Making homemade bone broth is so easy! You’ll save money – LOTS of it – and nourish your family well at the same time. What could be more frugal than getting multiple batches of stock out of the same bones over and over again?
Follow these instructions for never-ending chicken broth to get delicious and nutritious broth ready, whenever you need it.
People are often asking me where to start: you know when they’re first coming over to a “real food” lifestyle. They feel overwhelmed at the laundry list of changes they’ll have to make to their standard American diet (read: processed foods).
Several years ago, over six months, our family moved twice, lived with my in-laws (which was wonderful, but it wasn’t my kitchen), and had a baby. After those experiences, I can confidently say I won’t ever stop doing vs. those I can let drop for a season.
My top three kitchen routines are those that embody the mission of Kitchen Stewardship® best:
- saves money
- superb nutrition
- doesn’t take much time
My Top Three
- making homemade yogurt
- cooking with dry beans I’ve said all I can say about beans in the aptly titled The Everything Beans Book (although I admit I grabbed a can or two or ten during the craziest of times)
- homemade chicken stock
Is It Broth or Stock?
Bone Broth, Chicken Broth, Chicken Stock…is there a difference? Technically yes, though the terms are used pretty much interchangeably.
The difference comes down to one rather fuzzy distinction: stock is always cooked with bones and may or may not contain meat, while broth is always cooked with meat and may or may not contain bones.
Another slight distinction is in the use. Some say that broth is something you sip on or drink, while stock is what you cook with.
So what am I making? The most accurate description would be stock since I always use the bones. But I guess it could magically transform to broth when I pour it in my mug and drink chicken broth?
I think for the sake of ease I’ll keep using all the terms to mean the same thing – a liquid I cook with bones and veggies and sometimes meat to make a warm, nourishing liquid.
Perpetual Bone Broth
Is never-ending chicken broth the same as perpetual bone broth? Not really.
Making perpetual bone broth requires leaving an appliance – like the stove or a crockpot – turned on almost constantly.
There are advantages to perpetual bone broth, like not having to wash the pot or not having to strain or store the broth. But I don’t love the idea of leaving my gas range burning for days and days at a time. And while most crockpot manufacturers use a lead-free glaze for their ceramic insert nowadays, I’d still prefer stainless steel if I’m going to be cooking over an extended period of time.
Never-ending chicken broth still yields a ton of stock and saves on clean up time since I only have to clean up once at the end of the process. I’ve got you covered on storage options, too so keep reading!
Making Homemade Bone Broth Never Ending
I have made a whole lot of chicken stock in my life. Long before I embraced a real food lifestyle I was already making stock because it was something my mother had always done. Through time and reading and experimenting, I discovered I can easily get 3 batches of broth from the bones of one whole chicken.
In my experience, the first batch of stock is fabulously rich, the second is still great for many soups, especially those that might be blended or have heavy spices anyway, and the third is quite thin, used to augment rice dishes or creamy soups.
I label them accordingly for storage: “chix broth 2nds” or “turk broth 3rds”
My freezer runneth over.
How to Reuse Your Chicken Bones To Make Multiple Batches of Stock
If you’ve never even made your own stock before, period, here’s a refresher:
- Cover bones (cooked or uncooked) completely with cold water in a large stock pot. Add a glug of vinegar if desired.
- Bring to a boil, but just barely.
- Skim and discard any foam you see.
- Simmer for 4-24 hours, adding onion, garlic, carrots and celery for the last 30-60 minutes and a bunch of fresh parsley for the final 10. Salt to taste (or salt when you use the broth – just do the same thing every time so you remember!).
- Strain out solids and cool broth.
For more detailed instructions, view the full post on how to make homemade chicken stock or check out my new favorite method – making bone broth in the Instant Pot!
Here’s where things change for the never-ending method:
- Sort out the vegetables from the bones.
- Return the bones to the pot – you may break them or smash them with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to release even more bone marrow.
- Cover with cold water again; vinegar optional.
- Repeat steps 2 through 5 above.
How simple is that?
