Place the chicken pieces, neck and gizzards in your stock pot with the water, vinegar and all the vegetables except the parsley.
Let it all stand for 30 minutes to an hour.
Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer (as low as it can go) for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock/broth, the richer and more flavorful it will be.
Add the Parsley about 10 minutes before finishing the broth. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
Remove whole chicken, pieces and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Remove the meat from the carcass for other uses (I use mine for chicken pot pies or enchiladas).
Strain stock/broth into a large bowl and place in the refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals.
I then skim off the fat and reserve the broth in 1/2 gallon canning jars in the refrigerator and use throughout the week.
Freezing:
If I know I will not use all the broth in one week, I store the broth in the freezer in freezer bags.
Canning:
Like I said earlier, I am canning most of my broth now. If this is something you would like to do, it's best to make a double batch so you have enough to load your canner with 7 quarts with a quart or two left over for the refrigerator or freezer.
Stay tuned for Soup and Chicken Pot Pie Recipes you can make with this broth.
In the mean time, cook up a batch of broth so it's ready for one of my soup recipes, coming soon.
Enjoy!
~ Christa ~
In the mean time, cook up a batch of broth so it's ready for one of my soup recipes, coming soon.
Enjoy!
~ Christa ~
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6 comments:
Soup sounds wonderful, but I'll have to get used to the chicken foot idea! Thanks for encouraging us women to keep on keeping our homes for God's glory and our family's joy.
I made some chicken broth yesterday even though it was 105 degrees in the shade out here! My batch was not big enough to can so we are going to make a chicken pot pie for dinner tonight. Yummmm......
Donna K.
Yummmmmy, indeed!
I'll pray for cooler weather to come soon my friend.
:)
Christa
YAY, I cannot wait for dinner now! lol! :) Yes, the homemade broth my mom and I make is SOOOOOO lovely, I would never go back to the store bought stuff! VERY tasty indeed! I have been dying to can some pickled eggs, but we do not have the jars to make those yet! Oh, well maybe sometime soon!
Blessings,
Miss. Antoinette K.
(Donna K.'s daughter)
PS. YES, please pray for cooler weather, I am ready for it!
This is so timely as I am making broth...probably tomorrow...with a free range chicken I just thawed! In the past I have not really done the "homemade" broth thing...but have been learning of the benefits of it. The first batch I made was with the bones from a chicken I had roasted. This I discovered is not the best way to get good broth...so as you can see, the fact that you posted this is simply wonderful!
Blessings,
Camille
What a wonderful idea. I think I will try doing that...sans feet, I don't need the gelatin that bad.
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