Homemade Chicken Broth

Hello fall, hello winter – and while those phrases may feel dreadful, @Jackiecooksanddrinks has some tips to make the seasons brighter! First, stop buying broth at the store. They are usually packed with sodium and less flavorful. Try this easy recipe from home, and keep your freezer stocked all season long!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken leg quarters
• olive oil or chicken fat (1-2 tbsp)
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 leek, dark ends and white ends removed, sliced, rinsed, and chopped
• 10-15 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, optional
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, add more to taste

Directions:

1. In a large dutch oven or large stock pot on medium low heat, heat some oil or chicken fat
2. Brown the chicken quarters on each side, until golden (about 5 minutes each side)
3. Remove from the pot, and set aside
4. Add all chopped vegetables and saute for 4 mins. Add the chicken back into the pot, as well as the herbs, pepper, and salt (fresh and dried)
5. Add water to the pot; the amount will depend on your pot size but 8-10 cups of water is a good amount
6. Bring to a boil then, reduce to a low simmer for 6-8 hours
7. Strain the liquid through a large sieve into a large container. If you want, reserve the now cooked chicken pieces and set aside to use in chicken salad, chicken soup, enchiladas, etc!
8. If you have a fat skimmer, use it when the fat comes to the top of the pot when the broth is cooking. However, we prefer to refrigerate the soup, and the next morning the fat solidifies at the top and this makes it SO much easier to remove. We store ours in mason jars in the freezer so there’s always broth in a pinch!