WIC Wednesday #: Chicken Broth

I find that a lot of recipes call for chicken broth. We used to buy a 32oz carton of chicken broth from Wal-Mart for about $2.00. Now that we're cutting back, I figured it was a great time to add chicken broth to the list of things to make at home. Making chicken broth at home will eliminate the unneeded salt and preservatives we consume since we will be controlling what goes into the broth. It's a really easy recipe that makes the house smell super yummy.

To make about 20-25 cups of broth, we spent about $9 on the food: $6 on a whole chicken and $3 on bay leaves. We were also left with extra bay leaves, enough for another 2 batches I think. We got the veggies from WIC. Even if you don't have WIC, these veggies are super inexpensive. I think we would've paid about $2-3 for all of it.

I used mason jars to store my broth. You don't have to get the fancy mason jars if it's not in your budget to. I had a couple left over from a previous shopping trip. I bought a couple more at the dollar store that work just as well! Or for an even better budget friendly idea, use leftover pasta jars! Just clean them out really well ;)

Tools:
Large Stock Pot (The one I have holds 8 qts)
Long ladle
Strainer or Colander
Large bowl (larger and deeper than your strainer or colander, I used my crock pot bowl)
Large bowl (to hold cooked chicken and veggies)
(optional) Cheese cloth. I use a cheese cloth to further strain the liquids for a more clear broth
Mason Jars

Ingredients:
1 whole young chicken, broken down
1 large yellow onion (think fist sized or larger)*
1 bundle celery (about 10-13 stalks)*
1 bag carrots (about 5-7 pieces)*
3-7 Bay Leaves
1/2 cup salt
28 cups of water
*WIC

Steps
1. Break down your chicken. It'll get messy and ugly but patience is key. I learned from my dad that kitchen shears really help break down those pieces with the thick bones. (like the back and breast!)
2. Wash and cut your celery and carrots into 2-3 inch pieces. Peeling the carrots are totally optional.
3. Quarter the onion and separate the pieces.
4. Pour 28 cups of water into your stock pot and stir in the salt.
5. Turn the stove onto high heat and start adding in all of your ingredients.
6. Bring the broth to a boil for about 30-45 mins. (Just keep the lid off and check on it occasionally incase it boils over. I didn't have that problem, but it's better to check anyways)
7. Lower the heat to a med-low and set the timer for 2-3 hours. The longer you cook it, the more flavored it will be. Check on your pot every half hour or so, clean off any foam gunk that rises to the top and oil, and give it a quick stir.
8. When the timer's done, turn the heat off. Scoop out the chicken and cooked veggies into one bowl. The veggies will be too soft to eat, but you can take the meat off the bones and shred it use it in other recipes or even freeze for quick meal prep. (Eventually, I will post some of the recipes I have made using this chicken meat.) I got about 9 cups of shredded chicken.
9. Line the strainer or colander with cheese cloth. Place in your large container. Carefully pour the liquids though.
10. Throw the gunk and cheese cloth away. Let the liquids cool enough to handle, about 30-45 mins. Pour into your mason jars. You can freeze the broth as well to make it last longer. Just leave about 2 inches from the top for expansion. Take the jar out a day or two before you plan on using it, so it has time to totally defrost.

For about 5 hours of non-intensive cooking, that was some delicious broth. We use it for everything from boiling pasta (we do a half water, half broth mix) to soups. This recipe can always be altered to add flavors you like, or even changed to different meats to make different meat stocks.

Enjoy!