You can skip adding the vegetables and label the broth as unflavored. It can still be used for thicker soups, rice, or other applications where the flavor isn’t important but a little boost of nutrition wouldn’t hurt. The process was even simpler because I didn’t have to sort out the bones:
Dump bones out into strainer with bowl underneath, dump back into stock pot or Instant Pot, fill with water. Lovely.
Different Ways to Use Bone Broth
Let’s start with the obvious – pour it in a coffee mug and drink it! That honestly is one of the best ways to enjoy this lovely nourishing liquid—especially the first batch made from the bones, which I find to be super flavorful and rich.
Bone broth can also be used as a substitute for water in almost any savory recipe. This is an excellent use of those second and third batches, which will be a little lighter in color and flavor than the first.
Add extra flavor to rice, mashed potatoes, soups, or casseroles – you could even use it for sauteing up a bunch of leafy greens or other fresh veggies.
More of a visual learner? Let me talk to you about the benefits of homemade bone broth and walk you through making a batch PLUS hear about my own take on meal prep!
Have you tried batch cooking? It’s one of my favorite kitchen hacks to save time while cooking real food, but my take may be slightly different than the ones you’ve seen before.
Instead of making large batches of food and saving them for later, I batch together kitchen tasks and link one night’s dinner to the next. Think of it as getting a head start on your next meal. The net result is time savings AND fresh dinners every night.
The current trend in meal prep seems to be focused on taking several hours on a weekend day to chop and prep veggies, cook meats, and then assemble the leftovers into a multitude of containers.
This is great if it works for you, but my family gets sick of eating leftovers all the time and I get tired of keeping track of all the containers in the fridge! Plus, spending 3-4 hours in the kitchen on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is usually the last thing I want to do.
My Real Food Head Start 7 Day Dinner Plan provides a framework for incorporating my technique each day to save time on future meals and even start stocking your freezer if you want, while still making and serving a fresh dinner. The best part is, you use the time you are already in the kitchen – no extra prep day needed!
Several ways to incorporate bone broth, too!
If you still need a little inspiration, try it in a few of these recipes –
- Smoky Mexican Chicken Soup
- Thai Chicken Stir Fry Soup
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – No Drain!
- Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
Tips for Storing Multiple Batches of Stock
If you are going to be using your bone broth within about a week, the easiest way to store it is in mason jars in the refrigerator. However, if you are making 3 batches every time you make broth you are going to need to make use of your freezer for a long-term storage option.
You can freeze bone broth in several different ways.
Mason Jars
Mason jars, also known as canning jars, are a great way to store big batches of bone broth in the freezer. It’s important to remember to leave enough ‘head room’ at the top of the jar to allow for expanding in the freezer.
All this means is you need to leave about a 1-2 inch space between the top of the liquid and the top of the jar. That way, when the broth freezes and expands against the glass, it has somewhere to go (up) and doesn’t explode (out). Ask me how I know… #facepalm
Note that some sizes/styles of mason jars are freezer safe and some are not, so make sure you know what you have!
These stainless steel reusable lids (available in regular and wide mouth) are great to use for storing broth in the freezer. They also make storing leftover soups, homemade mayo, homemade ranch dressing, or any other liquid or semi-liquid foodstuffs a breeze in the fridge or freezer.
Stainless Steel or other BPA Free Storage Container
These stainless steel, glass, or other BPA free storage containers have the edge over mason jars in my book because of their stackability! Several different designs are available for purchase on Amazon.
Remember to leave some extra space in the container, especially if you are using glass, to allow for expansion.
Reusable Storage Bags
This is an excellent solution if you don’t have a ton of extra room. These BPA free reusable storage bags come in various sizes (I think quart size is best for freezing broth) and, once frozen, can be stacked neatly in the freezer.
Frozen as Ice Cubes
Frozen broth cubes are great to have on hand if you want just a little pop of extra flavor in your rice, to saute some leafy greens, or to add to some leftovers to aid in reheating.
Just pour cooled broth into ice cube molds. Once frozen, remove the bone broth cubes and store in a BPA free reusable store bag or other freezer-safe containers, as mentioned above.
