Taking Stock and Making Stock

Making stock from what’s left after you’ve picked your chicken clean is another way to get the most value out of your organic chicken. Chicken stock is a foundational ingredient in so many types of recipes that it makes sense to have a stash frozen or canned, plus there are nutritional benefits to making bone broth part of your routine. Making your own stock allows you to control the amount of salt—there’s often a ton of it in the stuff you buy in the store—and the other ingredients that go into it.

Whether you are a stock-making pro or you hadn’t really considered it until now, here are a few tips:

• Make stock in your slow cooker instead of on the stove. It won’t heat up your house, you don’t have to stand and watch over it, and you can leave it on for a few days to be sure you get the most nutrients from the bones. Just add more water as it evaporates.
• If cooking on the stove, simmer the broth but don’t boil it.
• Remove all of the meat from the bones to use in recipes. The most important items in stock making are bones, skin and cartilage.
• Add a little vinegar to help pull the minerals from the bones.
• Save your veggie scraps in a bag in the freezer and throw them in with the chicken for extra flavor and nutrients. Onion, garlic, carrot (including tops), celery and herb scraps are perfect for this use.
• Consider adding chicken heart or liver to your stock to take advantage of all of the nutrients chicken has to offer.
• Freeze or can the broth in various-sized containers so you can pull out just what you need for the recipe you’re making. Freeze it in ice-cube trays so you can access the smallest amounts, too.