Homemade Chicken Stock

To enjoy homemade flavor in your recipes all year long, learn how to make and can your own chicken stock. You can can this important kitchen staple to keep it fresh for a long time.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken carcasses and/or bones
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 10 cups water

Instructions:

Place chicken carcasses and/or bones in a large stockpot

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the pot

Pour in 10 cups of water, or enough to cover the ingredients

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or another pot, discarding the solids

Let the stock cool, then refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight

This will allow any fat to solidify on the surface, making it easier to remove

Skim off and discard the solidified fat from the top of the stock

Divide the chicken stock into canning jars, leaving some headspace at the top

Seal the jars with lids and rings, following proper canning procedures

Process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 20-30 minutes to ensure they are properly sealed and preserved

Store the canned chicken stock in a cool, dark place for up to a year