How To: Make Chicken Stock

Here's the thing, though. Now that I know how simple it is to make my own homemade stock, I feel guilty doing it any other way. Yesterday I had more time to work on it,what with the kids home on a snow day and all, so I decided to make some brown chicken stock. It's called brown stock because you roast the chicken bones before you make the stock to help give it a rich color. Below you'll see photos of the steps involved, and a recipe from the Natural Gourmet Institute. Honestly, you can't beat the flavor--it doesn't even compare to the stuff you buy in the store. And with homemade stock, you can control how much sodium is actually in there, which makes all the difference. If you have time, give it a try!

5 pounds chicken bones

8 ounces onions, chopped

4 ounces carrots, chopped

4 ounces celery, chopped

5 quarts cold water

Herb sachet of bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and parsley stems (I used fresh sage instead of the parsley stems since I didn't have any in the fridge)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a roasting pan with foil or non-stick parchment paper. Place chicken bones in a roasting pan in one layer and brown in the oven , about 40 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, add the onions, carrots and celery to the bones.

2. Place the well-browned bones, vegetables and herb sachet into a stockpot.

3. Drain off fat from roasting pan and discard; deglaze roasting pan with some water and add this to the stockpot.

4. Cover bones and vegetables with cold water and bring to a simmer, skimming the foam off the top as needed. Simmer stock for 4 to 6 hours, adding water as needed to keep bones covered.

5. Strain through fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.

6. Let stock cool thoroughly, and refrigerate for later use.