How do i make my own chicken stock?

nikinackyloo

onion skins and potato peelings too?

thanks for all your replies;)

RAS

I would take the onion skins out if they were dried brown. Potato peelings could be left in unless they are really nasty (bit of diseased stuff you were hacking out). But it is up to you really, bin them if you want.

SUESMITH_2

i wouldnt put potato peelings in if you're making stock - it will make it cloudy due to the starch

foxgloves

I sometimes use the veg if I'm making a soup or stew that day, likewise any good bits of meat that I missed when I stripped the carcass prior to boiling. Apart from that, I just strain it all out & all the bits go off down the garden into the Green Cone.

valk_scot

I like to make stock using just the carcass. I find it's more versatile that way and I can freeze some to make risotto or whatever. I strip the boiled meat of the carcass and either use it in shreds in soup (I prefer chunky soup) or give some to the cats as a treat.

One word of warning however...carrot peelings from bog standard carrots (ie not organic or home grown) are chock full of pesticides, which is why you should always peel carrots before you eat them. The carrot crop can be sprayed numerous times and the pesticide residue is concentrated just under the skin of the carrot. I wouldn't use peelings or the tops of carrots to make stock for this reason, even if you do discard them at the end.

angelpye

Hi, I only started making stock in the last year or so as we have started buying organic as well as free range whole chicken (from a local ish butcher;)). This partly due to how we feel ethically and also as we don't eat meat very often so eat the best we can afford as tastes so good. Anyway, to the point....
We throw in all the skins and peelings from the veg for a roast and add any stray herbs lying around then strip the carcass of every last morsel (putting chicken to one side), throw carcass in, add water, boil and simmer for a couple of hours, (removing scum) and then put through some muslin. Always comes out great and if its not used straight away for soup or pies etc then we freeze it to use in risotto etc another day, yum. And it makes me feel better that we are getting every last penny's worth :D

angelpye

valk_scot wrote: »

One word of warning however...carrot peelings from bog standard carrots (ie not organic or home grown) are chock full of pesticides,

:eek::eek::eek::eek: will be keeping this in mind next time

MrsGSR

Yeah carrots, apples and lettuce are among the most sprayed crops.
I bung the carcass in, pour over some decent chicken stock (that Knorr liquid stuff added to water) then a few pepper corns, some peeled, sliced carrots, couple of leeks and some celery. Bring to boil and simmer for about 40 minutes ish then leave to cool. Remove carcass, put on a plate and remove as many little bits as you can and put to one side. Skim the fat off the remaining liquid and then strain it through a sieve (one you don't mind getting yukky) and push the veg down as much as you can then discard that and put back in the pain with the chicken. I wouldn't put potato peelings or onions in.
BUT potato water is great for breadmaking so boil up the potato skins on there own, leave to cool and drain then freeze in pots or flat in strong freezer bags.

nikinackyloo

MrsGSR wrote: »

BUT potato water is great for breadmaking so boil up the potato skins on there own, leave to cool and drain then freeze in pots or flat in strong freezer bags.

???? sounds interesting

thanks for all the replies

Penelope_Penguin

nikinackyloo wrote: »

I should I be picking the bits of meat off and blending it in to the liquid and should/can I blend all the veg bits or will they make us ill???

Why would it make you ill - you've just made stock using them, so if the veg are contaminated so will the stock be

MrsGSR wrote: »

I bung the carcass in, pour over some decent chicken stock (that Knorr liquid stuff added to water) then a few pepper corns, some peeled, sliced carrots, couple of leeks and some celery.

why do you add stock? I just use water and the carcase - get great stock every time, and very cheap :money:

I'll add this to the chicken stock thread later to keep ideas together.