I’m wondering if you’ve done research or know the health benefits of the 3rd (or more) batch of broth? I recently made beef broth, and my 1st batch was fabulously gelatinous, but my 2nd and 3rd batch were not at all. I’m wanting to drink this for health benefits, and I’m wondering if I’m still getting the health benefits if the broth does not come out gelatinous? I’ve looked online but I’m not finding a good answer.
Hey Kim! This is a really good question and I’ve often wondered about how to find more info myself.
You’re right that the gelatin is mainly gone by the second and third batch. There are definitely other health benefits in the minerals etc., so it’s not a waste, but they certainly decrease with every batch.
I guess it depends which health benefits you are seeking when you drink it. A lot of people do continuous broth which is to just keep taking out broth and then adding water to a crock pot for a week and then finally swap out the bones. Any long cooking breaks down the gelatin into collagen, but it’s still there.
All that rambling is to say that I don’t know for sure but there must be something still there.
As a chef, I didn’t realize the bones could be reused. If I ever cook bone in chicken I always save the bones and I always save vegetable scraps for broth. Wherever I work. It adds more flavor and the soup you make from it is SO much healthier for everyone. Thanks for the tip of reusing the bones!
Glad to pass on that tip Amanda!
Wow, I had a similar year, moved twice, lived at in laws, had a baby!
I also love to do multiple bone broth batches, makes the house smell so good for a few days!
Rachel – almost no one shares our story! And funny that you like the smell of broth; I love drinking it but the smell isn’t my favorite.
🙂 Katie
How do you get kids to enjoy soup? Currently it has to be thick like chili or my two don’t like it at all. And veggies? Forget it if they are cooked (read heated in the soup). Oddly enough though, they will eat frozen vegetables as though they were popcorn. I frequently let them because they are eating their vegetables this way.
Beth Ann,
I love that you discovered your kids like frozen veggies! Mine do too, just peas and green beans.
My kids’ favorite soups include:
Cheeseburger soup: https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/nourishing-soup-series-cheeseburger-soup-with-bacon-and-pickles-oh-yeah/
Cream of potato: https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/dilly-cream-of-potato-vegetable-soup-recipe/ (you can start with more potatoes and add more veggies as they’re used to it)
Blended soups like this one: https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/recipe-dairy-free-creamy-cauliflower-soup-excerpt-from-the-blender-girl/ and this https://kitchenstewardship.com/blendedsoup
And nothing wrong with using broth in chili, beans and rice, and any really thick soup.
You’re doing great, and it’s just all about trying different ways of presenting veggies. Your kids might not like clear broth soup for years, but you can keep trying and get them involved so they feel more invested in eating the outcome.
🙂 Katie
A great read 🙂 Quick question and would love some help on this. I have just made my first batch of chicken bone broth and would like to make a second batch. However I am not ready just yet to prepare and simmer bone broth over night straight away after making my first batch. With the strained bones – Can I put them in a freezer bag for a second batch at a later date? Or is that not possible? I don’t want it to be a breeding ground for bacteria if I am to roast, slow cook, freeze then slow cook the bones again.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙂 Thankyou
Hi Charlotte – I’m so glad this post was helpful! I’m too late to be of help this time I’m sure, but what you suggested is something I would feel comfortable with doing myself, but I’ve never done it. Sometimes I’ll put the bones in the fridge for a day and then make batch 2 though. Enjoy! 🙂 Katie
I save the “refuse” from trimming vegetables (carrot ends, celery tops, etc) in a bag in the freezer. When it comes time to make broth I pull veggies from that. 🙂
When making beef bone broth, how do you know when your bones are done? I’m on my sixth batch with the same marrow bones. I’m still getting good gel, but I an also cooking them for 48 hours.
