Boring but necessary question about chicken stock.

[Bohica]

Sorry to sound a bit thick but I'm making a huge vat of chicken stock & I'm not sure about the next stage.
It's been bubbling away since 4 o'clock.

How long do I leave it.
Do I then strain it & let it cool & will I need to take any fat from it?

It's a very dark colour

Ah, I've left mine any time between an hour and a half and about five hours. Is it simmering? It should simmer not boil.

If you haven't already, strain it now through a sieve. Don't do what I did once and strained it down the sink...! Strain it into a clean saucepan.

Then taste it. What does it taste like? You need to know this.

If you want to reduce it down further, then you can boil it once it's at this stage. I'd sieve it once more if you want to do this, again into a clean pan, so no residue bits around.

Then just poor into a jug and fridge it, or freeze it in batches. It'll set to jelly in the fridge if you've done it well, with the fat on-top. Just scrap that off as you use it and use the lovely jellied gorgeous stock for whatever you like this week.

Remember what it tastes like though (as then you know how salty it is and can adjust accordingly if you are making risotto or something with it this week).

I absolutely ADORE a really good very concentrated stock added to some fried bacon and then some pasta cooked all together. Oh my!

Thanks cordy Great tip about not straining it straight down the sink

Aaaagh... the first and (only) time I made stock it turned to jelly in the fridge and I thought I'd done it wrong so threw it out! I suppose it liquefies if you warm it up again?

@ pop

I strained it & then poured it into a measuring jug and then poured it again into large freezer bags which I then hung on the washing line to cool

I now have 6 pints of chicken stock

I batch cooked for a month today for the first time, bloody knackering & omg at the state of my kitchen & all the washing up.
Still got a load more to do tomorrow but at least the stock is now done.

Thanks for your help.

Do you remove the skin from the chicken before simmering it? I get a horrible oily mess, and have chucked it out before

Also, do you put in veg with your stock for extra flavour?

I just don't know what the stock is meant to be like.

Confused...

poopy I'm definatly no expert but my stock tasted lovely & is now jelly & fat free in the freezer in pint sized portions.

I removed the breast from 2 chickens & then roasted them (i needed the fresh breasts for another dish) I didn't add the skin because the children and I ate it hot & crispy from the oven.

I used a really big pot & added the tops & tails & peelings of my carrots & the same with my onions.

I then stripped all of the cooked chicken off & added the bones to the carrot & onions & some bay leaves, covered the whole lot in cold water & brought it to the boil & then simmered it for 3 hours.

I then strained it & used 2 pint jugs, one jug had a freezer bag in it & then I used the other jug to measure a pint to pour into the bag.

Hope that made sense

Bohica Thanks for that. Do you normally remove the skin? Do you skim fat off the top before storing the stock? Mine has just been oily and vile [puke emoticon]

Can you put carrot peelings etc in too?

Bones (with some meaty residues) and veg? Sounds good - will try again

I may have done it wrong but to me mine tastes great & will be used in chicken pies, soup & one pan dinners.

I remove and eat the skin & decant the stock into freezer bags whilst warm. I then let it cool at room temp in the freezer bags before storing in the freezer.

Again, don't listen to me because someone is bound to come along and tell me I am about to kill my whole family the next time I make a chicken pie but, meh, I've been doing it this way for months years and we are all still here.

Don't stick perfectly good meat from the carcass into the stock! You can just shred any off and eat it cooked in the gorgeous stock you make another day. Freeze the shredded decent flesh if you're not going to eat it in the next few days - but it's wasted in the stock as if you have a decent carcass, etc, it'll be delish anyway.

I put all the bones in, including those from people's plates (it'll be boiled for ages - don't waste them by putting those in the bin), the skin, a quartered onion or two, a couple of carrots cut into big chunks, a bay leaf, any left over gravy or juices, a stick of celery, whatever else is left over from the roast/vegetables. Just cover with water and get it going.

I leave the fat on when storing it in the fridge as it keeps it sealed and help make it last longer.

Good tip about gravy & tit bit left overs cordy all the good meat is bagged up & used in a chicken pie or curry.

This coming from a women who has had take out 2 days in a row because batch cooking has wiped her out.