
- Maximizing the Value of Your Chicken: Using Up All Parts
- Saving Money with Homemade Stock
- Having Homemade Stock at Hand
- Better Taste and Health Benefits with Homemade Stock
- Unleashing the Flavor: Making Chicken Stock from Scratch
- Making Chicken Stock at Home: Ingredients and Method.

Benefits of making your own chicken stock
- Using up parts of the chicken that would otherwise be thrown away.
- Saving yourself money
- Always having home-made stock to hand
- Healthier stock with less salt than store-bought
Using the whole animal
When you buy a chicken, why not use the whole animal for food? If an animal is used for food, it’s sacrifice demands that it all be used properly. Why waste good ingredients than can help in your household budget? If you butcher a chicken into portions, save the neck, gizzard and backbone for stock. Maximise the value of your purchase.
Save money
When you utilise every part of the animal, you are saving money that you would have to spend on manufactured stock. You can also use vegetable scraps that would otherwise go to waste. Making stock in a large batch saves on fuel costs as well.
Always have chicken stock whenever you need it.
If you make chicken stock regularly, you will always have a supply of your own home-made stock, which has to be better than anything you can buy in a store. Plus, you get serious bragging rights when cooking for guests.
Home made stock will always be better
Most bought stocks contain large amounts of salt. When you make your own stock, you can control the salt content and use only the ingredients you prefer. Making your own chicken stock is not only cost-effective, but it also provides a flavorful base for a variety of soups, stews, and sauces. The process is simple and requires only a few ingredients, including a whole chicken or chicken parts, vegetables, herbs, and water. Homemade chicken stock is much healthier than store-bought options, as you have control over the ingredients and can avoid additives and preservatives.
Unleash The Flavor: Chicken Stock From Scratch
To begin, place chicken parts such as bones, necks, and giblets in a large stockpot. Add roughly chopped vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, along with herbs such as parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover the ingredients with water, and bring the pot to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for several hours.
This slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld together while extracting the nutrients from the chicken and vegetables. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
Once the stock has cooked for several hours, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and discard the solids. The resulting stock can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
When you have made your stock in quantity, freeze it in manageable quantities to use just as much as you need at a time. Use freezer bags that have small pockets for the liquid. When frozen, you can then tear off as much or as little as is required for you recipe. You don’t have to defrost a pint of stock to get a cupful.
Making your own chicken stock is not only cost-effective, but it’s also a great way to add depth and flavor to your cooking. Homemade chicken stock is easy to make and can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to sauces and gravies. It is also a healthy alternative to store-bought stock, as you can control the ingredients and avoid added preservatives and sodium.
To make your own chicken stock, start by gathering the ingredients: chicken bones (you can use leftover bones from a roasted chicken), raw chicken bones, vegetables (such as carrots, celery, and onions), herbs (such as thyme and parsley), and water.
Place the bones, vegetables, and herbs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for several hours.
Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface. Once done, strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove any solids. Store the stock in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for future use.
How to make chicken stock at home

When you cook a chicken for the family dinner, save the cooked bones. If you debone a chicken, save the raw bones for stock making. Waste nothing and save yourself money. Get to know a friendly local butcher and always have a supply of fresh chicken carcases whenever you need them. With a few simple ingredients, you can have an almost endless supply of fantastic quality chicken stock, at very little cost.

Ingredients
- Raw and cooked chicken bones
- 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- handful fresh thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
Method
- Put the bones from the leftover roast chicken carcass in a large saucepan with a lid, separating any bigger pieces so they fit easily. Always use raw chicken bones and cooked to get the maximum collagen into your stock. Add the chopped veg, whole herbs and salt and pepper.
- Pour over 1.5 litre cold water, then cover the saucepan with the lid and place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer gently for 2 hours.
- Strain the hot stock through a colander or fine sieve into a large jug to remove the bones and vegetables.
- The hot stock can be used straight away or allow to cool completely and store for use later. The stock will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a sealed container or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully overnight in the fridge before use.

Tip: To create a really clear stock, line the sieve with a muslin cloth and strain the stock again after removing the bones, veg and herbs.

When you have made your stock in quantity, freeze it in manageable amounts to use just as much as you need at a time. Use freezer bags that have small pockets for the liquid. When frozen, you can then tear off as much or as little as is required for your recipe. You don’t have to defrost a pint of stock to get a cupful.
If you found this useful, you might like to know how to make beef stock. You can save beef bones or you can ask your friendly local butcher for bones suitable for stock making. Check out my Youtube channel for more information about getting the best from all meats. If you wouldn’t mind clicking on “Subscribe”, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you.
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