Nicki,
If they start disintegrating or you don’t get gel or flavor, they’re done…or when you can’t stand the thought of making any more broth! 6 batches is awesome!! 🙂 Katie
I do this all the time now.. multiple consecutive batches in my slow cooker.. each day’s batch goes into the fridge to chill and the fat is removed (and saved) the next day once it has chilled and becomes a nice solid block. Once I am done (3-4 days later) and it is all cooled and skimmed, I recombine all the batches and reheat it for bottling. I don’t have the freezer space, but I do have a nice big pantry. I didn’t know I could reuse the bones until a little over a year ago and it has been wonderful. We have been dealing with food allergies/sensitivities for about 2.5 years and I had to relearn and brush up a lot of old skills and it is so nice to have jars and jars of good stock at the ready.
One thing I’ve discovered in my poultry stock making — usually with turkey, today with chicken — is that I really like adding an apple in with the veggies. It’s not so much to make the stock sweet, but it makes for a rounder, fuller flavor. That, and apples bring health benefits of their own to the party.
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This is exactly the info I was looking for! SO very glad to know I can re-use my bones (well, the chicken’s bones) to make more broth! I keep running out of broth and was sure there was a way to make more….
Thanks a bunch.
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Love this idea!! I make stock at least once every couple of months, and love the idea of re-using the bones. In order not to have to strain my veggies, though, I think I’ll sew a bag of cheesecloth to put them in and drop that into the pot. I also normally put a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce in my stock/broth for that extra punch of umami, as well as fresh herbs and a few peppercorns. Yum!
I’ve been re-reading a lot of these posts as I’m experimenting with different stock-making methods, and i wanted to pose a question to any who has used the crock pot method: did you feel your broth tasted “bitter”? Husband has been complaining of this, and we have not liked a single crockpot meal we’ve made since we’ve been using this newer crockpot that we received as a wedding gift. Wondering if perhaps the ‘newer’ models get too hot? Any suggestions/advice?
Rachael,
I can smell the difference in a crock pot meal/broth. I bet you’re right, maybe about being too hot, but for sure there’s something going on. I prefer meals in a regular pot, cooked slowly. 🙂 Katie
I always make my stock in the crock pot too. I make most of my chickens/roasts in the crock pot, so after dinner I clean the meat off the bones, and then return the bones to the crock with the remaining juices and drippings. Sometimes I add in the veggies and typical stock ingredients, but if I am feeling lazy I just let the flavor come from the dinner juices (usually I cook veggies in with my chickens/roasts for dinner). I let this cook on low over night and the next morning (when I get around to it) I turn it off, let it cool a bit, strain, and then pour into jars for the fridge and freezer. It is so easy! The best part is two meals and I only have to clean the crock once! 😉 Of course now that I know I can use the bones over again I may be stretching that even further too. Thanks!
This post makes me giddy. I’m runny all the uses for chicken stock through my mind right now. I recently started freezing at least some of my stock in ice cube trays first. That way I can use it for smaller things too.
I have been making chicken stock in my crockpot for about a year now. Never knew you could use the bones more than once. I am also thrilled about the comments of saving veggie scraps, peels to put in the crockpot. I will start saving those tomorrow!!
A few weeks ago, it was my turn to make dinner for our evening church service, and decided to make soup. After weighing the cost (and lower quality) of store-bought broth, I made broth for the first time! I used two whole chickens and veggies in my big water bath canning pot – filled it up! Per the recipe I used, I deboned the chicken after it was cooked, added the bones back in and simmered for several more hours. The broth and soup turned out great. I used up all the broth in the soup, so I wish I had known that I could re-use the bones! Definitely need to do this soon. Thank so much for sharing all of this info, Katie!
I was wondering: How much water can you add to the carcass of one chicken and not make the broth too weak? Just to cover the bones? How much broth can you get from each batch?
Sarah,
I think the official “recipe” I use says 4 qts water to 2-3 pounds of bones (1-2 chickens I would guess). You probably were at the outer limit with a canning pot and two chickens, so since your broth was good, I’m sure you’ll be happy every time! I get lots and lots of broth…different every time though! 🙂 Katie
So what is the difference between stock and broth? My understanding is when making broth you put in more meat than bones, and when making stock you put in more bones than meat. I guess it doesn’t really matter if you are able to use bones, meat, organs or whatever, in most cooking it will work the same way.
