To Broth or Not to Broth - there is NO question!

Broth, of course!

If you've never made your own chicken, vegetable or beef broth before, I'd encourage you to give it a try! Sure, every now and then I find myself picking up a box or two of broth to have on hand {if I buy it, I prefer to buy the organic low sodium broths}, but if I have a choice, I will ALWAYS choose to use home made broths for cooking. They add a wonderful depth of flavor, are lower in sodium {my fingers swell just thinking about store-bought broth!}, are money savers, and are really very easy to make. The only trick is remembering to make it when you have the appropriate items on hand and to remember the three "Rules of Broth".

Here are the rules:
1. Start with COLD water
2. Don't stir the broth!
3. Don't let the broth boil

And here are the basic items:
Chicken bones {rember that rotisserie chicken we used here? I use the whole carcass}
Enough cold water to cover the bones
That's it - those are the basics!

If you have these on hand, they are nice to add:
1 large white or yellow onion. I've used red too, but it can give a slight purple hue to the broth. It's totally fine, it just may look wierd.
2 medium carrots, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cleaned and cut into one inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

If you are feeling adventurous -
Add any other veggies {yellow squash and zucchini are great} that are about to go bad in your fridge. You do NOT want to use starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, or beans - they will make the broth cloudy. Also, if you use things like tomatoes, expect a reddish orange colored broth. Don't use lettuces either, but cabbage would be fine.

If you are feeling fancy -
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 parsley stems, crushed
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

• Once you have all your ingredients gathered, place the bones in a large stock pot {at least 8 quart} and cover with cold water.
• Bring the water to just under a boil {a few bubbles is fine, just try to avoid a rolling boil} and then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. You can stop here for the most basic broth. If you have the optional ingredients (veggies, herbs, etc), add them now.
• Continue to let the stock simmer for at least 4 hours {I often let mine simmer overnight}. Remove from heat.
• Strain the stock through a collander to remove the bones, and then again through a fine mesh strainer to remove any other particles.
• Place the now strained broth in a sink full of ice water to rapidly reduce the temperature {to avoid prolonged time in the temperature danger zone} and then place in the refrigerator. I do this in the morning and then when I get home from work in the afternoon, I take it out of the fridge and remove the fat layer from the top {it will solidify with the cool temp and be easy to remove}.
• Measure out 2 cup quantities and put into quart sized freezer bags. Place the bags flat in the freezer {if you have room to lay them on a cookie sheet in your freezer that is the easiest}. Once they are frozen solid, stack them on up!

To make beef broth, substitute beef bones for the chicken bones.
To make veggie broth, add more veggies and follow the same steps.

The longer you let the broth simmer, the more the flavor will develop.

It may seem like a lot at first, but really it's just a  few steps, spread out over several hours. There is no such thing as whipping up a batch of broth; but just because it isn't fast, doensn't mean it isn't easy!

Oh yeah, you can make this in a crock pot too!


Do any of you make broth? How do you do it?