Thursday, February 4, 2010

Frugal Chicken Broth


Do you make your own chicken broth? I have cooked chicken in water and made broth for soup, but I recently read the coolest thing EVER!! There is a use for just a carcass, you don't need the meat! Just when I was feeling like I was getting somewhere on my frugal quest, I realize I don't know much of anything!

My first experiment with this was a leftover turkey breast carcass. I put the carcass in the crock pot, filled it up with water and voila...eight hours later...broth! Something I thought was useless and needed to be thrown out still has a use.

We go through a lot of broth around here and it isn't cheap, so...I decided to make chicken broth! I bought bone-in chicken breasts last week (I will post about that adventure soon). They typically run about half of the price of the boneless skinless, and I knew I could make broth from the bones!

Same thing as with the turkey carcass...I just threw the chicken bones in the crock pot with some onion and garlic and filled it up with water. I cooked it on low while I was at work and I had broth when I got home! I then froze my broth in freezer baggies for future use. I started with seven breast bones and I got 8 cups of broth.

Free broth, you can't beat it! Have you done this or something similar to it? Leave me a comment...this is all new to me and I need all the advice I can get!


This post is linked to Frugal Friday's over at www.lifeasmom.com. Head on over and check out everyone"s frugal ideas!




11 comments:

Leslie said...

Now that is one great tip! Especially using the crockpot - can't wait to try it.

Amy Lynne said...

I do this too. The crockpot is great for my broth making!

Anonymous said...

I overheard this conversation between my peditrician and my Mom about freezing beef bones from steaks (esp round steak) and making beef broth once you have a nice supply of bones. (I was about 10 but I remember it and found it to be a good idea when I tried it) Add a beef bouillon if necessary.

Miriam said...

A friend of mine says to put some salt and vinegar in with the bones while you're cooking them, it draws out the calcium from the bones :)

Katie said...

Thanks for the great tips! I will be sure to add vinegar and salt next time! I am excited to save my beef bones, too!

Coupon Teacher said...

Great ideas! I love to cook!

cherielynn09 said...

What a cool tip....I've made broth...just boing chicken "parts"...like with the meat still attached...but never thought about using just the "leftover" bones!!!

And to think....Mamaw...the QUEEN of frugal...never taught me this!!!

OR.....maybe she did & I just wasn't paying attention!!!! LOL


Definitely worth doing...especially with the crock pot & all!!!

Thanks Kate!!!

cherielynn09 said...

my keyboard sticks...that is supposed to be BOILING chicken parts!!!

Alison said...

I love making chicken broth in my crock pot! I cook the bone-in chicken in the crock pot and serve for dinner. Then I pick the rest of the chicken (I usually make 2 large packs at a time.)and dice and freeze the meat. The bones make their way right back into the crock pot with the cooking juices and cold water (sometimes some veggie scraps) and cook overnight. I haven't tried it with the added vinegar yet.

I also make vegetable broth in the crock pot. You can read about it here:
http://my-vintage-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/tutorial-make-your-own-veggie-broth-in.html

Lisa said...

I would highly suggest not putting vinegar unless you want a slight vinegar flavour; and really you are simmering a pot of stock for quite a few hours so the goodness of the bones is already in the water. You can tell by how your cold broth gels - that is from the bones!
Most people don't salt their stock as it often interferes with the salt amount that you put into your soups/sauces. As in you add salt to say your onions/celery/carrots at the beginning to season and draw out their liquids - adding an already salted stock/broth is not a good idea.
Roasting your raw bones in the oven prior to adding cold water(so your stock/broth won't be cloudy) will also add flavour. Cold water also for your turkey carcass - throw in all the bones/skin/wings/neck. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer or use your clever crock pot idea starting with cold water!

Katie said...

Lisa,

Thank you so much for all the advice. I will remember it the next time I make broth! It was very helpful!

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