I love the idea of using the bones more than once. I just want to add that you can also put in the back bone and skin of the chicken. I used to find myself wondering what to do with the skin from the whole chickens I bought. Besides making schmaltz, this works too.
Rebecca,
People used them interchangably so I sort of do too, but you’re right – broth is not necessarily with bones, whereas stock must be. 🙂 Katie
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This may be a whole new subject, but can you tell me what you think about the issue of lead in slowcookers? I love using it for broth making as I’m never home long enough, but the lead scares me a bit.
Marta,
I actually have a few articles on that issue saved for a future post…to be honest, I haven’t looked into it deeply enough to say anything, but I hope what I find doesn’t make me get rid of my slow cooker! Yikes… Katie
Katie, you have really simplified the whole broth-making procedure! I have very much come to rely on my crockpot for smaller batches of broth and the slow simmer produces a very nice broth. Can’t wait to try the fresh parsley that you suggested!
Regarding how long broth will keep in the fridge, if the broth has a very nice layer of fat on the top that seals the broth, I have found that it easily keeps more than a week in a tightly capped mason jar in the fridge. The key is to fill the jars as full as possible with the broth/stock, then cool completely in the fridge before capping with 2-piece lids.
Hi Katie,
I’m working on making stock more, and loving it. This time I shredded the chicken when I took it off the bones and put it in the freezer, but now I’m puzzled about how to thaw the cooked chicken. Should I put it in the fridge over night?
Thanks!
Caitlin
Caitlin,
That will work just fine, or if you have bags that are the right amount (I always freeze in 2-cup portions) you can just throw it in your soup frozen. 🙂 Katie
I’ve made stock two or three times before. I followed all the directions and the broth LOOKED perfect. There was the prized gelatin and there was very little of anything that needed to be skimmed. But there was very little flavor! I added salt and all I got was a curiously salty blandness. What did I do wrong? No umami at all!
Stacey,
Hmmm, I don’t often taste my stock plain anyway, but it DOES take a lot of salt to taste good in soups. Did you add the parsley? All the veggies? I’m bamboozled! 🙁 Katie
I didn’t have your recipe with all the veggies, so maybe that’s the problem? I’ve tried other recipes which basically just included large pieces of onion, celery and carrot. I guess I’m just afraid of being disappointed again (and having lots of chicken stock in the freezer that my kids dislike). I’ll try again!
Stacey,
Those simple vegs will make all the difference! I like the parsley and usually add thyme to my chicken soup, too. Good luck! 🙂 Katie
This is a follow-up to my chicken stock issues. Every week, my husband buys a rotisserie chicken (for one of those nights when my children have sports or other obligations). I have been saving the bones and, finally, making delicious stock! I follow your instructions to the letter. Thanks, Katie, for all your help.
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You can also do stock in the crockpot! That is how I made mine. 😀
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Not only do I use ice cube trays to freeze the broth, but I also froze some of my last batch in a muffin tin – for those recipes that I need a little more than ice cube tray, but not nearly as much as a jar or more.
And I made yogurt for the first time! Thanks Katie. I can’t say that it turned out perfect, but it is pretty tasty. I’ll definitely be making more (probably this weekend since I made such a small test batch, and it is almost gone).
I love the muffin tin idea! I would love to have broth measured out in, say, half cup portions that can be pulled out when needed.
I use muffin tins, ice cube trays, and yogurt containers to freeze mine! Muffin tins hold 1/3 cup, ice cube trays about 1- 1/2 to 2 tbsp, and then I put 1 cup portions in the yogurt containers. I just pop them all out and into a freezer bag afterwards! I don’t eat a lot of meat because we buy organic and it is so freakin expensive, but not wasting any of the bi-products certainly saves us a tonne of money!
i do the same thing with keeping my veggie waste in the freezer and it makes me feel so frugal and smart! lol!
my recent post: still waters
i have yet to make 2 batches from the same bones, but i plan to now that i just got more jars to store it in! i personally have to add the veggies at the beginning because otherwise the smell of the stock makes me feel nauseated. the veggies really do help the smell.
my recent post: still waters
Hm… I wish I had read this post this afternoon. I literally just strained my cooled stock and threw away the bones as well as the extra chicken (cause I that I wasn’t supposed to use that after being boiled for so long. Apparently I was wrong there since so many have commented on saving their chicken). I wish I didn’t have a bunch of dirty diapers in my garbage can or I would be tempted to get those bones back out haha. Next time I will know better. Love all the comments about saving veggie scraps too. I threw l those away as I made my stock into potato sausage and kale soup. I don’t ever peal my veggies or potatoes but i could have saved the onion skins and carrot and celery ends and tips .
