Tell me about your chicken stock

[Jcee]

I made some chicken stock today with the chicken carcas from the roast dinner (along with some carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns) but it never seems to be that lovely brown colour you see in pics of home made stock more a paleish dishwater looking type thing

What am I doing wrong? Should I Be cooking it for longer or reducing it further?

How much do have at the end and in what quantity is a useful amount to store it in?

[Wigeon]

Mine is never a deep brown. I wonder if you'd have to use fresh chicken for that (ie not just a carcass, but an actual bit of chicken). I do reduce it these days more than I used to. But it all is a bit of an inexact science chez Wigeon!

[flatpackhamster]

Apart from onion rather than celery, that receipt is identical to the one I used when I made a batch of chicken stock on Saturday.

You won't get it that colour with chicken, I'm sure. Lamb stock you'll get it a bit darker, and beef darker than that, but the way I've always made chicken stock it comes out 'paleish dishwater' - well, a sort of paleish brown. I cooked mine for 4 hours, which sent the cat berserk but gave me the result I wanted.

[NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe]

Try adding unpeeled brown onions and some dark soy. That and what you currently do should be fine. Think the taste is more important than the colour. Way better than shop bought anyday and cheap as chips (much cheaper).

Usually end up with approx 1 lire or so. Plastic storage boxes, types you get in IKEA or for smaller if your local take away does plastic they can be quite good - smaller amounts though!

DW asks why I cook the carcass up straight away but we had most of the stock yesterday in a Gordono Ramsay sausage and rice cassarole.

[Beamur]

I think a raw carcass makes better stock. I wouldn't worry too much about the colour if it tastes nice though.

[Jcee]

Interesting, thanks - I'll try adding unpeeled onions next time.

We had the stocorchids prompted the OP for tea in an asian noodle soup thing tonight and it was tasty so I guess I should get over my obsession with the colour if it tastes ok

[Jcee]

Stocorchids? Stupid iPad... Stock which