This effectively cracked the screen... LOVELY! So I was forced into a blogger hiatus, and yes I do have blogpress on my iphone, and while I do like it, I'm rarely motivated to use it.....
So I'm back now! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!
I did email my prayer buddy, but I still want to devote a post to it sometime this week. Unfortunately, the kitchen is calling my name... LOVE to cook...really dislike dishes.
However, I will leave you with this little tidbit.
I used to be terrible at making soup. I can cook, but soup and I just weren't friends with the exception of chili. I would try to be all chef like and throw a bunch of spices and veggies into the broth, and my sweet husband would choke down my concoction so as not to hurt my feelings.
Then, I started making homemade stock, and friends, I have UNLOCKED THE SECRET! Suddenly I am a soup wizard! Shhhh.... don't tell! I can now whip up a batch of chicken noodle soup or even vegetable noodle soup without using a recipe, and my husband is singing my praises, consuming 4 large bowls of soup, and practically licking the pot clean!
If you have a crock pot, water, vinegar, and any old poultry or beef bones, you can make delicious nutritious stock!!! I confiscated the two turkey carcasses from my family's Christmas dinner, and I garnered 8 quarts and 2 pints of gorgeous stock! I have some frozen in ice cube trays to use in sauces etc, and the rest is frozen in jars and old yogurt containers down in my deep freezer.
All you do is put the bones in the crock pot, cover them with cold water, add a 1/4 cup of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar), and let it sit for 30 minutes. The vinegar helps draw the minerals out of the bones. Then, I turn the heat on high, and after a couple of hours, I turn it to low, and I let it go for between 12 and 24 hours. I will check it occasionally for an scum (which I rarely find), and I skim it off the top. Some people add salt and pepper, carrots, onions, celery, herbs, etc for the last couple of hours, but I don't because I just flavor it when I use it in recipes. However, if you plan to drink it straight, the veggies wouldn't hurt. :)
When it's all done, I take a ladle and my skimmer like this, and I ladle the stock into the containers and jars through the skimmer to strain it. I let it cool in the fridge, and then I transfer the jars to my freezer.
Could not be easier, and it is so good for you! Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc! I have been trying to use a lot of it to help protect our family from sickness this winter.
Here a link on why broth is so amazing! http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/03/26/food-for-thought-health-and-nutrition-of-traditional-homemade-chicken-brothstock/
Ha, I am trying to blog more too, but I have no excuses like you do with the cracked laptop. Thanks for the tip on soup!!
ReplyDeleteAfter I get the hang of making Isaiah's formula and Isabella's kefir, I am going to try making stock. I will probably call you for help!!
ReplyDeleteKen and his dang poultry allergy :(
ReplyDeleteI've got the bones in the fridge ready to go! Thanks for the reminder! Do I have to do anything special to freeze the glass jars?? That just seems odd to me.
ReplyDeleteBeth-you can do this with beef bones too!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the laptop (cringe) but yay on the stock!! Do you have a pressure cooker? You can cut the cook time for stock down to about 1 hour (though I usually let it go about 1.5 hours) with a p.c. Have you ever made stock with chicken feet? OMG...I kid you not...BEST stock ever.
ReplyDeleteKaitlin, I would just make sure you leave a good inch or two of room at the top of the jar to allow the stock to expand as it freezes. I also cool it in the fridge before I put it in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Mike, I don't have a pressure cooker, but that is interesting! Do you still get all the minerals and stuff out of the bones in that short amount of time? And no I haven't used feet... I need to though. :)
I believe so, yes! The bones are like chalk by the time I pull them out so I'm going to guessing all the good stuff has left the bones and gone into the stock. A good sign that your stock is hearty is when it gels in the fridge (like soft jello).
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