Can vegetable or chicken stock be canned for storage or must it be frozen?
Yes it can be canned, but you must use a pressure canner and not a water bath. You will need to check the guidelines for processing at your specific altitude. Here in CO at high altitude I have to process it much longer than someone who is at sea level. I would google it.
We don’t use chicken stock…but the same could be true for veggie stock. And using dried beans is amazing–such a money saver and a sodium saver, as well!
Just wondering. If you pulled out the bones prior to putting in the veggies for broth would that work? Then you wouldn’t have to sort through the veggies for the bones. I haven’t tried double using the bones yet (but I will next time, since I am out of broth again!). I love the tip about putting veggie wastes (onion skins, carrot ends, etc) in a bag in the freezer because now I don’t feel like I am wasting yummy (expensive at times) veggies just to make stock.
I give the cooked veggies to our westies. They both patiently wait for them to cool, then go crazy when I put them in their dish!
I’ve been using the same bones for three batches of stock for a while and LOVE that with chicken I think it keeps it’s flavor better than beef. One thing that I have started doing is combine all three batches together. I keep them in jars in the fridge and then when I’m done with all three batches I pour all the jars back into one big pot warms slightly until liquid again and then pour back into jars (or freezer containers). This then distributes the richness.
Oh…. and I also use the neck and organs you find hidden in the chicken to make stock. I don’t know if the organs increase the nutritional value of the stock or not, but I’m not to a point where I can stomach eating organ meat so I feel better that I’m not throwing them away.
It’s funny you posted this today because I had to move around twenty packets of homemade chicken stock around in the freezer to make room for the leftover broth from a brisket. We’re stocked on stock.
This post is almost exactly what I was thinking after my accomplishments yesterday & today; I did the things that in our quest for a healthier, self sustainable and frugal lifestyle. I started beans soaking with whey yesterday morning, they are in the crockpot now. Preped my (other) crockpot of yogurt last night so it would be ready this morning, 1/3 is hanging for cheese, 1/3 was made into ranch dressing and the other 1/3 is available to eat or use in other ways. And the stock is on the stove as I type. I too save all the veggie left overs in the freezer until I make my stock and then toss them in. I did not know that you could use the same carcass successfully to make multiple batches of stock. Thank your for sharing that helpful info. I love your site, it is so informative; what a blessing it has been to me and my family. God bless and keep you.
Great advice, Katie. I’ve got a turkey I’ve been saving in the freezer and when the time is right, I’m going to simmer those bones for all they are worth!
How do you make broth in the crock pot?
Hi Jill,
I experimented with this and it was really easy. I put the chicken carcass in the crock pot, added water to an inch from the top and added a few splashes of vinegar. Let sit for 45 minutes and then turned to high for a couple of hours (I don’t think this was even necessary, I could have just put it on low and forgot about it but I wanted to make sure it got hot enough before putting on low).
Before I went to bed I turned it to low and left it like that until the next evening (I get home late from work so it was brewing for almost 24 hours) and turned it off. I let it cool for a bit so it’s still hot but not so hot that I’m scared to lift the ceramic crock pot dish.
In the sink I put my strainer in a large bowl to catch the broth. I poured the crock pot broth into that and actually not much went into the strainer, most of the solids stayed in the crock pot.
After that, I ladled the broth into containers and let them cool. I picked any extra meat out to use in another dish and discarded the bones, fat, and skin that was still present.
I was actually amazed with how easy clean up was. The broth looks fantastic and tastes just like the broth that I’ve bought so I am pretty confident it will work well with any recipe.
