Healthier Chicken Broth

Since it’s still early in the new year, I suspect I’m not alone trying to eat healthier? I mean, isn’t it customary each year for Moms everywhere to resolve to eat better and to prepare healthier meals for the family? I’ve invested many hours already this year scouring the internet to find good recipes, and I’ve found many recipes call for small portions of chicken stock. I don’t use bouillon cubes, and much of the canned chicken stock had ingredients I couldn’t pronounce or a lot of sodium, so I went to Plan C which turned out to be so simple and essentially free. (Anyone resolve to save more money this year?)

After I cook and de-bone a chicken, I have been using the carcass to make broth. It’s incredibly simple and especially frugal!

Simply throw the chicken bones into a large crock pot with whatever vegetables you have on hand. I raided my refrigerator vegetable drawer to find onion, celery stalks and baby carrots. I pealed the onion then quartered it. I washed then chopped the celery into large chunks. As for carrots, I dumped the bag in as-was. Then I filled the pot with water.

I cooked the broth on medium-low all day. That night after my boys were in bed I strained the broth then poured it into a gallon pitcher to refrigerate overnight. As the broth cools, fat floats to the top of the pitcher, so the next morning I scraped it off. I poured the remaining broth into one-cup freezer-safe plastic bowls and stored them in our freezer. Now, everytime I make something that calls for a cup of chicken broth, I pull out a bowl.

A couple notes: Any fresh (or dried) herbs you have on hand can be added to the broth before cooking. I didn’t add any salt to my broth, yet it tasted great. If you don’t feel up to cooking an entire chicken, check your local grocer for a rotisserie chicken. Freezer-safe bowls come in all sizes, so freeze your broth into portions that will accommodate your family’s favorite recipes.

Post by Aimee and Bettijo : www.supermomments.com