Good luck!
How big is your crockpot? I think mine might be six cups? About how much stock did you get out of this?
My crock pot holds 6 quarts. I got 3.25 quarts (or 13 cups) of stock out of it.
A six-cup crock pot sounds like it would barely fit a chicken in it. Did you mean six quarts?
I do this method also, but I put the bones back in and reuse them for a total of three batches.
That’s exactly what I do too, and then freeze the broth in ice cube trays like someone mentioned above. SO easy, it practically makes itself, and it’s awesome to be able to just throw a few cubes of stock into a recipe for more flavor, or to deglaze a pan or whatever. I can’t imagine having to watch a pan simmering on the stove now that I know my trusty crock pot can do the job!
I made my first batch of chicken broth last night in my crock pot with a chicken we had roasted for dinner. The broth is amazing and I even picked up at least a cup of good meat to use in another recipe.
I do have a question about storage. I live in an apartment with no secondary freezer and mine is quite full. How long can I keep broth in the fridge? I’m assuming two weeks is safe but not much after that, right?
I’ll be trying to make room for some of the broth to freeze and the rest I’ll make a soup.
I’ve heard only a week.
I have a set of ice cube trays just for broths. Pour the stock in the trays, freeze, then dump the cubes into a zip bag or re-purposed coffee container. Then it takes less room in the freezer.
Lauren,
Check out yesterday’s post (http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2012/01/23/monday-mission-do-something-new-with-stock/) for a link to someone who says you can reboil it every 5 days and it will “reset” the clock on it going bad! You can also condense it to freeze by boiling it on the stove until there’s less liquid.
🙂 Katie
I never use whole veggies anymore. If I don’t have any, I don’t use them. BUT. And you will like this. 🙂 I save up celery ends, onion ends, carrot peels, etc. and I throw all those in! I was going to throw them out anyway, might as well use them for stock. I do throw in the last bits of floppy, not-good-for-anything celery too. It’s a great way to use kitchen waste and get even more out of it. I hated using 3 – 4 whole, good carrots and throwing them away! Now I don’t have to. 🙂 You can save scraps in the freezer if you won’t be making stock soon enough for them to stay good.
I need to do this with my beef bones. I let my beef stock go FOREVER but I’m sure there’s still more in them. They’re just so big. I’m about to start a huge pot of chicken stock, but in a day or two (or three! I have a really big bag of “chicken parts”) I will do beef stock and I will do a few batches. Better get on that, because I’m roasting a whole turkey next week. Oh! But I got a roaster for Christmas so I suppose I could do turkey stock in there and beef stock on the stove. Hmm….
Yes, we love stock. 🙂
I do the same thing with veg scraps. I have a big old jar in the freezer where I keep carrot peels and ends, the leafy part of celery, onion tops, etc 🙂
I do the same, only I just keep a stock pot in my freezer. When ever I cut up an onion or trip carrots (including peelings) I throw in the parts I used to compost into the stock pot. Every time we chicken in any form with bones we throw the bones into the pot. And then at some point, when it is about half full, I make stock, but I had never heard of doing more than one batch before. I also can my stock (with a pressure canner) so it doesn’t take space in my freezer and it is really easy to just grab a jar when it is needed. I will have to try the multiple batch of stock then.
I meant Trim carrots and celery!
This is exactly how I do my chicken stock in the crock pot. The first and second batch I do about 12 hours each, the 3rd for about 24. 3rd batches get used for beans 🙂 if I have them, I put chicken heads or feet in the 2nd batch and further.
I love making stock! Sometimes I make excuses to cook with whole chickens or bone -in beef JUST so I have bones to make stock with. I have also been known to come home from dinner at someone else’s house with a bag full of bones. I started keeping a large zip-top bag in my freezer to put odds and ends of veggies in – onion skins, potato peels, the ends of squash and carrots, etc. The next time I make stock, it’s everyone in the pool!
I just made my first batch of homemade yogurt in the crock pot. It was so easy, I can’t imagine doing it the “complicated” way!